Caleb Harris
As he often did during his Hall of Fame football career, former Pittsburgh Steelers receiver John Stallworth brought an entire arena to its feet during Alabama A&M’s spring commencement. An alumnus, Stallworth presented the school with a $1.2 million donation after giving the commencement address.
The donation was a gift from Stallworth’s foundation, which provides merit-based scholarships to deserving students attending its alma mater.
“Playing football was never the end goal,” said Stallworth, via HBCU Gameday. “My goal was to have my own business. Football was the vehicle I chose to get there. I left A&M with a bachelor’s degree in business and returned in the offseason to receive my MBA – all in preparation for realizing my dream of owning my own business.”
Shortly after graduating from Alabama A&M, Stallworth became part of a Steelers rookie class that included five future Hall of Famers. He was part of two Super Bowl-winning teams during his first two seasons providing a key block on a Franco Harris touchdown in Pittsburgh’s 1975 AFC Championship Game victory over Oakland.
Stallworth played a key role in the Steelers’ second straight game Super Bowl rush to close out the 1970s. He caught 3 passes for 115 yards and 2 touchdowns in the first half of the Steelers’ victory over the Cowboys in Super Bowl XIII. A year later, his catches of 73 yards (which served as the game-winning score) and 45 yards in the fourth quarter propelled Pittsburgh to a come-from-behind victory over the Rams in Super Bowl XIV.
Stallworth retired after the 1987 season as the Steelers’ career leader in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown receptions. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002, the year after Lynn Swann received her gold jacket.
As stellar as his football career was, Stallworth’s post-football endeavors are equally impressive. In 1986, he founded Madison Research Corporation, which he sold in 2009 after it became one of the country’s leading IT companies. That same year, Stallworth joined the Steelers’ ownership team.
As part of her commencement address, Stallworth advised recent graduates to embrace the challenges that life can inevitably throw at you.
“Class of 2024, every event in your life determines the person you will become, the highlights and the low points, we are shaped by both,” he said. “If we are truly honest with ourselves, whether looking back at the last four years or the last 50, I think we can agree that those insignificant events – those moments when we prayed would never happen again, those days when we were grateful because we simply get through – along with the highlights, it gives us a deeper understanding of ourselves.”
