Alabama A&M University, John Stallworth
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

May 7, 2024

Former Pittsburgh Steeler John Stallworth Donates Over $1M To Alabama A&M University

The NFL Hall of Famer presented the university with a check for $1,214,721.00.

On May 3, a former NFL player donated over $1 million to his alma mater, Alabama A&M University (AAMU), to help support student scholarships.

According to HBCU Gameday, former Pittsburgh Steeler John Stallworth was at the Alabama A&M spring commencement last week to deliver a speech and, after doing so, presented the university with a check for $1,214,721.00.

Stallworth, who graduated from AAMU in 1974, is also in the NFL Hall of Fame (2002) after winning four Super Bowls.

“Playing football was never the end goal,” he says. “My goal was to own 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 off-season to receive my MBA, all in preparation for realizing my dream of having my own business.”

He also had a message for the 2024 graduates preparing to embark on their post-collegiate careers.

“Class of 2024, all the events of your life determine the person you will grow to be. The highlights and the lowlights, we’re shaped by them both,” he said. “If we’re truly honest with ourselves, whether looking back over the last four years or the last 50, I think we can agree that those lowlight events -– those times we prayed would never happen again, those days that we were thankful we just made it through -– coupled with the highlights, give us a deeper understanding of ourselves.”

In the NFL, Stallworth played wide receiver, catching 8,723 yards and scoring 63 touchdowns on 537 receptions. He made first-team All-Pro in 1979 and was awarded the NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 1984.

Stallworth played his entire NFL career with the Steelers from 1974 until he retired in 1987. He was inducted into the Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Honor in 2017.


×