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Wednesday, August 27, 1997

Steelers, Slash braced for Deion's return

By ALAN ROBINSON AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH (AP) - One has spent the summer relearning how to play quarterback. The other has spent his relearning baseball.

One has a personality - call it an attitude - straight out of Hollywood. The other wins games with miracle plays straight out of the movies.

They are among the few athletes instantly recognizable just by their nicknames. Neon Deion and Slash.

But when Deion Sanders and Kordell Stewart step on the same football field Sunday at Three Rivers Stadium, they could very well decide the Dallas-Pittsburgh season opener - either by making a play or making a mistake.

Sanders, a cornerback for the Cowboys, might be a better hitter in baseball than in football - to him, football isn't necessarily a contact sport. But the Steelers know he is a must to avoid in Stewart's first regular-season start at quarterback, even if Sanders sat out the Cowboys' training camp to play baseball.

"Well, he's Deion," Steelers coach Bill Cowher said Tuesday. "He's still a pretty good athlete. He still knows it (the Cowboys' defense) well. They've been talking with him, meeting with him. It's not like he's been doing nothing. He is a very talented individual and he likes that kind of arena. I'm sure he will be very effective."

Sanders returned to the Cincinnati Reds after a one-season layoff and, with a chance to win the NL stolen base title, wants to play the rest of the season.

As a result, he expects to play for the Reds on Friday and, possibly, Saturday in Minneapolis, fly to Pittsburgh on a private plane paid for by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and play football Sunday.

Several of the Steelers' receivers said Sanders may not have his game legs but, after playing sports nearly the year round since last football season, will hardly be out of shape.

Stewart, no doubt, will be tempted to test Sanders' coverage ability and his timing after so long a layoff. But because Sanders is soft on run coverage and prefers to avoid contact, the Steelers might be more prone to attack his corner with All-Pro running back Jerome Bettis rather than with the pass.

Just like the Cowboys are almost certain to test Steelers rookie cornerback Chad Scott, in his first NFL start, with a wide receiver named Michael Irvin.

"He's going to be challenged," Cowher said. "But we'll put him (Scott) in a situation where we don't expose him frequently and mix it up so it doesn't become predictable and they isolate on him."

Stewart sat out the Steelers' final exhibition game with a slight tear in his left knee after playing nearly flawlessly in the first three preseason games. This is his first season as a full-time starting quarterback after dabbling as a wide receiver and a running back the last two years, hence his nickname.

Stewart will wear a light brace on the knee Sunday, but says he feels fine, and his maneuverability and speed have not been adversely affected.

"It feels good," Stewart said.

So good, in fact, that the Steelers cut Jim Miller, their season-opening starting quarterback a year ago, because Stewart has progressed so rapidly and so satisfactorily.

"Will he feel more comfortable with it (the brace)?" Cowher said. "Probably. Will it limit him? I don't think so. He may even feel more secure with it on. He looks fine. He really does."

Cowher seems more concerned with how Stewart handles the high expectations that assuredly will accompany his first start.

"The buildup and hype - the first incompletion, how does he respond? The first sack, how does he respond?" Cowher said. "He's got a good base of knowledge, he's had success. I think he's fine. The anxiety is the biggest thing he has to deal with."

Meanwhile, Cowher said Steelers tackle Justin Strzelczyk is questionable for the opener because of a heel injury. If he can't play, 1996 first-round draft pick Jamain Stephens would make his first regular-season start.

Stephens did not play a single down as a rookie.