LATROBE, Pa. -- Kordell Stewart slashed an important emotion from his personality this offseason -- paranoia. No need to look over his shoulder anymore. Emotionally, he's been to hell and back.

"I got to the point where I didn't even go anywhere," the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback said of the past couple of seasons. "I got to the point where based on what happened, half the times, I got to the meeting rooms and didn't want to go in because we weren't talking about anything. It was bashing than anything else."

	Kordell Stewart, left, enters training camp as the Steelers' starting QB.

Life to Stewart was like his games -- the more he scrambled, the less chances he had of making plays. Stewart shied away from leaving his townhouse because fans on the street criticized him. He's gone through enough offensive coordinators -- three in four years and five in seven -- that he couldn't get close to any of them. Teammates were elusive as his receiving targets. When the season started last year, he was Kent Graham's backup.

The biggest turnaround in the Stewart of 2001 and those of the past three summers is that he's found a comfort zone -- finally. Simply put, he finally might be "getting it." The confidence is back but more focused. He's the starter, but, believe it or not, the bull's-eye isn't as much on him as it is the wide receivers.

Plaxico Burress and Troy Edwards, two of the Steelers' past three first-round choices, face the torch of criticism. Given better protection late last season, a solid running game by Jerome Bettis and surer routes by less talented Hines Ward and Bobby Shaw, Stewart started looking like a quarterback again. Though he wasn't Joe Montana-pretty all the time, Stewart made enough plays each game to be a winner.

"The way he came on last year allowed us to re-establish ourselves," coach Bill Cowher said. "The theme this year is pick up where we left off. Kordell won (he was 7-4 as a starter), and he does what he does best. He's matured."

That maturity allowed him to carry the momentum into the offseason. Stewart started opening up again to his teammates. He started inviting players over to his home. He made all but one offseason team session, missing only to be at Wayne Gandy's camp for kids. Stewart even reacquainted himself with one of his best friends and biggest team supporters -- Bettis.

"Kordell's biggest adversary has always been himself because he wants to win so he puts more pressure on himself," Bettis said. "The first two years I was here, off the field, I'd see Kordell maybe three times. You can't do that. You've got to bond with your teammates. If you are going to be a leader, they have to respect you. To respect you, they have to see you. They didn't see him. He was just a guy in the locker room."

Stewart was the quarterback who cared so much that it tainted his ability to care enough to get better. He wasn't as attentive to the details. He clashed with Ray Sherman. In two years with Kevin Gilbride, he grew more distant because he wasn't fitting into Gilbride's system.

"I don't think any quarterback in this league is a systematic quarterback," Stewart said. "Coordinators have to work to put their quarterbacks in the right position to make plays. If you work to their strengths, they can be very good. That's what I think happened with Daunte Culpepper and Donovan McNabb."

The surprising part about the firing of Gilbride, though, is that the two were making progress as last season finished. His winning percentage was better than his completion percentage, but Stewart was doing good things against good teams, beating the Jaguars, Raiders, Jets and Ravens.

As illogical as it may sound, the best thing to happen to Stewart was his benching. Graham started three games and lost them all. Stewart replaced Graham when he was injured and won. When Graham returned, fans and players had warmed up to Stewart. That hadn't happened since 1996 and 1997 when he was a young Pro Bowl alternate learning the position.

"The other guy goes in and we lose three games," Stewart said. "What the heck. You can understand why it can become more personal for me as opposed to just football. If those guys are getting it done, why the hell am I sitting down?"

In the Jaguars win, Stewart survived five dropped passes. He won against the Bengals despite a knee injury. More importantly, in every game after his benching, he didn't look over his shoulder.

	“	My manhood wasn't going to allow myself to lay down. I didn't care how the coaches felt. I didn't care how the fans felt. It was my opportunity, and I had to go in and get it done. I'm not going to give up. ”
		— Kordell Stewart, Steelers quarterback

"My manhood wasn't going to allow myself to lay down," Stewart said. "I didn't care how the coaches felt. I didn't care how the fans felt. It was my opportunity, and I had to go in and get it done. I'm not going to give up. I'll take the criticism like a man."

What are the expectations of Stewart? He's a 55-percent passer who should throw 15 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions in a normal season. He's run for 400 to 500 yards, an important benefit that wins games. If his receivers come on, those numbers could escalate.

Aiding Stewart's comfort level this summer was the promotion of tight ends coach Mike Mularkey. Stewart still looks so favorably on his days when Chan Gailey was his coordinator. He likes Mularkey because he called in the plays that Gailey selected to Stewart. Plus, as a former NFL player, Mularkey tried to simplify things to let the athletes on the offense react instead of being caught thinking and making mistakes.

Another comfort level is that the franchise enters the season with less questions than a year ago. Stewart is the quarterback. The development of Marvel Smith at right tackle along with the addition of center Jeff Hartings have solidified the offensive line. Mark Bruener is solid at tight end and shows no ill effects from offseason knee surgery. Bettis ran like "The Bus" last year and signed a contract extension.

With Cowher signed through 2005, Stewart is getting the idea the team will approach him about an extension. That intrigues him because he's a happy camper.

"Kordell's got his confidence back," Bettis said. "When your attitude isn't right, things start compounding. One mistake turns into another. He's gotten to the point where if he makes a mistake, he'll move on the next play. We were in Vegas and before if a fan said something negative, he'd get pissed off even after the fact. Now, he lets it roll off his back. He's not trying to make everybody happy."

Since camp opened, everyone is happy with Stewart.

John Clayton is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.