Kordell Stewart was a dynamic QB threat; Where is he now?
PITTSBURGH (BVM) – The Colorado Buffaloes are 6-2 and have received national attention due to the performances of stars Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders. Colorado could be headed on the right track with head coach Deion Sanders partly because of his desire to connect with the program’s history.
Kordell Stewart, a star QB for the school in the 1990s before his respectable NFL career, is still around Boulder.
What is he up to now when he is not on the sidelines at Folsom Field on Saturdays?
College career
Stewart became the starting quarterback at Colorado as a sophomore and never looked back. He threw for 6,481 yards and 33 touchdowns while there and ranks in the top 10 in school history in both statistics. Stewart’s best season was his final one in 1994, racking up 2,710 total yards and 17 touchdowns.
He was a second-team All-American that year and named first-team All-Big Eight.
Stewart’s most iconic moment was a successful Hail Mary attempt against the Michigan Wolverines that gave Colorado a 27-26 win. The play is known as the “Miracle at Michigan.”
Kordell Stewart had an absolute cannon; will never be over the Miracle at Michigan throw
This thing’s going 70+ (72.99 by my calculations) yards in the air pic.twitter.com/w11ad1E6Z0
— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) June 14, 2024
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers grabbed Stewart with a second-round pick in the 1995 NFL Draft and he was initially used as a gadget-like player, earning him the nickname “Slash.” He finished fourth in the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year voting behind Curtis Martin, Terrell Davis and Joey Galloway.
Stewart did not receive a legitimate chance to play quarterback until the 1997 season, but he still managed to lead Pittsburgh to an 11-5 record and the AFC championship game.
1997 AFC Divisional Playoff
PIT 7, NE 6
Kordell Stewart with the game’s only touchdown on the Steelers opening drive.
Chad Scott & Levon Kirkland each had an INT, Jason Gildon had 2 FR — one of them coming courtesy of a Mike Vrabel sack with under 2 minutes to go. pic.twitter.com/wHsTxSOsB2
— Donny Football (@DonChed54) December 6, 2023
The franchise had a lot of turnover following that season, and Stewart was eventually benched.
He turned it around in 2000, leading to a career year in 2001. Stewart totaled 3,646 yards and 19 touchdowns as the Steelers finished with a 13-3 record and an AFC championship game appearance. He made the only Pro Bowl of his career in 2001 and placed fourth in the MVP voting behind Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk and Brett Favre.
Happy Birthday to Kordell Stewart 🟡⚫️
48-31 record as Steelers' starting QB
-Two AFC Championship Game starts
-Steelers QB career leader in TD runs (38)
-Steelers QB single-season leader in TD runs (11)
-NFL's first 20/10 QB (20 TD passes, 10 TD runs)
-First Steelers QB to… pic.twitter.com/Xgdd4s5bA9— Matthew Luciow (@matthewluciow92) October 16, 2024
Stewart was benched early in 2002 and would then have short stints with the Chicago Bears and the Baltimore Ravens. He did not play again after the 2005 season.
Media career
Stewart had various roles with ESPN from 2009-11 covering the NFL, UFL and college football. He no longer works for the network, but he has been a guest in recent years on some of its shows.
Where is he now?
Stewart has become an unofficial ambassador for his alma mater, even having a relationship with Class of 2025 QB recruit Julian Lewis. Outside of his support for Colorado football, Stewart is now a sponsor of Srixon, a California-based golf equipment company.
