A native of San Jose, California, Camden High School, sprinter 9.6 (100yd), 1977 Central Coast Section 220yd champion (21.6). A first-team All-American at outside linebacker, Stewart was one of the top defensive players to step on the gridiron at the University of Washington. In 1982, he set school records for quarterback sacks in a game with five against UCLA and fumbles caused in a season with five. Stewart registered the third-most solo tackles in a single game with 15 against the Bruins and his ten sacks that season ranks fifth in the school record books. Stewart was an academic all-district and academic all-Pac-10 selection as a senior as well as a team captain. He was drafted in the fifth round (127th overall) of the 1983 NFL draft,[2] and played linebacker with the Minnesota Vikings for two years, where he appeared in four games.[3]