Photo by: CUBuffs.com
Stewart To Be Inducted Into Colorado Sports Hall Of Fame
October 08, 2025 | Football, General, Alumni C Club
The 65th with ties to CU set to be enshrined next April 16
BOULDER – University of Colorado football fans will never forget the late Keith Jackson's (ABC) call of the "Miracle in Michigan," on September 24, 1994:
"Stewart with time. Let's it go. … he's got three people down there. The ball's up in the air … Caught! Caught by Westbrook for a touchdown! Incredible!"
Kordell Stewart, the quarterback who launched that pass 72 yards in the air as time expired to beat Michigan, 27-26, that afternoon in "The Big House," has been selected for induction in the 61st class of the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame next April 16 in Denver.
A three-year starter (1992-94), the dual-threat signal caller led the Buffaloes to a 27-5-1 record (the best all-time at CU), 16-2-1 in Big Eight Conference games, 9-5 against ranked opponents and including bowl victories over Fresno State in the '93 Aloha Bowl and Notre Dame in the '95 Fiesta Bowl (when he was named the game's most valuable player). The Buffaloes finished 13th, 16th and third in the national rankings the three years he lined up behind center.
"It's awesome and really gratifying that the work I've put in will be recognized," Stewart said. Joining my coach, Bill McCartney, and teammate, Rashaan Salaam, in the Hall is important to me. (McCartney was inducted in 2013, Salaam in 2018).
"I know there are a lot of Denver Broncos, Denver Nuggets, etc., that have been selected for the Hall," he continued. "I feel that it is a testament to the respect that I get from my peers. I'm excited and the good thing about it is that my son (Syre) gets the chance to see his dad go into the state's Hall of Fame.
"While it's an individual accolade, I have to thank my coaches at CU, first Coach Mac, who sealed the deal when he visited my home," Stewart said. "Bob Simmons was the first to visit me. Gary Barnett was my first offensive coordinator, then Les Steckel, who also visited me during recruiting. And finally, Rick Neuheisel, who was my position coach my senior year and who drew up 'Rocket-Left-Hail Mary,' the play that won the Michigan game. And of course, all of my teammates.
"I put in a lot of work to allow myself to be respected by all parties I came into contact with – coaches, teammates, opponents I played against, and now to those who had the voting power considering all the sports that Colorado has to offer – pro, college and all the outdoor sports – to be selected makes things to me complete."
And I don't want to forget the fans who were there through thick and thin who supported myself and my teammates, especially those who made the trip to Michigan."
He recalled nearing the end of the recruiting process, he visited four schools – in order – Arkansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Colorado. He had no clear favorite at that point.
"Rick George picked me up at the airport," he recalled. "There was a blizzard that had took place a few days before, with maybe three feet of snow on the side of the roads. But the roads were bone dry, I had never seen anything like it. I remember driving into Boulder on U.S. 36 and at the scenic overlook, the high point of heading into the valley, in the distance there were lights elevated off the ground. I thought they were stars, coming from New Orleans being at sea level. "Rick said, 'No Kordell, those are houses in the mountains!'
"The rest was history. It was arguably the finest moment of my young adult life -- traveling, experiencing and learning new things in identifying this place – Boulder – being the most beautiful place in the world. It was pretty darn impressive. Now, it's the ultimate honor to be forever a part of the fiber of the state, and most importantly, by representing the university where all the magic was created."
He was a second-team All-American as a senior and a three-time All-Big Eight Conference team member – first-team his senior year, when he set the league's all-time record in total offense with 7,770 yards – one that still stood when the league dissolved in 1996.
Selected by Pittsburgh in the second round (60th overall) of the '95 NFL Draft, Stewart would go on to play 11 seasons in the league – eight with the Steelers, two with the Baltimore Ravens and one with the Chicago Bears. He soon became known as "Slash" for his prowess of running, throwing and catching the football: he threw for 14,746 yards and 77 touchdowns in his NFL career, rushing for 2,874 yards and 38 TD's and caught 41 passes for 658 and five scores.
Over the course of his career, he was involved in long touchdown plays that included a 90-yard pass, an 80-yard run and a 71-yard reception, a trifecta of those yardages accomplished by no other player in the history of the league.
In 2001 in his next-to-last year with the Steelers, he went to the Pro Bowl after being named the AFC Offensive Player of the Year and the Pro Football Writers' Most Improved Player in the NFL.
He was inducted into the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame in 2016, the CU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2018 and is a finalist for the Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Honor.
Joining Stewart in the class are Steve Foley (Denver Broncos safety), Lafayette "Fat" Lever (Denver Nuggets guard), Beatriz "Gigi" Fernandez (International Tennis Hall of Famer), Wendy Koenig (Colorado State and Olympic track athlete) and Harry Hollines (University of Denver basketball).
Tickets for the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame Banquet are $250 each and Sponsor tables start at $3,000. For additional ticket and table information, please contact the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame (www.coloradosports.org or 720-258-3535). The Colorado Sports Hall of Fame & Museum is located at Gate 1 on the west side of Empower Field at Mile High, at 1701 Bryant Street in Denver.
Since its inception in 1965, the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame has inducted 292 individuals prior to this fall's selection meeting. The first class of inductees featured Earl "Dutch" Clark, Jack Dempsey and former CU All-American and Supreme Court Justice Byron "Whizzer" White. Stewart will join the class of 2025's Lisa Van Goor ('85) as the latest inductees from the University of Colorado; Stewart will become the 65th member of the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame with ties to CU.
"Stewart with time. Let's it go. … he's got three people down there. The ball's up in the air … Caught! Caught by Westbrook for a touchdown! Incredible!"
Kordell Stewart, the quarterback who launched that pass 72 yards in the air as time expired to beat Michigan, 27-26, that afternoon in "The Big House," has been selected for induction in the 61st class of the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame next April 16 in Denver.
A three-year starter (1992-94), the dual-threat signal caller led the Buffaloes to a 27-5-1 record (the best all-time at CU), 16-2-1 in Big Eight Conference games, 9-5 against ranked opponents and including bowl victories over Fresno State in the '93 Aloha Bowl and Notre Dame in the '95 Fiesta Bowl (when he was named the game's most valuable player). The Buffaloes finished 13th, 16th and third in the national rankings the three years he lined up behind center.
"It's awesome and really gratifying that the work I've put in will be recognized," Stewart said. Joining my coach, Bill McCartney, and teammate, Rashaan Salaam, in the Hall is important to me. (McCartney was inducted in 2013, Salaam in 2018).
"I know there are a lot of Denver Broncos, Denver Nuggets, etc., that have been selected for the Hall," he continued. "I feel that it is a testament to the respect that I get from my peers. I'm excited and the good thing about it is that my son (Syre) gets the chance to see his dad go into the state's Hall of Fame.
"While it's an individual accolade, I have to thank my coaches at CU, first Coach Mac, who sealed the deal when he visited my home," Stewart said. "Bob Simmons was the first to visit me. Gary Barnett was my first offensive coordinator, then Les Steckel, who also visited me during recruiting. And finally, Rick Neuheisel, who was my position coach my senior year and who drew up 'Rocket-Left-Hail Mary,' the play that won the Michigan game. And of course, all of my teammates.
"I put in a lot of work to allow myself to be respected by all parties I came into contact with – coaches, teammates, opponents I played against, and now to those who had the voting power considering all the sports that Colorado has to offer – pro, college and all the outdoor sports – to be selected makes things to me complete."
And I don't want to forget the fans who were there through thick and thin who supported myself and my teammates, especially those who made the trip to Michigan."
He recalled nearing the end of the recruiting process, he visited four schools – in order – Arkansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Colorado. He had no clear favorite at that point.
"Rick George picked me up at the airport," he recalled. "There was a blizzard that had took place a few days before, with maybe three feet of snow on the side of the roads. But the roads were bone dry, I had never seen anything like it. I remember driving into Boulder on U.S. 36 and at the scenic overlook, the high point of heading into the valley, in the distance there were lights elevated off the ground. I thought they were stars, coming from New Orleans being at sea level. "Rick said, 'No Kordell, those are houses in the mountains!'
"The rest was history. It was arguably the finest moment of my young adult life -- traveling, experiencing and learning new things in identifying this place – Boulder – being the most beautiful place in the world. It was pretty darn impressive. Now, it's the ultimate honor to be forever a part of the fiber of the state, and most importantly, by representing the university where all the magic was created."
He was a second-team All-American as a senior and a three-time All-Big Eight Conference team member – first-team his senior year, when he set the league's all-time record in total offense with 7,770 yards – one that still stood when the league dissolved in 1996.
Selected by Pittsburgh in the second round (60th overall) of the '95 NFL Draft, Stewart would go on to play 11 seasons in the league – eight with the Steelers, two with the Baltimore Ravens and one with the Chicago Bears. He soon became known as "Slash" for his prowess of running, throwing and catching the football: he threw for 14,746 yards and 77 touchdowns in his NFL career, rushing for 2,874 yards and 38 TD's and caught 41 passes for 658 and five scores.
Over the course of his career, he was involved in long touchdown plays that included a 90-yard pass, an 80-yard run and a 71-yard reception, a trifecta of those yardages accomplished by no other player in the history of the league.
In 2001 in his next-to-last year with the Steelers, he went to the Pro Bowl after being named the AFC Offensive Player of the Year and the Pro Football Writers' Most Improved Player in the NFL.
He was inducted into the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame in 2016, the CU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2018 and is a finalist for the Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Honor.
Joining Stewart in the class are Steve Foley (Denver Broncos safety), Lafayette "Fat" Lever (Denver Nuggets guard), Beatriz "Gigi" Fernandez (International Tennis Hall of Famer), Wendy Koenig (Colorado State and Olympic track athlete) and Harry Hollines (University of Denver basketball).
Tickets for the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame Banquet are $250 each and Sponsor tables start at $3,000. For additional ticket and table information, please contact the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame (www.coloradosports.org or 720-258-3535). The Colorado Sports Hall of Fame & Museum is located at Gate 1 on the west side of Empower Field at Mile High, at 1701 Bryant Street in Denver.
Since its inception in 1965, the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame has inducted 292 individuals prior to this fall's selection meeting. The first class of inductees featured Earl "Dutch" Clark, Jack Dempsey and former CU All-American and Supreme Court Justice Byron "Whizzer" White. Stewart will join the class of 2025's Lisa Van Goor ('85) as the latest inductees from the University of Colorado; Stewart will become the 65th member of the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame with ties to CU.
Mark Johnson & Gary Barnett break down the game at TCU | The Buffalo Stampede: Colorado Footbal
Sunday, October 05
FB at TCU postgame presser
Sunday, October 05
Mark Johnson & Gary Barnett break down the game vs. BYU | The Buffalo Stampede: Colorado Football
Sunday, September 28
Mark Johnson & Gary Barnett break down the win vs. Wyoming | The Buffalo Stampede: Colorado Football
Sunday, September 21