Kordell Stewart/Slash & Burn Revisits False Rumor — SkimNews
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- Kordell Stewart/Slash & Burn is now streaming on HBO Max, covering Stewart’s Steelers career and the unfounded rumor that nearly derailed it and followed him for decades.
- Steelers staggered through a 7-9 season in 1998 after an unfounded rumor started by a local police officer surfaced two days after an ugly loss in which a fan called Stewart a racial slur and threw beer at him.
- Kordell Stewart played quarterback, receiver, running back and punter during a two-year Slash stint, then started at quarterback for six seasons; in 1997 he became the first NFL player to throw 20 touchdowns and run for 10 scores in one season.
- Steelers rallied from 14-0 and 21-13 deficits to beat the defending AFC champions 24-21 in overtime at New England in 1997; Stewart’s 41-yard overtime pass set up the game-winning field goal.
- Kordell Stewart led Pittsburgh to 13-3 in 2001—the franchise’s best record since 1978—set its completion-percentage record and finished fourth in MVP voting, then reached the AFC Championship Game after dethroning the Ravens and lost at home to eventual champion Patriots.
- Jerome Bettis ran for 1,665 yards in 1997, the second-highest single-season total in Steelers history, while Yancey Thigpen set a then-franchise receiving record with 1,398 yards.
- Kordell Stewart told CBS Sports that his Steelers tenure and the adversity he endured would vindicate his successful run; he believes his induction into the Steelers Hall of Honor will happen and that he will be alive to see it.
Why it matters: By centering Stewart’s two AFC Championship appearances and record-setting 1997 versatility, HBO Max’s documentary gives Steelers fans a corrective to the rumor that dominated his public image. Stewart himself says his Steelers tenure and the adversity he endured would vindicate his run, explaining his hope for eventual Hall of Honor induction.
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