Nearly three decades ago, Kordell Stewart got a call from a friend who had just heard a disturbing story at a Pittsburgh barbershop. People were claiming the Steelers quarterback had been arrested at Schenley Park for taking part in a lewd act with a transgender woman.
The rumor spread quickly. Former teammates and acquaintances contacted Stewart from cities including San Francisco, Atlanta and Indianapolis. But it wasn’t true: Stewart was never arrested, and he has consistently denied the allegation.
Known as “Slash” for his ability to play quarterback, receiver, running back and even punter, Stewart was trying to establish himself as Pittsburgh’s long-term starting quarterback while dealing with the rumor and the attention it brought.
A new HBO and NFL Films documentary, “Kordell Stewart: Slash & Burn,” gives Stewart a chance to recount what happened and reflect on how the story affected his career and personal life. Directed by Brian Rivera, the film also follows Stewart back to Schenley Park, including an area known by the crude nickname “Fruit Loop Circle,” where the alleged incident was said to have taken place.
Stewart described making the documentary as both unusual and cathartic. He said the project gave him an opportunity to tell a story with many layers, and to revisit a rumor that has followed him for years.
Still, he would rather have people focus on what he accomplished on the field. Stewart sees himself as a forerunner of today’s dual-threat quarterbacks, a type of player he believes the NFL was not yet ready to embrace during his career. Looking at the game now, he said, he sometimes jokes that he should be owed back pay for helping pave the way.
He remembers his career as a lot of fun, though not without difficult stretches. Those setbacks, he said, were part of football and life. Stewart also takes pride in the fact that former Steelers coach Bill Cowher won more games with him at quarterback than with any other quarterback during Cowher’s coaching career.
Stewart’s versatility was clear in college at Colorado. He had a strong arm, along with the speed and agility to excel at receiver. The Steelers told him he could become a Hall of Fame-caliber wide receiver, but Stewart believed quarterback was where he belonged and held to that view throughout his career.
After Pittsburgh selected him in the second round, Stewart took on different roles to get on the field. Cowher listed him as “Quarterback/Wide Receiver,” and the nickname “Slash” stuck. Stewart, however, wanted to prove he could be the team’s starting quarterback.
In 1997, he led Pittsburgh to an 11-5 record and the AFC Championship Game. The Steelers fell short of the Super Bowl, and changes on the coaching staff — including offensive coordinator Chan Gailey’s departure — made it harder for Stewart to find consistency.
The rumor added another burden. Stewart believes it may have started with a Pittsburgh police officer, though he has never learned who was responsible. He still struggles to understand why someone, particularly a Steelers fan, would have spread it.
Stewart said the story reflected the resentment some people felt about him becoming the face of the franchise at quarterback. It did not make him question his ability, he said, and he believes he did his part despite the upheaval around him.
He acknowledged that he never won a Super Bowl, but pointed to Hall of Fame quarterbacks Dan Marino, Dan Fouts and Warren Moon as examples of great players who also finished without a championship. Stewart argued that his overall record in Pittsburgh deserves to be considered alongside that absence, especially given how often he had to adjust to new coordinators.
Now 54, Stewart remains involved in football as a volunteer offensive coordinator for the South Forsyth War Eagles high school team in Cumming, Georgia. He also hopes the Steelers will recognize more of what he contributed to the franchise.
Stewart was the first player in NFL history to throw at least 20 touchdown passes and rush for at least 10 touchdowns in one season, finishing with 21 passing touchdowns and 11 on the ground. He ranks third in passing yards in Steelers history, and his 2,561 rushing yards are the most by a quarterback in team history.
He said people often reduce his career to what he did not accomplish as a quarterback, overlooking the broader record. Stewart believes no one before him had played the game in quite the same way, moving between a full-time role at receiver and becoming a starting quarterback, and that the position has changed since then.
Stewart said he remains proud of his time in Pittsburgh and grateful to the teammates, coaches and fans who supported him. Despite the rumor and the difficult moments, he said he would make the same choices again and would not change his career.
