Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kordell Stewart, a.k.a. Slash, has been back in the spotlight this week with the debut of the documentary “Kordell Stewart / Slash & Burn,” streaming on HBO Max. The doc provides a reminder that Stewart was once one of the most electrifying offensive weapons in the NFL. But let’s not forget that Stewart also holds a special place in college football history.
There have been two significant Hail Mary touchdown passes this season at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. First there was the Wolverines’ controversial game-winner over Western Michigan after everyone thought the clock had expired on the previous play. A few weeks later, Iowa shocked Michigan with a game-winning Hail Mary of its own.
But neither of those plays can hold a candle to what occurred at the Big House on Sept. 24, 1994. With No. 7 Colorado trailing No. 4 Michigan, 26-21, with six seconds left, Stewart took the snap from his own 36-yard line, dropped back about 10 yards and launched the ball 74 yards downfield. It was caught by Michael Westbrook for the game-winning score.
Many consider it the greatest Hail Mary in football history.
This year’s Hail Mary passes certainly got people talking about the Colorado miracle.
“My name was mentioned on television,” Stewart told Athlon Sports. Given the distance his pass traveled, Stewart has no problem saying his Hail Mary was bigger than either of this year’s plays.
“Mine was so big,” he said. “You look at 74 yards in the air, the minus 26-yard line. That’s some different stuff when you look back at that, man. No one’s ever threw that thing that far to win a game. Textbook perfect, by the way, when it comes to the Hail Mary.
“You know, when I look at it, I’m always looking to see if something different is going to happen.”
Stewart doesn’t even want to hear the comparisons that were made to Doug Flutie’s famous Hail Mary for Boston College in 1984, when the Eagles shocked defending national champ Miami.
“That thing was thrown only like 45 to 50 yards, maybe,” Stewart said. “I was throwin’ from the other side, like way on the other side.”
Stewart, now 54, is a high school football coach in Georgia. He said his players sometimes ask him about the Hail Mary. He said he walks them down to the 26-yard line of their field, points to the end zone on the opposite side of the field and asks if any of them can throw it that far.
“And they’d be like, ‘Dang, coach.’”
But then one of his players asked Stewart how far he thinks he can throw it today.
“I said 15, 20 yards — 15 to 20 yards, that’s it.”
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