Pittsburgh Steelers QB Kordell Stewart
AFC Championship Game, January 25, 2002

     Q.   Did you consider after '97 that you may not be up here again, with some of the things that developed after that '97 game?

                      KORDELL STEWART:   No.  As a player, you have high expectations of yourself and of the people around you, especially when you're a competitor, and the thing you always say to yourself is you're trying your best to get back to a place where you have been before, and knowing you had an opportunity to make it to the dance and you came up short.  My heart and my mind  ‑‑ I think the thing presented itself correctly, which is now and we have the opportunity.  So it was not one moment that I second‑guessed myself or the team or whatever in the sense of saying that we're going to have a chance to get back again.  It was just a matter of winning.  It took some time but here we are now.

    Q.   What would going home, not only playing a game in the Super Bowl but going home, what would that mean to you personally and professionally?

                      KORDELL STEWART:   First, we've got to get through this one, but it would be nice.  It would be like a homecoming for me.  My family is there, all of my friends, my true friends.  The stomping grounds where I started as a little buck, I guess you could say, in little league, running track, being all‑Metro, all New Orleans, everything.  Just going back, it would be my homecoming for me.  I know everybody in the stands, probably will be wearing black and gold, some wearing red, white and blue because my high school we were Patriots, so they will be wearing some of those colors just to represent my high school or whatever.   It would be fun.  It would be like a family reunion, considering my family would be there, coaches, teachers, everybody, so it would be a special moment.

    Q.   What has Michael done for you this year?

                      KORDELL STEWART:   Coach Mularkey is a guy who has played the game first and foremost.  One thing I know about him, he's calm, he's cool, he's collected at all times and you know when you have someone who is in control of themselves in that fashion, being that I'm that type of person myself, it causes you to actually just go out and be relaxed, know that you just have to go out hard and just play well.  Just his mindset and how he wants to approach things in general, it makes you want to really go out and play hard because he always talks about being physical, being focused, taking over the game, being the hitter and not the hittees, if that's the way that you want to it.  The guy that he is, he's really torn down some walls that I probably put up based on some things that have taken place the past few years.

                      So I can appreciate not so much the coach that he is, but the man that he is.  You don't find too many people who can take their ego and put it to the side and put the team first and their players first and try to put them in the best position possible to make plays and that also suit those individual players, you try to put them together collectively to go out and perform to a high level week‑in and week‑out.  And by him being that kind of guy, it basically allowed me to just be who I am.  He's not trying to change me.  He's not trying to make me do something that I guess it's going to please him, so to speak, but please the offense, how we are trying to run it.  So being that's the case, here we are with that mindset and we're trying to move forward to the Super Bowl after this game.

    Q.   You mentioned about true friends.  During the last couple of years, did you find there were some artificial friends who really were not friends?

                      KORDELL STEWART:   Well, think about it.  I mean, as a kid growing up, the guys that you fight with all the time, throwing rocks at, you know, shooting marbles with, seeing who is the fastest, who has the biggest muscles, you know because you are working out, you want to be that guy to make it to the varsity team first in high school, the guys you hang out with all the time, those are your friends that you know are going to be there regardless.

                      You've met some friends along the way, through high school, college and once you got to this level but being that I'm going home, that's home, and like they always say, there's no place like home.

                      So when I say, "friends," I don't mean people that I've met along the way that are not my friends; I mean people that knew me as little bitty old Kordell Stewart with the name my mom gave me.  I mean those friends who knew me when I didn't have anything at all but the clothes I was wearing and my mom and dad bought it for me.

    Q.   What are your impressions of Tom Brady?

                      KORDELL STEWART:   He's getting it done.  He's a good quarterback.  He's leading his team to victories.  When Coach Belichick told him he was going to be the star, he came in and took advantage and didn't wory about the pressures of being the guy who has the big contract and everything.  He just came in and took care of business and doing a good job by throwing, making good decisions, scrambling, running around, screens, whatever they do, has gotten him to this point so far.  So it's not a fluke at all, trust me.  He's been doing a great job for his team.

    Q.   Which of these situations could be more rewarding or more difficult:  Someone like you or Brady, envisioning that you might not be here, which one of those situations is more rewarding?

                      KORDELL STEWART:   When you're here, you're here.  There's people saying you never anticipated having the opportunity to be here now because once you get here, you're here.

                      It's obvious we never thought Brady would be the guy that would be leading them because he was not the starting quarterback from the beginning.  So there's a great story behind that considering he had to come off the bench after the third game in the season.

                      Mine, obviously, it's nothing new to me.  Maybe people don't like my style, may not be a good‑looking guy, I don't know what it is, but the thing is you can't really let  ‑‑ you know, you guys have a job, you know, people are going to report things based on what they see, what they hear.  But the truth of the matter is, individually you know what it is that you can do and you have to know that in this league and in life, people can't validate you to a point where now all of a sudden because they say you're doing good, you feel good about yourself or they say you're doing bad, you're not worth anything or doing anything at all.  So you just have to take it with a grain of salt because it comes with the territory and you just have to continue to strive forward and move forward and do the things that you know how to do best, which in my opinion and with me is winning, and just keep doing the best I can and put my foot forward and stick with the plan basically.

    Q.   Have the previous three years been the hardest in your life?

                      KORDELL STEWART:   In athletics, in sports, yes.  In sports I have never had to deal with the adversity I have.  For whatever the reason, however it came, I never had to deal with the stuff I had to deal with, deal with it in the past.

                      Being that we are here right now ‑‑ and honestly I would not change it for anything in the world.  I appreciate it so much because it put things in perspective for me to a point where I'm like, you know, how worse can it get?  Can it get any worse than this?  You know, real whether it was boos or sitting on the bench, throwing an interception and sitting on the bench, the next guy throwing an interception and then going back in the game, whatever, just to have everything unfold the way it has and being here right now, man, I am enjoying this moment so much right now, I don't know what to tell you.

                      I use the analogy of this little box, and every once in awhile when things start slowing up and I'm not approaching in a physical and mental fashion I kind of take a peek in that mental box and look at all of the crazy things that was taking place, and I close it back up because if I let the monsters out, they might start some stuff and I don't want them to do that again.  So I take a peek every once in awhile to get my focus going, and I think that's what keeps me focus and keeps me to the grind, because it's been hard.  It has not been easy at all and just to be here right now talking to you guys, it's sweet.  It's nice.

    Q.   Was there ever a point where you thought Coach Cowher had lost complete faith in you?

                      KORDELL STEWART:   It got to a point where I didn't care because I had to do my job, regardless of how he felt or what he thought and how things may have seemed, I had to keep the confidence in myself.  You know, you go through things sometimes just to see what it's really all about, and I've had that opportunity to see it.  All I know is I play this game and I can do a pretty good job at it.  You know, now that I'm going through what I'm going through and here I am right now, I think the story speaks for itself.

                      And as far as people having confidence in me, I just need to do my job.  That's most important and everybody else is going to follow because when you're the quarterback that's the guy they are following behind.  So now that things have taken place up to this point in that fashion, it doesn't bother me at all if anyone has any confidence in me.  I have confidence in myself and just continue to do what I'm going to do.

    Q.   You talked about the walls that were put up earlier and getting through those.  Can you talk about what you and Bill both had to do to get your relationship to where you wanted it, and where is your relationship with Bill right now?

                      KORDELL STEWART:   Well, you have to understand  ‑‑ I guess everybody likes to go back to the days when I was slashed in  '97 playing against Baltimore and he gave me a pretty decent hug and probably it kissed on TV and everybody called me his son and our relationship was one which was great which it is.  It's unique.  I don't think a lot of quarterbacks go through this as a wide receiver, then go to quarterback, and listen to all of the naysayerers and you go through the down times of not playing well and now all of a sudden here you are playing well again.

                      So it's been a unique situation.  I've always said that Coach Cowher is the head coach of this team, and his job is to manage the way he needs to put players in the game or put the right personnel on the football field and my job is to do my job.  The relationship is going to always be a player/coach relationship, and obviously, because of what's taken place up until this point, there's a little added to that.  So it's nothing to the point where I see any frustration or malice towards him because I know he has to do his job and if I'm not getting it done he's going to take me out and put in someone else, plain and simple.  He's the head coach and I'm the quarterback of this team and my job is to lead us and if I'm not getting it done he's going to put somebody else in there.

    Q.   When you look at the Patriots on film, what's the first thing that jumps out at you?

                      KORDELL STEWART:   They do different things.  They come out and disguise certain things to confuse the quarterback, the offensive line and receivers and make you think that you have to throw hot, make you think they are blitzing when they are not.  But at the same time, they have to be aware of what we're doing because we do a lot of moving around, too.

                      You know, Coach Belichick, he does a good job of trying to confuse you, but I think when it's all said and done, when they are done moving around, once you stop the film, the movement, it still turns out to be a 3‑4 defense, a 4‑3 defense, cover two, cover three, man‑to‑man, blitz them or whatever.  So you just can't get caught up into all of the moving around and just really stay focused on the things you need to stay focused on and that's the safeties and knowing where they are.  If you know where the safeties are, I think everything else will take care of itself.

    Q.   What has Hines meant to yourself and the team?

                      KORDELL STEWART:   Hines brings a physical approach to the team.  That's always been this organization's mindset, how the defense plays and also how the offense plays.  And Hines is doing something that not too many receivers in this league are doing, which is blocking downfield.  The secondary, they keep their head on a swivel  ‑‑ the majority of the times when they rotate and they bring the safety and they blitz him and no receivers come to block him.  But now with Hines and Plexico and Troy and Bobby Shaw, all of the guys, the tight ends and everybody going downfield and blocking, it causes the guys to have to be alert.  Just his presence alone and how he's approaching the games is trickling down to everybody.  Last week, I had a block that gave Troy Edwards an opportunity to run the ball 30 yards down the field.  It put things where it needed to be in terms of how you need to be physically.  It's fun.  It's the game.  And Hines, he just brings that to the receiving corner for us.

    Q.   Even without Jerome in the lineup the last month and a half, you continue to have success and win games and be effective on the ground.  What do you get from having him there this week, presumably?

                      KORDELL STEWART:   We call him "The Bus" for a reason.  He's not a guy that you can have in the backfield and not recognize him.  We've been having some success without him, but to have all of the power in these last few games that we may have, we're going to need Jerome to be there.  If it's just his presence, just to cause guys to have to account for him, I think that's going to be to our advantage, considering what I've been doing; Hines, Plaxico, Troy, a.m. office, Danny and Witman, with all of those guys and doing their job, and when Jerome comes back, that thing is going to do nothing but add some extra fire  ‑‑ extra fuel to the fire and cause us to be that much more explosive.  So, it will be good to get the Bus back.

    Q.   You talked awhile back about New England's defense, how they gave you a lot of looks, a lot of movement, but the key is to stay focused on the safeties.  Is that how it's been with you generally the last couple of years; there's been a lot of stuff going on that you've had to learn to stay focused on whatever you're doing?

                      KORDELL STEWART:   The safeties, yeah, it's one thing to try to learn an offense and get that out of your mind to the point where now you can focus on the defense, and that's what I have not been able to do the last couple of years because things have been so, you know, complex, so to speak to the point where you're trying to figure out where yours is going and before you know it, pick up, pick up, pick, because you're not paying attention to the things you need to pay attention to.

                      But this year based on how things have been, guys can go out and react, it's allowed me to keep my eyes downfield, because based on coverage it's going to tell you exactly where you need to go.  And guys are going to be running three or four routes and one guy won't be running  ‑‑ have three or four options in one route so that's really what's allowing me to actually keep my eyes downfield and taking from the first level to the second level, which is the first level your linebacker and the second level is the secondary, which is going to tell it all.

                      So they do some things to disguise and try to confuse you, but now that things are the way they are on offense, it's given me that opportunity to succeed by looking downfield and seeing where they are so I can throw it to those areas.

    Q.   When was that point where you said it doesn't matter what anyone thinks of me, and who helped you get there?

                      KORDELL STEWART:   Well, the situation itself, basically.  And obviously, just praying about everything, just to keep me humble, keep me open‑minded to a point where I can go out and not play with frustration and hate, but play with my gut feelings and just being relaxed and poised and just play the game and not worry about anything else.

                      It was where, you know  ‑‑ when '99, when you play and you're sitting on the bench and playing wide receiver, that was frustrating enough in itself.  But I only did it because I wanted to keep my stress level down and I wanted to stay in shape.  So, you know, being that that was the case I knew sitting on the sideline was going to do nothing but drive me crazy.

                      So, I sat on the bench and watched everything take place and we only won one game and the next year, we start the next year and we lose the first three.  I mean, so I'm like, you know, whatever is taking place here, I'm just going to let it happen, man, I don't care, I'm not going to worry about it.   I just need to keep myself in fighting trim and be ready for the opportunity.  And once the opportunity came, you know, I seized the moment.  I beat, I think Jacksonville the first time and then we played the Jets who were supposed to go to the Super Bowl and we beat them 20‑3 and the ball just kept rolling and rolled all the way to this point.

                      I basically said you know people are going to make decisions but the things I need to control are myself and the things I can't control I don't worry about.  Once that approach came about mentally, I don't really care about anything else but what it is we need to do on offense and my job is to lead the offense and lead this team and try to do the best I can.

    Q.   When you talked to a guy who won four Super Bowls, Terry Bradshaw, who was also booed here in Pittsburgh, did that help put things in perspective for you?

                      KORDELL STEWART:   I wasn't here at that time, but Terry came back and mentioned some things in  '97 and asked me if I had never been booed and I said, "No, I haven't been booed, I don't know what you're talking about."  I said, "I'm having success, I shouldn't get booed, I'm the guy."

                      Obviously I was naive, I was young and didn't have any clue and I guess the next year, I guess he jinxed me and I started getting booed.  I told Terry, "You shouldn't have told me about it; I didn't want it to happen."

                      So to this day, I love to have the opportunity to talk to Terry and see him and he's happy to see that things have turned around pretty much in the same fashion that it did for him, and, you know, that guy right there, I tell you, Terry is a funny guy, man.  And just to see that he was a guy that's going through it, and to see him eye‑to‑eye and talk to him, regardless of talking with Coach Cowher, Jerome and all of the guys that experienced this with me, he knows individually what it was all about.  I can respect his word more than anyone else's.

                      So, Terry, he kind of enlightened me on some things and took the load a little bit when he came into town one time and we had some fun and kind of went back and forth.  It was pretty much just laughing giggling the whole time.  It was fun to see him come back, finally, after hearing that he did not like coming back, but I've always said, "Terry, I'm  going to change that for you.  I'm not going any wheethey are going to have to deal with me.  Maybe you don't want to come back but I think I'll be the guy to hang around and let them know that I will not submit to everyone else's way.  They will have to submit to how I play the game."    Once I had that approach and he heard me say it, he felt good about being here  ‑‑ after winning four Super Bowls and getting all of the boos, I said it's not necessary, I'm going to change it.

    Q.   How much more difficult is the type of comeback that you pulled off than a comeback from an injury and how gratifying that you didn't have to leave or start over?

                      KORDELL STEWART:   Knock on wood I haven't had any injuries that I have had to try to come back from them and overcome some things.

    Q.   Are you gratified, a lot of players get fresh starts, but you did it staying here?

                      KORDELL STEWART:   In order for me to have a piece of mind, and to relax, you feel good about all of the things that's taken place up until this point, whether it's the boos and all of the other stuff, I have to win right here first.  Here first, before I can do anything else.  If I run from it, it's coming with me.  I can't go anywhere.  The labels, the things they were saying, it's coming with me everywhere I go.  So running from it won't say me so basically I have to see it through, basically.  As much as people may be amazed by it and overwhelmed by it, I'm not because that was my approach.  I've always played this game and I've always been able to get it done  ‑‑ just a matter of getting myself together, me individually to where I can endure and handle it.   And being that I've gone through everything that I've gone through in the past uppal of years, I think it prepared me for this moment.  A lot of guys may want to leave and go somewhere else and rekindle their career and feel good about being somewhere else, but running from it won't help you out at all.  I think some cases, you know, it's best for some people.  But for me, I want to be hard‑headed.  I like being hard‑headed.  It's cool every once in awhile to be hard‑headed and I think being hard‑headed at this point in time is paying off.

    Q.   How tempting was it, I guess, to run?

                      KORDELL STEWART:   It never was tempting, honestly it.   It was just a matter of me getting myself together.  You know, my dad always taught me, stand there like a man and handle it.  You messed the bed up you have to make it back up again.  So far, I got pillows in it's place, got the blanket on the bed pretty good, so I have to get that skirt and yank it down on the bottom of the bed and make sure everything is nice and neat.  We have a race we need to finish here, and I think it's going to make all of the things that's taken place up until this point so nice, you know.  The anticipation part of it all is killing me right now, but I guess I have to deal with it and wait till Sunday, man.  Shoot.

    Q.   You've been where Tom Brady is ; young quarterback in a big game.  What is he going through as far as all of the things he has to sift through the outside distractions and the game?

                      KORDELL STEWART:   I don't know, for him, I don't know.  Honestly I could not tell you.

                      I just know that he may not know what he's getting himself into, but I hope he's enjoying this moment right now because there's going to be some up and down times and that goes for every single quarterback that's come through this league.  I never thought that way and it's amazing that I'm saying it right now, but it took all of that for me to sit up here and be able to speak the way I'm speaking and saying the things that I'm saying about it.

                      So, I'm more than sure he's enjoying the moment.  He may be excited, he may be calm, I don't know.  I can't tell you.  But you've got to let him enjoy this moment right now and I don't feed him any negative things because you never know what next year holes.  And if he takes advantage of this moment and this opportunity, I think he'll never forget this moment as long as he lives.

    Q.   Do you take pride in the fact that during the down time you were labelled as a guy that could not be a good passer and now you lead in completions?

                      KORDELL STEWART:   That makes me smile, you said it all, I don't have to say anything.  It goes back to me saying, you know, everybody is going to say what they want to say and feel the way they want to feel.  I was drafted as a quarterback in 1995 for a reason.  And the thing is, I've gone out there and done something that no other quarterback has done, which is go out and play wide receiver and do a very good job and help lead us  ‑‑ lead the team to the Super Bowl.  And then come in in  '97 and want to be the starting quarterback.  Now we know this is a traditional league in terms of how quarterbacks are being brought in, being drop‑back quarterbacks, guys who are a certain height, came from a certain system in college, we know those things.  But to have one come in and play wide receiver, and then go and play quarterback, and almost take his team to a Super Bowl, it's just never been heard of.  So, obviously, the questions and the assumptions are going to be raised to a point where everybody is going to question your ability, and all I have to say was I can't be mad at the man up above for giving me all this talent.  All that I can do is just go out and play the best I can to help the team win so.  While everyone else is upset and frustrated about it, I'm going to say thank you Jesus for giving me this opportunities.

                      So with all that said, I can't be upset, I can't be frustrated.  Like I said, that's everyone else's jobs to be critics.  It's my job to go out on the football field and play.  Unfortunately we didn't have two or three good years, but right now we have an awesome year.  Being I was not an accurate passer, I'm a very accurate passer now.  We are one game away from the Super Bowl and broke the record for passing percentage in the Steelers organization, and having the opportunity to win the game, so, here we are.