Even casual football fans have heard the rumor about Kordell Stewart, the former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback who led the team to two AFC championship games.
It started in 1998 and spread quickly in Pittsburgh, without the aid of social media. The rumor was that Stewart was arrested in a park for engaging in “lewd acts” with other men.
Of course, it was easily disproven. No arrest record, no statements from the police corroborating the story. For years after, Stewart endured relentless gossip and jeers from opponents’ fans and even Steelers fans who called him “faggot” after a loss.
It followed him even after his career ended when his then-wife, Porsha Williams, appeared on Bravo’s “Real Housewives of Atlanta.” Their divorce became a