Kordell Stewart was one of the most polarizing players in Steelers history. Both beloved and reviled at the same time, Stewart was ahead of his time at the quarterback position.
In today's NFL, Stewart would be considered just another quarterback. But when he broke into the NFL in 1995 as a second-round draft pick, he was an anomaly. He could throw the football to be sure. But he also had speed that often left defenders in his wake.
And therein lie the rub. Should he simply be a pocket passer like everyone else? Or should he take full advantage of his talents?
By 1997, after fooling around and helping the Steelers out by playing some wide receiver in his first two seasons, Stewart became the Steelers' starting quarterback. He threw for over 3,000 yards and combined for 32 touchdowns -- 21 passing and 11 rushing -- leading the Steelers to the AFC Championship.
But there was a certain segment of the population that couldn't, wouldn't accept him. See, Stewart is Black. And even in 1997, that couldn't possibly fly.
After all, we were a decade removed from a reporter asking Washington's Doug Williams how long he'd been a Black quarterback during a Super Bowl press conference. That just wasn't the norm.
So, despite Stewart's massive talent, despite the numbers he put up and the things he could do on the field, there was a segment of the population that just wouldn't accept him.
So they started a rumor. And it spread. They couldn't attack Stewart for being Black. That wouldn't make much sense in a sport where 80 percent of the athletes are Black.
Instead, the rumors painted him for something that wasn't quite so off limits at the time. They said he was gay.
You all heard the rumors. You all heard the stories. Some of you might have even believed them.
Stewart recounted his story in a post this week on the Players' Tribune, a web site devoted to allowing former athletes to tell their side of things. And it's a sad tale.
But it's one worth reading. And then perhaps re-reading.
All too often fans forget that players are human beings. Yes, they play a kid's sport for money -- often a lot of it. But they have feelings. And they take their jobs very seriously.
And words mean things.
Read Stewart's piece. Reflect upon it. Imagine it happening today.
As a society, our feelings on race and sexuality have grown. But just for a minute, imagine walking in that guy's shoes in 1998 Pittsburgh. And imagine what he would be like in today's NFL, when not only do teams know what to do with a quarterback who also is a dynamic runner, they build their teams to take full advantage of those talents.
By 2002, Stewart had left Pittsburgh, replaced by Tommy Maddox, a journeyman pocket passer. By 2006, he was out of the NFL, 11 seasons after his career began. Had he just been breaking into the league at that time, his story would have been completely different.
By then, players such as Michael Vick had entered the NFL, walking that trail that Stewart helped blaze.
But it remains a tale that should be told to remind society where it has been.
