Kordell Stewart: From "Slash" to Quarterback - A Colorado Buffaloes Legacy
Kordell Stewart, born on October 16, 1972, is a former American professional football quarterback who spent 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Best known for his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Stewart's versatility and athleticism earned him the nickname "Slash". Before his NFL career, Stewart made a name for himself playing college football for the Colorado Buffaloes.
College Career at Colorado
In 1991, Kordell Stewart received a scholarship to the University of Colorado Boulder, marking the beginning of a significant chapter in his football journey. Stewart led the option-oriented Buffaloes to a pair of top-10 regular-season finishes in the AP and Coaches polls in 1992 and 1994. He also led them to wins in the 1993 Aloha Bowl and 1995 Fiesta Bowl. His senior year, he was recognized as a second-team All-American.
Early Years and the "Miracle at Michigan"
One of Stewart's greatest moments for the Colorado Buffaloes occurred early in his college career. On September 5, 1992, as a sophomore, Stewart started his first game. Colorado unveiled a pass-oriented offense that lifted the 12th-ranked Buffaloes past in-state rival Colorado State, 37-17.
Stewart achieved recognition in 1994 for the "Miracle at Michigan," a Hail Mary pass he completed to defeat the Michigan Wolverines.
Statistics and Accomplishments
Kordell Stewart played four seasons for Colorado. He threw for 6,481 yards and 33 touchdowns. Stewart threw for 6,481 yards in his Colorado career and rushed for 1,289. He had 48 total touchdowns, and the Buffaloes finished No. 3 in 1994 despite sharing the Big 8 conference with No. 1 Nebraska. Colorado running back Rashaan Salaam won the 1994 Heisman Trophy.
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In his first season, he had 15 carries with 14 receptions (for a total of two touchdowns).
NFL Career
Versatility and the "Slash" Role
After being drafted in the second round of the 1995 NFL draft, Stewart joined the Pittsburgh Steelers. Initially, Stewart was used sparingly for select plays. He made a handshake deal with Bill Cowher to be given a chance for the quarterback position, as Neil O'Donnell was the incumbent and also slated to be a free agent after the 1995 season was over. After a few games of brief rushes and catches, he got his first pass attempt against the Cleveland Browns. The attempt resulted in a touchdown.
Stewart's versatility allowed the Steelers to utilize him in various roles, earning him the nickname "Slash" due to his ability to play quarterback, running back, and wide receiver.
In the 1996 playoffs, he was used for a couple of carries (nine combined) in Pittsburgh's run to Super Bowl XXX. Against Buffalo, he was used for a punt, which he kicked 41 yards to the endzone for a touchback. In the AFC Championship against the Indianapolis Colts, he caught two passes for 18 yards and a touchdown that gave Pittsburgh a 10-6 lead at halftime in an eventual win. He ran four times for 15 yards in the Super Bowl loss to the Dallas Cowboys, which proved to be his only trip to the big game.
Starting Quarterback and Pro Bowl Season
In 1996, Pittsburgh elected to use third-year backup Jim Miller as their week one starter. When he fizzled out in the middle of the game, they went with Mike Tomczak (who had been with Pittsburgh since 1993), with the Steelers being bolstered by their off-season trade acquisition of Jerome Bettis. Stewart played sparingly at quarterback (30 passes) while being more used for catches and runs.
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Stewart was named the starting quarterback for the 1997 season. In his first season as a starting quarterback in the NFL, he led the Steelers to an 11-5 record. He was the first quarterback to throw for twenty touchdowns and run for ten in history. The Steelers went to the AFC Championship Game, which they lost to the Denver Broncos.
Prior to the 1998 season, the Steelers lost their offensive coordinator, Chan Gailey as he was signed as the Cowboys head coach. To replace him, the Steelers brought in Ray Sherman from the Vikings. In addition, Stewart's leading receiver and Pro Bowler Yancey Thigpen also left via free agency after the 1997 season. Coach Bill Cowher named Kent Graham quarterback to start the season, and the team got off to a 1-3 start. When Graham injured his hip, Stewart was tapped to replace him.
As starting quarterback, Stewart led the 2001 Steelers to a 13-3 regular-season record and the top seed in the AFC playoffs. Under the tutelage of new QB coach Tom Clements and new offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey, Stewart had his best year as a pro, throwing for over 3,000 yards, completing 60 percent of his passes, and attaining a passer rating of 81.7. He threw for 14 TDs and ran for five more. The Steelers easily defeated the then-defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens in the divisional playoffs.
Stewart earned Pro Bowl honors for his performance in 2001, marking a high point in his NFL career.
Later Career and Retirement
Stewart began the 2002 season as the Steelers' starting quarterback, but after throwing an interception into double coverage in the end zone at home against the Cleveland Browns in the third game of the season, he was replaced by increasingly popular backup Tommy Maddox, and Stewart was released at the end of the season. Stewart did start two games in place of an injured Maddox to keep the team's playoff hopes alive.
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The following season, Stewart signed as a free agent with the Chicago Bears and was named the starter. After several poor performances in 2003, he was replaced in favor of Chris Chandler. After getting the same results from Chandler, he was reinserted as the starter, before getting benched in favor of rookie Rex Grossman after the Bears were eliminated from the playoffs.
Stewart was signed in 2004 by the Ravens to play a backup role to Kyle Boller, and later served as a replacement for the injured Anthony Wright. He did not, however, throw a pass that season. He was unexpectedly successful as an emergency replacement for punter Dave Zastudil, being named NFL Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance.
Following Boller's reactivation on November 9, 2005, the Ravens cut Stewart instead of keeping him as a third-string player, activating running back Musa Smith instead.
Legacy and Impact
While criticized often during his career (especially by the local media in Pittsburgh), more recent assessments of Stewart's career have been more positive. Some sportswriters have named Stewart the first modern dual-threat quarterback, having played the position about 20 years before it became widespread. Within the local Pittsburgh media, Mark Madden and John Steigerwald often defended Stewart during his playing career and felt he was being unfairly judged.
Beyond Football
Stewart made guest appearances on the TV shows Deal or No Deal and Pros vs. Joes.
Stewart met Porsha Williams in 2009 at downtown Atlanta's Luckie Lounge. On May 21, 2011, they married in a lavish ceremony that was featured on WE tv's Platinum Weddings. Stewart appeared as himself alongside Williams on Bravo's The Real Housewives of Atlanta season 5 and 6. Stewart filed for divorce from Williams on March 22, 2013, on the grounds that the marriage was irretrievably broken.
In March 2017, Kordell won a $3 million lawsuit against internet personality Andrew Chad Caldwell, who made headlines in 2014 in front of a St. Louis church stating that he was delivered from homosexuality. Andrew Caldwell claimed to have a gay relationship with Kordell. Since the lawsuit, Kordell has still not been paid by Andrew Caldwell.
On April 29, 2008, in an interview on the WCNN "680 The Fan", Stewart expressed interest in returning to the NFL. Also, according to ESPN2's First Take on July 28, 2008, Stewart had not officially retired and had been working out at his home, to attempt a comeback following pre-season.
Completion of College Degree
Kordell Stewart will soon officially be a Colorado graduate. Stewart, known for his “Slash” nickname while playing multiple positions with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL, was one class shy of his degree when he was finished playing for Colorado following the 1994 season.
So he came back recently to complete his degree in communications.
“Completed. Accomplished,” Stewart told BuffZone.com. “The task at hand is finally done. It’s something my son will be proud of, something my father if he was living would be proud of.” He told the site that he’ll get his degree in the fall and that he plans to walk at Colorado’s graduation ceremonies in May.
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