About Inductee

The date was Jan. 20, 1980. The site was the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena. The occasion was Super Bowl XIV. It was the signature game of John Stallworths football career. The Pittsburgh Steelers, the NFLs team of the 70s, were going for their fourth Super Bowl championship, but the upstart Los Angeles Rams werent cooperating. With only 13 minutes left, the Rams were leading 19-17. But then Pittsburgh quarterback, Terry Bradshaw, threw deep to Stallworth, who had beaten LA defender, Pat Thomas, down the middle. Stallworth gathered in the pass with a remarkable over-the-head catch at midfield and loped on to the end zone, untouched. The 73-yard touchdown play put the Steelers ahead to stay. Later, Stallworth had a similar reception, this one for 45 yards, to set up the clinching touchdown in a 31-19 victory. The following week in an interview at the Pro Bowl, Stallworth talked about his career as the other end opposite the flamboyant Lynn Swann.Individual honors are nice, Stallworth said, but I dont think they come above team goals. Id by lying if I said I hadnt thought during the season of making All-Pro, but what I was more interested in was winning the Super Bowl. Being a kind of nobody for a while yknow, doing my best and not getting much recognition for it I wouldnt change a thing. I think it helped me to grow, to become a stronger person. John Stallworth grew up in Tuscaloosa, attended Tuscaloosa High, and accepted a football scholarship to Alabama A&M, where he majored in management and business administration-finance. By the time of his graduation from A&M in 1974, Stallworth had achieved many academic and athletic honors: Deans list, Whos Who of American students, All-SIAC wide receiver in 1972-74, most outstanding A&M athlete in 1974 and school record-holder for most season and career receptions. He became the first player from Alabama A&M to participate in the Senior Bowl. Stallworths 14-year career with the Pittsburgh Steelers is the stuff that legends are made of. Twice (1979 and 1984) he was voted the teams Most Valuable Player by his teammates. In 1982, he was named a member of the Steelers All-Time team. He holds nine all-time Steeler team records: most seasons played (14), most career receptions (537), most receptions in a season (80 in 84), most career receiving yards (8,723), most receiving yards in a season (1,395 in 84), most career receiving touchdowns (63), most consecutive games with receptions (67 from 1977-82), most career 100-yard games (25) and most 100-yard games in a season (seven in 84). He also holds these Steeler post-season records: Most career receptions (57), most career receiving yardage (1,054), most career touchdowns (12), most receiving touchdowns in a game (two, 1979), most consecutive games with receptions (15 from 1975-85), and most career 100-yard games (five). Stallworth also holds several Super Bowl receiving records. After his fabled pro football career, Stallworth returned to Huntsville to continue a career in business. He is now president of Madison Research Corporation, an aerospace engineering company in Huntsville. Stallworth and his wife, Flo, have two children, Johnny and Natasha.