Stallworth was selected 82nd overall in the fourth round of the
1974 NFL draft, a class of which he was one of four
Pittsburgh Steelers picks who would eventually be inducted into the
Pro Football Hall of Fame. Scouts from various NFL teams observed him run the
40-yard dash on a wet
track at
Alabama A&M University and were disappointed by the results. Steelers assistant personnel director
Bill Nunn was the only person to stay an additional day and watched Stallworth run a better time on a dry track. Nunn also had obtained the only college game film of Stallworth that existed through his relationships with HBCU coaches, and it was alleged that he withheld it from other NFL teams. After a rookie year as an understudy, Stallworth became a starter in his second season and held that job for the rest of his 165-game career. Stallworth battled a series of fibula, foot, ankle, knee and hamstring injuries that forced him to miss 44 regular-season games.
Super Bowls In
Super Bowl XIII, Stallworth caught a record-tying 75-yard touchdown pass from
Terry Bradshaw that was crucial in the 35–31 win over the
Dallas Cowboys. He suffered leg cramps later and played sparingly in the second half, finishing with 3 receptions for 115 yards and two touchdowns. One year later at
Super Bowl XIV with the Steelers trailing the
Los Angeles Rams 19–17 early in the fourth quarter, Steelers' coach
Chuck Noll called for "60-Prevent-Slot-Hook-And-Go," a play the Steelers failed in practice before the big game. With 12 minutes remaining, Bradshaw dropped back and threw it long to Stallworth, who caught it and beat
Rod Perry to the end zone for a 73-yard touchdown that paved the way for the Steelers' 31–19 win and their fourth world championship.
Sports Illustrated considered the catch notable enough to put Stallworth on the cover of a subsequent issue. Overall, Stallworth recorded three receptions for 121 yards in the game. Stallworth holds the Super Bowl records for career average per catch (24.4 yards) and single-game average, 40.33 yards in Super Bowl XIV. He has 12 touchdown receptions and a string of 17 straight games with a reception in post-season play. Stallworth also scored on touchdown receptions in eight straight playoff games at one point (1978–1983), an NFL record.
Other highlights Stallworth led the AFC with a career-high 1,395 yards gained on 80 receptions in 1984, when he was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year. He helped the Steelers defeat eventual Super Bowl champion San Francisco for that team's only loss of the season, and led the Steelers in a playoff run that featured an upset win over the
Denver Broncos in the AFC Divisional Playoffs at
Denver's
Mile High Stadium. Stallworth was inducted into the
Pro Football Hall of Fame in August 2002. ==NFL career statistics==