Home >  Sports >  Steelers

No. 2 quarterback job open

Wednesday, July 18, 2001

By Ed Bouchette, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

A quarterback job is up for grabs again when the Steelers pile into their St. Vincent College dorm rooms tomorrow.

	Bill Cowher "Kordell Stewart is our starter." (Matt Freed, Post-Gazette)

Only this time, the prize is the No. 2 job, not the starter's.

Kordell Stewart did nothing during the month of June to lose the No. 1 spot at quarterback, and there's probably nothing that can cause him to lose it in July or August either, short of an injury.

Coach Bill Cowher made that perfectly clear. Again, and again, and again. Three times yesterday, Cowher declared Stewart his starting quarterback, just in case there was confusion.

"Kordell is our starter," Cowher said, reiterating a stance he took at the end of last season. "And he's earned it. He hasn't been handed this, he's earned it."

It wasn't so defined a year ago when Stewart was No. 1 and newcomer Kent Graham was 1-A. By the start of the season, Graham became the starter, and it launched a season-long soap opera that, remarkably, re-affirmed Stewart's position.

"We went in last year," Cowher said, "and [Stewart] knew there was open competition between him and Kent. We came out at camp, and it could have gone either way. I went with Kent. He came back after Kent's injury and played very well. So, he earned it back. I don't think he did anything in that second half of the season that didn't say he's ready to give this thing up."

Now it's Graham's turn to play the hunted. The Steelers signed the MVP of the XFL, Tommy Maddox, to replace Graham on the roster provided one thing happens: Tee Martin claims the No. 2 job behind Stewart.

	'Camp Cowher' WHAT: Steelers training camp WHERE: St. Vincent College, Latrobe WHEN: Players report by 6 p.m. tomorrow FIRST PRACTICE: Saturday FIRST GAME: Open their preseason schedule August 3, in Atlanta (7:30 p.m.)

If that happens, Maddox will be No. 3 and Graham will be looking elsewhere. But if Martin is not up to it, he would likely stay at No. 3, Graham would be No. 2 and Maddox will be out.

The Steelers will save about $1 million if they release Graham.

"It's wide open," Cowher said. "You have Kent. I like Kent. He came in and gave us a lot that first year, not the easiest thing to step into. Tee Martin is a second-year player I have high expectations of." And Maddox "is a very interesting prospect as well.

"It's going to be interesting to see how that position unfolds. But clearly, Kordell is our starter. It's important for him to pick up where he left off."

This will be Stewart's fifth season as the starting quarterback, including his 11 starts last year. Before free agency created the now generation in the NFL, it was thought that it took a quarterback five pro seasons to develop.

Cowher, though, noted that Stewart has gone through various coordinators, and his development has to be measured also by the players around him. Nevertheless ...

"Certainly, it's a big year for Kordell," Cowher said. "I thought he took some steps last year. Certainly, this off-season was very encouraging to see his approach, to see how he's kind of taken hold of this system.

"We're going to be successful on offense as long as our quarterback position is successful, and Kordell's going to be a big part of that."

Cowher continued to heap more onto Stewart's shoulders.

"I anticipate and expect him to come in with a high level of confidence. He played very well in the second half of the season last year. We have to start off just like we finished up."

Stewart's was 7-4 last season as a starter, and he also entered early in the second quarter against Cincinnati in relief of Graham and guided the club to a victory. That boosted his lifetime record to 30-24 as a starting quarterback. His passer rating of 76.2 last season was the highest of his career, better than the 75.2 of his sparkling first season as a starter in 1997.

Cowher said the pivotal game for Stewart last year came in a 21-20 victory against Oakland on Dec. 3. Stewart left in the first half with a calf injury, and the Steelers announced he was done for the game. He returned in the second half to complete a performance that included two touchdowns passing, another running, no interceptions and a passer rating of 106.4.

"That's the mindset," Cowher said. "That to me is what I saw from the guy last year every time he stepped on the field on game day. I think some of that was a maturation he had gone through the two previous years. I think he has matured. I think just hearing him talk and hearing some of the things he said -- if you compare that to the way it was the first couple of years -- I think there's no question he's come a long way and that's important."

So, too, will be the play around him. Stewart has not had a game-breaking receiver since Yancey Thigpen left after the '97 season. Either Plaxico Burress or Troy Edwards could be that man. The two No. 1 draft picks had a disappointing 2000 season, combining for no touchdowns and 40 receptions.

"It's a big camp for Plaxico," Cowher said. "It's a big camp for Troy. It's going to be important to be out there daily. It's going to be important to having days where the quarterbacks can have confidence throwing the football to them.

"The onus is on the quarterbacks and the receivers. There should be not very much miscommunication taking place. It's going to be more of the timing part of it, the confidence part of it and that comes with time, it comes with repetition."

It may be why Cowher keeps repeating Stewart is No. 1.

NOTES -- Cowher said all players will participate in training camp but some will requiring "monitoring" because of surgeries. Among those are Burress (wrist), tackle Wayne Gandy (shoulder), halfback Jerome Bettis (knee) and guard Alan Faneca (wrist) ... Tight end Jason Gavadza, a sixth-round pick of the Steelers in 2000, rejoined them off waivers from the Bengals. ... Cowher expressed confidence that first-round draft choice Casey Hampton will be signed by tomorrow. ... The Steelers will have a one-day camp for women at St. Vincent College July 29 that involves running, passing and kicking. Call 412-323-1200, extension 267 for information. ... The Steelers will have 23 rookies among the 84 players on their camp roster.