Steve McNair
Encyclopedia
Stephen LaTreal McNair (February 14, 1973 – July 4, 2009) (Nicknamed Air McNair) was an American football
quarterback
who spent the majority of his NFL
career with the Tennessee Titans
.
McNair played college football
at Alcorn State
in Lorman, Mississippi
, where he won the 1994 Walter Payton Award
as the top player in NCAA Division I-AA. He was drafted
third overall by the NFL's Houston Oilers
in 1995, becoming the Oilers' regular starting quarterback in 1997, their first season in Tennessee (though he started six games over the prior two seasons in Houston), and remained the starting quarterback for the Titans through 2005. After the 2005 season, McNair was traded to the Baltimore Ravens
, with whom he played for two seasons before retiring after thirteen NFL seasons.
McNair led the Titans to the playoffs four times, and the Ravens once, and played in Super Bowl XXXIV
with the Titans. He is the Titans' all-time leading passer. McNair was selected to the Pro Bowl
three times, was All-Pro
and Co-MVP in 2003, all as a Titan.
McNair died on July 4, 2009, when his mistress, Sahel Kazemi, shot and killed him before turning the gun on herself.
, and attended Mount Olive High School as a freshman in the fall of 1987, where he played football
, baseball
, and basketball
in addition to running track. As a junior, McNair led Mount Olive to the state championship. McNair also played free safety in high school, and in 1990 alone, he intercepted fifteen passes, raising his career total to 30, which tied the mark established by Terrell Buckley
at Pascagoula High School
. An All-State selection, McNair was named an All-American by Super Prep magazine.
The Seattle Mariners
drafted him in the 35th round of the 1991 MLB amateur draft
.
, a historically black university
which competes in the NCAA
's Division I-AA (now known as the Football Championship Subdivision) Southwestern Athletic Conference
(SWAC). In 1992, McNair threw for 3,541 yards and 29 touchdowns, and ran in for 10 more scores. The Braves fashioned a record of 7–4, including a last-second victory in their rematch with Grambling
. In that contest, McNair returned from an injury and helped Alcorn State, trailing late in the final period, move deep into Tigers' territory. Then, despite a leg injury, he tucked the ball under his arm and dove into the end zone for the winning touchdown. The victory over Grambling helped the Braves qualify for the I-AA playoffs. McNair helped Alcorn State to another good year in 1993, as the Braves upped their record to 8–3 while McNair threw for more than 3,000 yards and 30 touchdowns. He was also named First-Team All-SWAC for the third year in a row.
In his senior season, McNair gained nearly 6,000 yards rushing and passing, along with 53 touchdowns. In the process, he surpassed more than a dozen records and was named an All-American. In addition, McNair won the Walter Payton Award
as the top I-AA player and finished third in the Heisman Trophy
voting behind Rashaan Salaam
and Ki-Jana Carter
. McNair set career records for the Football Championship Series with 14,496 passing yards, as well as the division record for total offensive yards with 16,283 career yards. The records still stand.
He was a member of the fraternity Omega Psi Phi
, highlighting his allegiance by tattooing “Omega Man” on his arm.
, the Oilers and new head coach Jeff Fisher
selected McNair, who signed a seven-year contract. McNair did not see his first action until the last two series of the fourth quarter in a November game versus the Cleveland Browns
. Late in the season, he also appeared briefly against the Detroit Lions
and New York Jets
. Meanwhile, starting quarterback Chris Chandler
finished as the AFC's fourth-best passer. In 1996, McNair remained a backup to Chandler until starting a game in December against the Jacksonville Jaguars
.
) resulted in an 8–8 record for the team, which played its home games at the Liberty Bowl
in Memphis, Tennessee
. McNair's 2,665 passing yards were the most for the Oilers since Warren Moon
in 1993, and his 13 interceptions were the fewest for a single season in franchise history. He also led the team in rushing touchdowns with eight and ranked second behind running back Eddie George
with 674 yards on the ground, the third-highest total for a quarterback in NFL history.
In 1998, McNair set career passing highs with 492 attempts, 289 completions, 3,228 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Oilers, now competing in Nashville. He also cut his interceptions to ten, helping his quarterback rating climb to 80.1.
The team officially changed its name from Oilers to Titans for the 1999 season as they debuted a new stadium, Adelphia Coliseum
. Early in the 1999 season, McNair was diagnosed with an inflamed disk following Tennessee's 36–35 win over the Cincinnati Bengals
, and needed surgery. In his stead entered Neil O'Donnell
, a veteran who had guided the Pittsburgh Steelers
to the Super Bowl four years earlier. Over the next five games, O'Donnell led the Titans to a 4–1 record. McNair returned against the St. Louis Rams
, and with McNair starting, Tennessee won seven of its last nine games, good for a record of 13–3 and second place in the AFC Central.
Tennessee opened the playoffs at home against the Buffalo Bills
in a Wild Card game, winning on the "Music City Miracle
" and eventually advancing to Super Bowl XXXIV
in a re-match with the Rams. On the final play of the game, a McNair pass to Kevin Dyson
was complete, but Dyson was unable to break the plane of the goal line, giving the Rams the win. McNair signed a new six-year contract after the season worth $
47 million.
Following a 13–3 season in 2000 that ended in a playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens
, the 28-year-old McNair put together his most productive year as a pro. McNair registered career passing highs in yards (3,350), completions (264), touchdowns (21) and quarterback rating (90.2). He was also the team's most effective rusher, tying George for the club lead with five scores. Named to the Pro Bowl for the first time, McNair sat out the game due to a shoulder injury.
In 2002, Tennessee finished the regular season 11-5 and reached the playoffs. In the divisional playoff contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers
, McNair threw for a career postseason high 338 yards and two touchdowns, with two interceptions, while rushing for 29 yards and another score on the ground. The game had a controversial finish when, after missing a game winning field goal at the end of regulation time and a second failed kick in overtime was negated because of a controversial running-into-the-kicker penalty on Pittsburgh's Dewayne Washington
, kicker Joe Nedney
won the game from 26 yards out 2:15 into overtime. Steelers coach Bill Cowher
said that he called a timeout before the winning kick took place.
McNair and the Titans reached the AFC Championship game but were unable to reach the Super Bowl, losing to the Oakland Raiders
41-24.
After this loss in 2002, McNair was arrested for DUI and illegal gun possession in May 2003. His blood alcohol was above 0.10, and a 9-mm handgun had been sitting in the front of the car. All charges related to the incident were later dropped.
In December of the 2003 season, an injured calf and ankle kept McNair on the sidelines for two games, though he still finished with the best numbers of his career, including 24 touchdown passes and a quarterback rating of 100.4. The Titans ended at 12–4, the same record as the Colts, but Indianapolis took the AFC South
by virtue of its two victories over Tennessee. McNair and Colts quarterback Peyton Manning
were named co-NFL MVPs following the season, which ended in a playoff loss to the New England Patriots
for the Titans.
McNair missed the 2004 season's fourth game with a bruised sternum, an injury suffered the previous week against Jacksonville, and played in only five more games that season.
Following the 2005 season, on April 30, 2006, the Titans allowed McNair and his agent, James "Bus" Cook
, to speak with the Ravens to try to work out a deal. On May 1, 2006, the Baltimore Sun reported that the Baltimore Ravens might wait for McNair to be released by the Titans during free agency. Speculation was that the Titans might hold onto McNair until the week before training camp in late July if the Ravens didn't come up with a satisfactory trade offer for McNair according to a league source. However, on June 7, 2006, the two teams worked out a deal to send McNair to the Ravens for a 4th-round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft
. On June 8, McNair flew to Baltimore, passed a physical, and was announced as the newest member of the Ravens.
The 2006 season saw McNair start each game for the Ravens, missing only portions of two games. In the week 14 game against the Kansas City Chiefs
, McNair threw the longest touchdown pass in the Ravens' history, when he threw an 89 yard touchdown pass to receiver Mark Clayton,
McNair helped Baltimore to a 13–3 record and an AFC North
Championship. McNair started at quarterback in his first playoff game as a Raven when his team faced the Colts on January 13, 2007. McNair was 18 of 29 for 173 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions, as the Ravens lost 15–6.
On May 9, 2007 McNair was a passenger in a car that was pulled over for suspicion of drunk driving. Both the driver of the vehicle, his brother-in-law, and McNair were arrested for driving under the influence. Under Tennessee law, one can still be arrested for DUI even if a passenger in one's own car and the driver is believed to be under the influence. McNair owned the pick-up truck involved and was charged with DUI by consent. The charges were dropped on July 10, 2007.
In 2007, McNair did not play in Week 2 against the Jets which the Ravens won 20–13. He also did not play the full game in Week 3, however, the game was won by the Ravens, 26–23. McNair missed nine more games during the rest of the season, including getting pulled after taking many hits from Steelers' linebacker James Harrison in Week 9, and fumbling the ball twice. McNair only started six games for the Ravens in 2007.
After thirteen seasons in the NFL, McNair announced his retirement in April 2008.
.
McNair had two sons by Mechelle: Steve LaTreal McNair, Steven O'Brian Koran McNair; and two sons - Tyler and Trenton - by two other women.
McNair earned the nickname "Air McNair" in High School. He opened his own restaurant in Nashville, which he named Gridiron9. In addition to that, Steve McNair was the mentor to former Titans' quarterback Vince Young
, who was greatly affected by the death of his teacher.
McNair, who was married at the time, had been dating the 20-year-old Kazemi in the months prior to their deaths. Two days before their deaths, Kazemi was pulled over in a black 2007 Cadillac
Escalade
in Nashville with McNair in the passenger seat and Vent Gordon, a chef at a restaurant McNair owned, in the back seat. The vehicle was registered in the names of both McNair and Kazemi. She was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. McNair was not arrested, instead leaving in a taxi with Gordon, despite Kazemi repeatedly asking the arresting officer to tell McNair he could come to the police car to talk to her. However, McNair later bailed Kazemi out of jail.
Police later stated that after release from jail, Kazemi purchased the gun from a convicted murderer she met while looking for a buyer for her Kia.
Titans owner Bud Adams
released a statement regarding McNair:
In a statement to the AP
, Ozzie Newsome
, executive vice president and general manager of the Baltimore Ravens
, stated:
The Titans held a two-day memorial at LP Field on July 8 and 9, 2009, where fans could pay their last respects to McNair. Highlights from his career were played throughout each day and fans were able to sign books that were later given to the McNair family.
During the 2009 NFL season, every member of the Titans wore a commemorative "9" sticker placed on the back of each helmet to honor McNair. Funeral services were held for McNair at the Reed Coliseum on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi on July 11 at 11:00 AM (CST) and he is buried at Griffith Cemetery in Prentiss
, Mississippi.
On October 15, 2010 it was reported that McNair’s widow went to a Nashville judge and asked that at least a portion of the assets be unfrozen so that his children could have some sort of monetary source. The judge agreed and each of the four children will now receive $500,000.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
who spent the majority of his NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
career with the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
.
McNair played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Alcorn State
Alcorn State University
Alcorn State University is an historically black university comprehensive land-grant institution in Lorman, Mississippi. It was founded in 1871-History:...
in Lorman, Mississippi
Lorman, Mississippi
Lorman is an unincorporated community in Jefferson County, Mississippi, United States. It is home to Alcorn State University, which was attended by Medgar Evers and Steve McNair ....
, where he won the 1994 Walter Payton Award
Walter Payton Award
The Walter Payton Award is awarded annually to the most outstanding offensive player in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision of college football as chosen by a nationwide panel of media and college sports information directors...
as the top player in NCAA Division I-AA. He was drafted
1995 NFL Draft
The 1995 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 22–23, 1995 at the Paramount Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City...
third overall by the NFL's Houston Oilers
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
in 1995, becoming the Oilers' regular starting quarterback in 1997, their first season in Tennessee (though he started six games over the prior two seasons in Houston), and remained the starting quarterback for the Titans through 2005. After the 2005 season, McNair was traded to the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
, with whom he played for two seasons before retiring after thirteen NFL seasons.
McNair led the Titans to the playoffs four times, and the Ravens once, and played in Super Bowl XXXIV
Super Bowl XXXIV
Super Bowl XXXIV featured the National Football Conference champion St. Louis Rams and the American Football Conference champion Tennessee Titans in an American football game to decide the National Football League champion for the 1999 regular season...
with the Titans. He is the Titans' all-time leading passer. McNair was selected to the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
three times, was All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
and Co-MVP in 2003, all as a Titan.
McNair died on July 4, 2009, when his mistress, Sahel Kazemi, shot and killed him before turning the gun on herself.
Early life
McNair was born in Mount Olive, MississippiMount Olive, Mississippi
Mount Olive is a town in Covington County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 893 at the 2000 census. It was the hometown of former NFL quarterback Steve McNair.-Geography:Mount Olive is located at...
, and attended Mount Olive High School as a freshman in the fall of 1987, where he played football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
in addition to running track. As a junior, McNair led Mount Olive to the state championship. McNair also played free safety in high school, and in 1990 alone, he intercepted fifteen passes, raising his career total to 30, which tied the mark established by Terrell Buckley
Terrell Buckley
Douglas Terrell Buckley is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League....
at Pascagoula High School
Old Pascagoula High School
The Old Pascagoula High School is a building in Pascagoula, Jackson County, Mississippi. It opened in January, 1939 and closed in June 1997.Designed by the Gulfport architectural firm of Smith & Olschner, the High School was hailed as the “most modern and complete high school unit in the state.” ...
. An All-State selection, McNair was named an All-American by Super Prep magazine.
The Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
drafted him in the 35th round of the 1991 MLB amateur draft
1991 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1991 Major League Baseball draft.-Supplemental First Round Selections:-Other notable players:...
.
College career
McNair was initially offered a full scholarship to the University of Florida to play defensive back but wanting to play quarterback McNair chose division I-AA Alcorn State. McNair played college football for Alcorn State UniversityAlcorn State University
Alcorn State University is an historically black university comprehensive land-grant institution in Lorman, Mississippi. It was founded in 1871-History:...
, a historically black university
Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Historically black colleges and universities are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the intention of serving the black community....
which competes in the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
's Division I-AA (now known as the Football Championship Subdivision) Southwestern Athletic Conference
Southwestern Athletic Conference
The Southwestern Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which is made up of historically black universities in the Southern United States...
(SWAC). In 1992, McNair threw for 3,541 yards and 29 touchdowns, and ran in for 10 more scores. The Braves fashioned a record of 7–4, including a last-second victory in their rematch with Grambling
Grambling State University
Grambling State University is a historically black , public, coeducational university, located in Grambling, Louisiana. The university is the home of legendary football coach Eddie Robinson and is on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail.-Academics:Grambling State University provides over...
. In that contest, McNair returned from an injury and helped Alcorn State, trailing late in the final period, move deep into Tigers' territory. Then, despite a leg injury, he tucked the ball under his arm and dove into the end zone for the winning touchdown. The victory over Grambling helped the Braves qualify for the I-AA playoffs. McNair helped Alcorn State to another good year in 1993, as the Braves upped their record to 8–3 while McNair threw for more than 3,000 yards and 30 touchdowns. He was also named First-Team All-SWAC for the third year in a row.
In his senior season, McNair gained nearly 6,000 yards rushing and passing, along with 53 touchdowns. In the process, he surpassed more than a dozen records and was named an All-American. In addition, McNair won the Walter Payton Award
Walter Payton Award
The Walter Payton Award is awarded annually to the most outstanding offensive player in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision of college football as chosen by a nationwide panel of media and college sports information directors...
as the top I-AA player and finished third in the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
voting behind Rashaan Salaam
Rashaan Salaam
Rashaan Iman Salaam is a former professional American football player. Salaam won the 1994 Heisman Trophy as a running back for the University of Colorado at Boulder, rushing for 2,055 yards by the end of the season. Salaam is the fourth major college football player to rush for over 2,000 yards...
and Ki-Jana Carter
Ki-Jana Carter
Kenneth Leonard "Ki-Jana" Carter is a former American football running back in the National Football League who played for the Cincinnati Bengals and later the Washington Redskins and the New Orleans Saints. His nickname, "Ki-Jana", is from a character in the movie Shaft in Africa and Carter has...
. McNair set career records for the Football Championship Series with 14,496 passing yards, as well as the division record for total offensive yards with 16,283 career yards. The records still stand.
He was a member of the fraternity Omega Psi Phi
Omega Psi Phi
Omega Psi Phi is a fraternity and is the first African-American national fraternal organization to be founded at a historically black college. Omega Psi Phi was founded on November 17, 1911, at Howard University in Washington, D.C.. The founders were three Howard University juniors, Edgar Amos...
, highlighting his allegiance by tattooing “Omega Man” on his arm.
Houston Oilers
With the third pick in the 1995 NFL Draft1995 NFL Draft
The 1995 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 22–23, 1995 at the Paramount Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City...
, the Oilers and new head coach Jeff Fisher
Jeff Fisher
Jeffrey Michael "Jeff" Fisher is the former head coach of the Tennessee Titans of the NFL. He has a 146-120 career record as an NFL head coach.-Early life:...
selected McNair, who signed a seven-year contract. McNair did not see his first action until the last two series of the fourth quarter in a November game versus the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Late in the season, he also appeared briefly against the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
and New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Meanwhile, starting quarterback Chris Chandler
Chris Chandler
Christopher Mark Chandler is a retired American football player, who played as a quarterback in the National Football League for 17 seasons. He is known for leading the Atlanta Falcons to a 14-2 season in 1998, followed up with an appearance in Super Bowl XXXIII.-Early years:Chris Chandler was...
finished as the AFC's fourth-best passer. In 1996, McNair remained a backup to Chandler until starting a game in December against the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Tennessee Oilers/Titans
McNair's first season as the Oilers' starter in 1997 (the team's first year in TennesseeTennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
) resulted in an 8–8 record for the team, which played its home games at the Liberty Bowl
Liberty Bowl
The Liberty Bowl is an annual U.S. American college football bowl game played in December of each year from 1959 to 2007 and in January in 2009 and 2010. The Liberty Bowl was sponsored by AXA Financial and was known as the AXA Liberty Bowl from 1997 to 2003...
in Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
. McNair's 2,665 passing yards were the most for the Oilers since Warren Moon
Warren Moon
Harold Warren Moon is a former American professional gridiron football quarterback who played for the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos and the National Football League's Houston Oilers, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs...
in 1993, and his 13 interceptions were the fewest for a single season in franchise history. He also led the team in rushing touchdowns with eight and ranked second behind running back Eddie George
Eddie George
Edward Nathan "Eddie" George, Jr. is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He played for the Tennessee Titans both in Tennessee and in Houston when the franchise was known as the Houston Oilers, and spent his final season with the Dallas Cowboys...
with 674 yards on the ground, the third-highest total for a quarterback in NFL history.
In 1998, McNair set career passing highs with 492 attempts, 289 completions, 3,228 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Oilers, now competing in Nashville. He also cut his interceptions to ten, helping his quarterback rating climb to 80.1.
The team officially changed its name from Oilers to Titans for the 1999 season as they debuted a new stadium, Adelphia Coliseum
LP Field
LP Field is a football stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, United States, owned by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County....
. Early in the 1999 season, McNair was diagnosed with an inflamed disk following Tennessee's 36–35 win over the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
, and needed surgery. In his stead entered Neil O'Donnell
Neil O'Donnell
Neil Kennedy O'Donnell is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for 14 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, and Tennessee Titans...
, a veteran who had guided the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
to the Super Bowl four years earlier. Over the next five games, O'Donnell led the Titans to a 4–1 record. McNair returned against the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
, and with McNair starting, Tennessee won seven of its last nine games, good for a record of 13–3 and second place in the AFC Central.
Tennessee opened the playoffs at home against the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in a Wild Card game, winning on the "Music City Miracle
Music City Miracle
The Music City Miracle is the name commonly given to a play that took place on January 8, 2000 during the National Football League's 1999–2000 playoffs...
" and eventually advancing to Super Bowl XXXIV
Super Bowl XXXIV
Super Bowl XXXIV featured the National Football Conference champion St. Louis Rams and the American Football Conference champion Tennessee Titans in an American football game to decide the National Football League champion for the 1999 regular season...
in a re-match with the Rams. On the final play of the game, a McNair pass to Kevin Dyson
Kevin Dyson
Kevin Tyree Dyson is a former American football wide receiver of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Tennessee Oilers 16th overall in the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Utah....
was complete, but Dyson was unable to break the plane of the goal line, giving the Rams the win. McNair signed a new six-year contract after the season worth $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
47 million.
Following a 13–3 season in 2000 that ended in a playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
, the 28-year-old McNair put together his most productive year as a pro. McNair registered career passing highs in yards (3,350), completions (264), touchdowns (21) and quarterback rating (90.2). He was also the team's most effective rusher, tying George for the club lead with five scores. Named to the Pro Bowl for the first time, McNair sat out the game due to a shoulder injury.
In 2002, Tennessee finished the regular season 11-5 and reached the playoffs. In the divisional playoff contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
, McNair threw for a career postseason high 338 yards and two touchdowns, with two interceptions, while rushing for 29 yards and another score on the ground. The game had a controversial finish when, after missing a game winning field goal at the end of regulation time and a second failed kick in overtime was negated because of a controversial running-into-the-kicker penalty on Pittsburgh's Dewayne Washington
Dewayne Washington
Dewayne Neron Washington is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League. He played for the Minnesota Vikings , the Pittsburgh Steelers , the Jacksonville Jaguars , and the Kansas City Chiefs...
, kicker Joe Nedney
Joe Nedney
Joseph Thomas Nedney is an American football placekicker who is currently a free agent. Born and raised in San Jose, California, Nedney played college football at San Jose State and signed as an undrafted player with the Miami Dolphins in 1996...
won the game from 26 yards out 2:15 into overtime. Steelers coach Bill Cowher
Bill Cowher
William Laird "Bill" Cowher is a former American football coach and player. Cowher resigned after 15 seasons as the Steelers' coach on January 5, 2007, 11 months to the day after winning 2005–06's Super Bowl XL...
said that he called a timeout before the winning kick took place.
McNair and the Titans reached the AFC Championship game but were unable to reach the Super Bowl, losing to the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
41-24.
After this loss in 2002, McNair was arrested for DUI and illegal gun possession in May 2003. His blood alcohol was above 0.10, and a 9-mm handgun had been sitting in the front of the car. All charges related to the incident were later dropped.
In December of the 2003 season, an injured calf and ankle kept McNair on the sidelines for two games, though he still finished with the best numbers of his career, including 24 touchdown passes and a quarterback rating of 100.4. The Titans ended at 12–4, the same record as the Colts, but Indianapolis took the AFC South
AFC South
The AFC South is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. It was created before the 2002 season when the league realigned divisions after expanding to 32 teams...
by virtue of its two victories over Tennessee. McNair and Colts quarterback Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
were named co-NFL MVPs following the season, which ended in a playoff loss to the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
for the Titans.
McNair missed the 2004 season's fourth game with a bruised sternum, an injury suffered the previous week against Jacksonville, and played in only five more games that season.
Baltimore Ravens
James "Bus" Cook
James "Bus" Cook is an NFL sports agent.Some of Cooks' notable clients have included Brett Favre, Calvin Johnson, Randy Moss, Marcedes Lewis, Adalius Thomas, Jerious Norwood, Tony Scheffler, Jay Cutler, Cam Newton and the late Steve McNair.-Early Life:...
, to speak with the Ravens to try to work out a deal. On May 1, 2006, the Baltimore Sun reported that the Baltimore Ravens might wait for McNair to be released by the Titans during free agency. Speculation was that the Titans might hold onto McNair until the week before training camp in late July if the Ravens didn't come up with a satisfactory trade offer for McNair according to a league source. However, on June 7, 2006, the two teams worked out a deal to send McNair to the Ravens for a 4th-round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft
2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
. On June 8, McNair flew to Baltimore, passed a physical, and was announced as the newest member of the Ravens.
The 2006 season saw McNair start each game for the Ravens, missing only portions of two games. In the week 14 game against the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
, McNair threw the longest touchdown pass in the Ravens' history, when he threw an 89 yard touchdown pass to receiver Mark Clayton,
McNair helped Baltimore to a 13–3 record and an AFC North
AFC North
The American Football Conference North Division, or AFC North, is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. It was created prior to the 1967 season as the NFL Century Division when the NFL split into four divisions...
Championship. McNair started at quarterback in his first playoff game as a Raven when his team faced the Colts on January 13, 2007. McNair was 18 of 29 for 173 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions, as the Ravens lost 15–6.
On May 9, 2007 McNair was a passenger in a car that was pulled over for suspicion of drunk driving. Both the driver of the vehicle, his brother-in-law, and McNair were arrested for driving under the influence. Under Tennessee law, one can still be arrested for DUI even if a passenger in one's own car and the driver is believed to be under the influence. McNair owned the pick-up truck involved and was charged with DUI by consent. The charges were dropped on July 10, 2007.
In 2007, McNair did not play in Week 2 against the Jets which the Ravens won 20–13. He also did not play the full game in Week 3, however, the game was won by the Ravens, 26–23. McNair missed nine more games during the rest of the season, including getting pulled after taking many hits from Steelers' linebacker James Harrison in Week 9, and fumbling the ball twice. McNair only started six games for the Ravens in 2007.
After thirteen seasons in the NFL, McNair announced his retirement in April 2008.
Personal life
McNair was married to Mechelle McNair from June 21, 1997 until his death. He split his time between a farm in Mississippi and Nashville, TennesseeNashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
.
McNair had two sons by Mechelle: Steve LaTreal McNair, Steven O'Brian Koran McNair; and two sons - Tyler and Trenton - by two other women.
McNair earned the nickname "Air McNair" in High School. He opened his own restaurant in Nashville, which he named Gridiron9. In addition to that, Steve McNair was the mentor to former Titans' quarterback Vince Young
Vince Young
Vincent Paul Young, Jr. , nicknamed "VY", is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He spent the first five seasons of his career with the Tennessee Titans. Young was the third overall draft pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college...
, who was greatly affected by the death of his teacher.
Death
On July 4, 2009, McNair was found dead of multiple gunshot wounds, along with the body of a young woman named Sahel Kazemi, in a condominium rented by McNair, at 105 Lea Avenue in downtown Nashville. McNair had been shot twice in the body and twice in the head, with only one of the shots coming from closer than three feet. Kazemi had a single gunshot wound to the head, which was proved to have been fired from a gun that was held to her temple. McNair was believed to have been asleep on the couch when the shooting occurred. The bodies were discovered by McNair's friends Wayne Neely and Robert Gaddy, who called 911. The Nashville police declared McNair's death a murder-suicide, with Kazemi as the perpetrator and McNair as the victim. The 9-mm gun used was found under Kazemi's body and later tests revealed "trace evidence of (gunpowder) residue on her left hand." Kazemi had a worsening financial situation and also suspected that McNair was in another extramarital relationship.McNair, who was married at the time, had been dating the 20-year-old Kazemi in the months prior to their deaths. Two days before their deaths, Kazemi was pulled over in a black 2007 Cadillac
Cadillac
Cadillac is an American luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors . Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mostly in North America. Cadillac is currently the second oldest American automobile manufacturer behind fellow GM marque Buick and is among the oldest...
Escalade
Cadillac Escalade
The Cadillac Escalade is a full-size luxury sport utility vehicle sold by the General Motors luxury brand, Cadillac. It was the division's first major entry into the popular SUV market. The Escalade was introduced for the 1999 model year in response to German and Japanese competitors and to Ford's...
in Nashville with McNair in the passenger seat and Vent Gordon, a chef at a restaurant McNair owned, in the back seat. The vehicle was registered in the names of both McNair and Kazemi. She was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. McNair was not arrested, instead leaving in a taxi with Gordon, despite Kazemi repeatedly asking the arresting officer to tell McNair he could come to the police car to talk to her. However, McNair later bailed Kazemi out of jail.
Police later stated that after release from jail, Kazemi purchased the gun from a convicted murderer she met while looking for a buyer for her Kia.
Titans owner Bud Adams
Bud Adams
Kenneth Stanley "Bud" Adams, Jr. is the owner of the Tennessee Titans' National Football League franchise. He was instrumental in the founding and establishment of the former American Football League. Adams became a charter AFL owner with the establishment of the Titans franchise, which was...
released a statement regarding McNair:
In a statement to the AP
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, Ozzie Newsome
Ozzie Newsome
Ozzie Newsome Jr. and a 1974 graduate of Colbert County High School in Leighton, Alabama, is a former American football tight end for the Cleveland Browns, an inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the current General Manager of the Baltimore Ravens.-College career:Before his NFL career,...
, executive vice president and general manager of the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
, stated:
The Titans held a two-day memorial at LP Field on July 8 and 9, 2009, where fans could pay their last respects to McNair. Highlights from his career were played throughout each day and fans were able to sign books that were later given to the McNair family.
During the 2009 NFL season, every member of the Titans wore a commemorative "9" sticker placed on the back of each helmet to honor McNair. Funeral services were held for McNair at the Reed Coliseum on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi on July 11 at 11:00 AM (CST) and he is buried at Griffith Cemetery in Prentiss
Prentiss, Mississippi
Prentiss is a town in Jefferson Davis County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 1,158 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Jefferson Davis County...
, Mississippi.
On October 15, 2010 it was reported that McNair’s widow went to a Nashville judge and asked that at least a portion of the assets be unfrozen so that his children could have some sort of monetary source. The judge agreed and each of the four children will now receive $500,000.
External links
- The Nashville TennesseanThe TennesseanThe Tennessean is the principal daily newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Its circulation area covers 39 counties in Middle Tennessee and eight counties in southern Kentucky....
:AP Obituary - The Steve McNair Foundation
- ESPN.comESPN.comESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...
: Player profile - Steve McNair - Pro-Football-Reference.com: Steve McNair Bio
- Baltimore RavensBaltimore RavensThe Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
: Steve McNair Retirement - Tennessee TitansTennessee TitansThe Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
: A Look Back at the Career of Steve McNair - Steve McNair at Find A GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...