Kordell Stewart is one of the most unique players in the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Drafted in the second round of the 1995 draft, Stewart might have been ahead of his time. He earned the nickname “Slash” due to his ability to play multiple positions. While Stewart was a quarterback, he also lined up at wide receiver and running back. He was a versatile weapon that’s more commonly seen in today’s NFL. His honesty about his versatility in a meeting with the Steelers at the NFL Scouting Combine might have even helped them draft him.
“It was one of those situations where the Steelers asked me, ‘If we needed you to play something else, would you?'” Stewart said recently on Thee Pregame Network YouTube channel. “What the hell you think I said? Damn right I would. I didn’t want that to impede me from getting in.”
While Stewart was “Slash” in the NFL, he was mainly a quarterback in college. He didn’t have that reputation of versatility in college. He seemed determined to be a quarterback in the NFL, but as a prospect at the Combine, Stewart was nervous about hurting his stock. With the way the Steelers eventually used him, it’s fair to wonder if his answer in that meeting helped him land in Pittsburgh.
However, the Steelers weren’t the only team at the Combine interested in moving Stewart around. Not everyone got that same positive answer, either.
“Then I had the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears who wanted to try me out as a running back. Now remember, when I was coming out of college, I never did all of that other stuff before. I just knew where I came from. I knew I had the abilities, but it was at the quarterback position.
“And so, when the question was asked to me to do the running back stuff, I told them no. The Steelers, and no one else outside of Indy and Chicago, asked me to do anything else at the Combine. Everything else was throwing the football.”
It seems Stewart had no problem lining up at other positions, but he wanted to be a quarterback. He had rare athleticism for the position. However, he wasn’t just an athlete. Stewart was a good quarterback, and he was right to bet on himself, making a Pro Bowl in 2001.
Funnily enough, Stewart would eventually end up with the Bears. When he left the Steelers after the 2002 season, Stewart signed in Chicago. They did play him at quarterback, but at that point, he wasn’t as effective. Stewart would only start seven games for the Bears before getting released at the end of that year. That was the end of his time as a starting quarterback in the NFL.
Despite not having a great deal of longevity, Stewart proved he could play quarterback in the NFL. Although he’s mostly remembered for being “Slash,” Stewart gave the Steelers several years of solid quarterback play.
Maybe Stewart would’ve been even more successful in a modern NFL offense. Quarterbacks with his athleticism are more common now. Lamar Jackson is the best example. However, even he dealt with hurdles trying to enter the NFL as a quarterback. He’s proved those doubters wrong, though. Stewart probably wouldn’t have been as successful as Jackson, but maybe he would’ve had a fuller career.
