All-American Nose Tackle Robert Stewart Dead at 55

Stewart played for Alabama from 1988-91 before taking his talents to the NFL, then Arena Football.

Author:
Joey Blackwell
Publish date:
Jun 8, 2022 9:52 PM EDT

Alabama All-American nose tackle Robert Stewart died over the weekend. He was 55. Stewart passed away in his adopted hometown of Charlotte, N.C.

The cause of death has not been disclosed.

Stewart was known for his physical prowess and was considered by many to be one of the strongest players in Alabama football's storied history. During his time with the Crimson Tide, he played three different positions for three different coaches in Ray Perkins, Bill Curry and Gene Stallings.

Stewart began his time with the Crimson Tide in 1988, where he played inside linebacker. From there, he shifted over to fullback in his sophomore season. In 1990, Stewart was moved to defensive line. Standing tall at 6-foot and weighing 308 pounds, Stewart was named a first-team All-American and an All-SEC player for the 1991 season — a season where he totaled 59 tackles with eight for loss and six sacks.

Stewart was named one of Alabama's permanent captains as a senior and has his hand and footprints in concrete underneath the shadow of Denny Chimes. After completing his collegiate career, he was then drafted in the eighth round of the 1992 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints.

After a short stint in the NFL, Stewart then shifted over to Arena Football, where he played for 11 years. There, he was a six-time All-Arena selection and was named the league's Lineman of the Year in 1999 while playing for the New Jersey Red Dogs. In total, Stewart played for five different teams before his retirement in 2004.