Pittsburgh Steelers' former quarterback, Kordell Stewart was before his time. Drafted in the second round in 1995, Stewart was a dual-threat signal-caller before Michael Vick made it popular several years later. He struggled to find his place, with the Steelers also using him occasionally as a receiver or special teamer.
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Steelers' Kordell Stewart.
Stewart has been open about his belief that being a pioneer hurt him. It is likely hard for younger fans to understand; they have only seen an NFL that values mobile quarterbacks, but that wasn't always the case. Pittsburgh didn't always know what to do with Stewart, nor did opposing defenses. The fact that he could scramble so well also made him a significant target.
Recently, on 2 Pros and A Cup Of Joe, former NFL linebacker LaVar Arrington told fellow hosts Brady Quinn and Jonas Knox a "funny" story in response to a discussion regarding starting quarterbacks potentially being injured in preseason games. Arrington played for the then-Washington Redskins (now Washington Commanders) for seven short seasons and was a highly touted draft pick. He was chosen second overall out of Penn State and is a native of Pittsburgh. That makes the disrespect he levels at Stewart all the more surprising.
"You want to laugh at something, I think that happened to Kordell Stewart in a preseason game with us. I really laced his a** up; I put him in a body bag, bro."
Arrington said it was a naked boot play during the preseason when he knocked Stewart out of a game. The hosts attempted to research the actual game information, but Arrington was a bit fuzzy on the year. He was fairly confident however, it was 2001.
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Former Washington LB LaVar Arrington.
He said that Tommy Maddox replaced Stewart, who left with a concussion. However, the game Arrington is referring to happened in 2002. Stewart was the starting quarterback, and according to the news, Arrington "grabbed him from behind and slammed him headfirst into the ground." After leaving the game with a concussion, Stewart was replaced by Charlie Batch, who was also injured, suffering a cut on the chin on a play that was flagged for roughing the passer.
"Tommy Maddox ended up coming in and playing because Kordell was never the same after I hit him. Never was the same. Bro, he thought he had the juice and it wasn't worth the squeeze that day. He tried a naked bootleg, and, man, it was bad. It went bad."
The remark sounds misleading as if Stewart never returned to the league after that slam. That's not true; he played for three more seasons after 2002. Arrington takes great pleasure in retelling a story of hurting another player. The often-vilified James Harrison doesn't even do that. Harrison often shares tales of terrorizing the opponents, but frequently says it wasn't personal and it wasn't in an attempt to end their career.
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Steelers' James Harrison.
Stewart lasted a lot longer than Arrington did. In spite of all his talent and promise, Arrington was never able to stay healthy and reportedly refused to comply with his coaches. During Stewart's 11 years in the league, he played in 125 games, starting 87 of them. He completed 2,385 passes for 14,746 yards and 77 touchdowns. He rushed for another 2,874 yards and 38 touchdowns.
Steelers' Justin Fields Has Kordell Stewart To Thank
Stewart rarely gets the credit he deserves for the changes he helped bring to the game, especially on the national level. However, newer dual-threat players like the Steelers' new quarterback, Justin Fields, have him to thank.
The Steelers traded for Fields this past offseason, and he has been turning heads in camp. With apparent starter Russell Wilson out with a calf strain, Fields has had lots of time to workout with the first team offense. Always credited with the ability to scramble and use his legs to make plays, Fields has also shown that his accuracy has improved, something that he was criticized for during his time with the Chicago Bears.
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