The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Kordell Stewart with the 60th overall pick in the 1995 NFL Draft, the highest pick the Steelers had used to select a quarterback since 1980. Coming off a heartbreaking loss in the AFC Championship, the Steelers had the “3 More Yards” mantra driving the team through 1995 as a Super Bowl favorite. But nobody could have expected the impact made by Stewart was destined to make, that carried the Steelers to Super Bowl XXX.
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Former Steelers head coach, Bill Cowher felt comfortable with the established Neil O’Donnell as his starting quarterback, so Stewart was initially slated to fourth string on the depth chart. With Mike Tomczak and Jim Miller already on the roster, Stewart was not doing much through training camp or to start the season, but things were about to change.
A 3-4 start had the Steelers on the verge of falling out of contention and they were in desperate need of a spark. It began with a very innocuous compliment from O’Donnell to Stewart as they were warming up regarding how good Stewart was about catching the ball. Stewart began to work with O’Donnell similar to how the receivers would. When offensive coordinator Ron Erhardt and Cowher took notice, Stewart asked of the coaches, “Instead of me just rotting away doing nothing, I’ll help out at other positions if you need me to.”
It turned out Stewart was bigger, stronger, and faster than any receiver the Steelers had on the roster, and he began working out with the receivers. But when Charles Johnson was injured, Stewart would ask to do more, and with Cowher would dress Stewart as the third-string quarterback vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars at Three Rivers Stadium, and thus the experiment began.
Kordell Stewart, per Truth: The Kordell Stewart Story:
"I entered the game prepared to run a quarterback draw. It was third and long, and we were in a five-receiver set—we called it 'Buffalo Personnel.' I took the snap, tucked the ball, and ran. Right up the middle. First down. Three Rivers exploded."
The momentum grew with two consecutive wins, but what most people remember as the catalyst that created “Slash” occurred vs. the Cleveland Browns with the most exciting two-yard TD pass in Steelers history and a 20-3 victory.
Pittsburgh Steelers QB Kordell Stewart (#10) was a game changer as a rookie nicknamed "Slash." | Getty Images
The Steelers rode an 8-game winning streak through the playoffs and Stewart scored a pivotal touchdown vs. the Indianapolis Colts in the classic AFC Championship Game win. The Steelers came up short in Super Bowl XXX and O’Donnell’s three-interception game was his death kneel in Pittsburgh. Despite receiving the largest contract offer in Steelers history, O’Donnell signed with the New York Jets, which created an opening at QB in 1996.
Cowher felt Stewart was not ready to be the starter, but told Stewart he'd utilize him more at quarterback in 1996. While Stewart would be featured in the Slash role, the competition for starter was between Tomczak and Miller. Miller was the "winner" but Cowher did not have a lot of confidence in either quarterback.
Bill Cowher, per Heart and Steel:
"Frankly, no one won the job in ’96. I asked Kordell to be Slash for one more season because we needed his help at wide receiver. In deciding between Tomczak and Miller, I asked myself a question: If I pick the wrong guy, who would I rather have on the bench ready to replace him? I decided that if Miller failed, Tomczak would definitely give the team a spark. That was the primary reason I named Miller our starter, but I never had complete confidence in my decision."
Miller lasted only one half before receiving the hook in the season opening loss vs. the Jaguars. Tomczak started the rest of the season while Stewart was elevated to backup. Cowher blended Stewart’s athletic ability with Tomczak’s pocket passing and coaxed out another division championship, though Tomczak struggled as the season progressed. Going forward, both Cowher and Stewart knew it was time to move forward with Slash as the full-time starter at QB.
Bill Cowher, per Heart and Steel:
"I learned my lesson from the previous training camp: I named Kordell Stewart the starter. Period. That was the end of Slash. Chan Gailey did a great job of installing all the things that Kordell could do effectively: we ran a lot of quarterback draws, short passes, as well as some of our playbook staples. We played to his strengths. He was nothing like Neil or Mike at quarterback, and it would have been our mistake if we’d tried to make him be them."
Kordell Stewart, per Truth: The Kordell Stewart Story:
"Being Slash in 1995 and 1996 turned out to be invaluable for my confidence as I entered the 1997 season. Though I wasn’t a starting quarterback those seasons, I felt beloved and accepted by Pittsburgh. I was one of their own. This gave me a lot of security when I took over the quarterback role. I couldn’t wait to bring people joy as I showcased my abilities at quarterback, just as I had hopefully brought them joy as Slash."
It was upon Chan Gailey to integrate the talent of Stewart into the Steelers offense and he succeeded. Jerome Bettis finished with 1,665 yards rushing that year (just 29 shy of the record set by Barry Foster) and Yancey Thigpen set a franchise record with 1,398 receiving yards that stood until 2013 when broken by Antonio Brown. And Stewart was dynamic, twice accounting for 5 touchdowns in a game, and finishing with 21 passing touchdowns and 11 rushing touchdowns.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Kordell Stewart (#10) took the league by storm in 1997. | Getty Images
The Steelers rode the magic all the way to another AFC Championship Game at Three Rivers Stadium, but the dream season ended with another nightmare afternoon. Stewart threw three interceptions, two of which were in the end zone, in a heartbreaking three-point loss to the Denver Broncos that Cowher took particularly hard.
Bill Cowher, per Heart and Steel:
"That 1997 team might have been the best team we had in my 15 seasons in Pittsburgh."
The success of 1997 led to the Dallas Cowboys offering Gailey their head coaching position. While a win for Gailey, it was disaster for the Steelers and Stewart. Cowher hired Ray Sherman, but by the end of the season, it was clear it was not a good fit, and the Steelers crumbled on and off the field losing five consecutive games to end the season.
Dan Rooney still had such faith in Stewart and he was signed to a five-year contract extension, much to the surprise of even Stewart himself. The Steelers were going to get a new stadium and Rooney felt Stewart was the quarterback of the future, so Cowher hired the experienced Kevin Gilbride as offensive coordinator in 1999 with the aim of turning Stewart around.
Kordell Stewart, per Truth: The Kordell Stewart Story:
"Coach Gilbride studied my performances from the year before, and he concluded that most of the problems were in my head. He said I looked unsure of myself. He said I had lost the swagger I’d had my first three seasons in the NFL. He said I needed more mental preparation. He was trying to get me back on track again and narrow my focus."
Unfortunately, the promise of 1999 looked very much like 1998 and Stewart continued to struggle. After a Week 12 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, Cowher informed the media that Stewart would not play quarterback the remainder of the season and would return to role of Slash. This included no longer attending quarterback meetings and practicing with the receivers.
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In 2000, Stewart entered training camp #1 on the depth chart and Kent Graham was signed when Tomczak was not renewed. Stewart proceeded through camp under the assumption that he was the starter, but it turned out not to be the case.
Kordell Stewart, per Truth: The Kordell Stewart Story:
"As the preseason ensued, I didn’t even know that Kent and I were competing for the starting job. That’s why I was surprised when Coach Gilbride told me the morning before our final preseason game that they were going to name Kent Graham the starting quarterback to kick off the regular season."
It's been rumored that Cowher took a similar angle to what he did in 1996, with the intent of going with Stewart as his starter, but wanting to take some pressure off him. It was successful as Graham was pulled after Week 1 and Stewart started the rest of the season, with the Steelers coming to three blown calls by officials from a playoff berth.
In 2001, Mike Mularkey designed an offense around the talents of Stewart and it became one of the most prolific in Steelers history. The Steelers had the #3 offense in the NFL and for the first time attained a 3,000-yard passer, two 1,000-yard receivers (Hines Ward and Plaxico Burress) and a 1,000-yard rusher (Bettis). Stewart finished fourth in the MVP vote, obtaining more MVP votes in one season than Ben Roethlisberger would accumulate in his entire career, but the season ended with another disappointing loss in the AFC Championship Game.
The magical Stewart was close to greatness, but not able to achieve it. By Week 3 of 2002, Stewart was pulled for Tommy Maddox in order to avert an 0-3 start. The organization realized that Stewart’s Slash style, while exciting, did not always work to get them to where they wanted to be and decided to part ways prior to the 2003 season. Stewart still provided amazing memories and achieved great moments as Slash, and he definitely has a place in Steelers history.
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