Lynn D. Stewart (businessman)

Born Lynn D. Stewart in Woodstock, Illinois, in 1943, Stewart gained early fame as an offensive guard playing for the 1963 Fighting Illini squad alongside center Dick Butkus, tackle Archie Sutton, and running back Jim Grabowski. The team defeated UCLA, Michigan, and fourth-ranked Michigan State during the regular season. The Fighting Illini squad then topped Washington 17–7 in the 1964 Rose Bowl. Following college, Stewart served three years in the U.S. Army. Afterward he took a job working for an interstate construction company in Atlanta. He also worked for a time as a coal mine foreman in Chattanooga, Tennessee. When he realized that working in a mine was extremely hazardous, he moved his family from Chattanooga to Florida, where they had relatives. He and his wife Juanita have two sons. == Business ventures ==

Hooters Stewart and five business associates opened the first Hooters in Clearwater, Florida, on April Fools' Day, April 1, 1983, Stewart said of opening the first Hooters: "I had every intention of being broke in six months." The chain has grown to over 425 restaurants in 44 states and 12 countries. Tax evasion trial The United States Federal Government and Internal Revenue Service filed charges against Stewart in 2005, claiming that he failed to report $11 million in income which he earned by selling his stock and ownership in Hooters Inc. Stewart was charged with two counts each of tax evasion and of filing false income-tax returns for the years 1997 and 1998. Stewart maintained that his personal assistant and financier, Mike Maricle, was to blame for any tax discrepancies. The trial ended after three weeks in a mistrial. Other enterprises Before starting Hooter's, Stewart owned a general contracting company called L.D. Stewart Enterprises. He also served as director of Pearly's Oasis. Both firms were based in St. Petersburg, Florida. == References ==