Steve McNair

Steve McNair

refer to caption

McNair with the Ravens in 2007
No. 9
Position: Quarterback
Personal information
Date of birth: (1973-02-14)February 14, 1973
Place of birth: Mount Olive, Mississippi
Date of death: July 4, 2009(2009-07-04) (aged 36)
Place of death: Nashville, Tennessee
Height: 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight: 230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
High school: Mount Olive (MS)
College: Alcorn State
NFL draft: 1995 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
TD–INT: 174–119
Passing yards: 31,304
Passer rating: 82.8
Rushing yards: 3,590
Rushing TDs: 37
Player stats at NFL.com

Stephen LaTreal McNair (February 14, 1973 – July 4, 2009),[1] nicknamed Air McNair,[2][3] was an American football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He spent a majority of his career with the Houston/Tennessee Oilers – Tennessee Titans and also played for the Baltimore Ravens.[4]

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.[5]

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.[6]

On July 4, 2009, McNair was fatally shot by his mistress, Sahel Kazemi, in a murder–suicide.[7]

Early life

McNair was born in a small tin roofed house in Mount Olive, Mississippi, 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.[8] An All-State selection, McNair was named an All-American by Super Prep magazine.[8]

The Seattle Mariners drafted him in the 35th round of the 1991 MLB amateur draft.[9]

College career

McNair was initially offered a full scholarship to the University of Florida to play running back, but wanting to play quarterback, McNair chose division I-AA Alcorn State. McNair played college football for Alcorn State University, 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 where they faced off against then-Northeast Louisiana, falling 78-27 to the Indians on November 21, 1992. 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.[5] The records still stand.[5]

He was a member of the fraternity Omega Psi Phi, highlighting his allegiance by tattooing “Omega Man” on his arm.[8]

Professional career

Houston Oilers

With the third overall pick in the 1995 NFL Draft, the Houston Oilers and new head coach Jeff Fisher selected McNair, making him at the time the highest drafted African-American quarterback in NFL history and signing him to 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.

Tennessee Oilers/Titans

McNair's first season as the Oilers' starter in 1997 (the team's first year in Tennessee) 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 1999 season worth $47 million.[10]

Following a 13–3 season in 2000 which ended in a playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the 28-year-old McNair put together his most productive year as a pro in 2001. In 2001, 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.[11]

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.

Between the 2002 and 2003 seasons, 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.[12] All charges related to the incident were later dropped.[5]

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 3,215 passing yards, 24 touchdown passes, just seven interceptions[13] 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 division championship by virtue of its two victories over Tennessee. McNair and Colts quarterback Peyton Manning were named co-NFL MVPs following the 2003 season, which ended the Titans' season in a playoff loss to the New England Patriots. McNair finished the 2003 season as the league leader in passer rating and became the youngest player in NFL history to pass for 20,000 yards and run for 3,000 yards.

McNair missed the 2004 season's fourth game with a bruised sternum, an injury suffered the previous week against Jacksonville,[14] and played in only five more games that season. In 2005 he played in 14 games because of a back injury.

This series of season-ending injuries prompted the Titans to make the business decision of locking McNair out of team headquarters in the 2006 offseason. The team wouldn't let him rehab in its building because it feared an injury would force the franchise to pay him $23.46 million (his contract had been restructured so often that his salary cap reached a hard-to-manage amount). The Players Association's filed a grievance on his behalf, for which an arbitrator ruled that the team violated its contract, opening the possibility for a trade.[15]

Baltimore Ravens

McNair seen being tackled during an October 2006 game against the San Diego Chargers.

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.[16] 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.[17] 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.[16]

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 regular-season touchdown pass in the Ravens' history, when he threw an 89-yard touchdown pass to receiver Mark Clayton,[18] 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 as 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.[19] The charges were dropped on July 10, 2007.[20]

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.[21]

In July 2012, McNair was named the thirty-fifth greatest quarterback of the NFL's post-merger era, according to Football Nation. As of October 2012, he is the only deceased quarterback on the list.[22]

NFL stats

Year Team Games Completions Attempts Completion Percentage Yards Yards per Attempt Touchdowns Longest Completion Interceptions Fumbles Passer Rating
1995 HOU 4 41 80 51.3 569 7.11 3 53 1 2 81.7
1996 HOU 9 88 143 61.5 1,197 8.37 6 83 4 5 90.6
1997 TEN 16 216 415 52.0 2,665 6.42 14 55 13 9 70.4
1998 TEN 16 289 492 58.7 3,228 6.56 15 47 10 4 80.1
1999 TEN 11 187 331 56.5 2,179 6.58 12 65 8 2 78.6
2000 TEN 16 248 396 62.6 2,847 7.19 15 56 13 5 83.2
2001 TEN 15 264 431 61.3 3,350 7.77 21 71 12 1 90.2
2002 TEN 16 301 492 61.2 3,387 6.88 22 55 15 6 84.0
2003 TEN 14 250 400 62.5 3,215 8.04 24 73 7 7 100.4
2004 TEN 8 129 215 60.0 1,343 6.25 8 37 9 3 73.1
2005 TEN 14 292 476 61.3 3,161 6.64 16 57 11 6 82.4
2006 BAL 16 295 468 63.0 3,050 6.52 16 87 12 3 82.5
2007 BAL 6 133 205 64.9 1,113 5.43 2 30 4 6 73.9
Career 161 2,733 4,544 60.1 31,304 6.89 174 87 119 59 82.8

[23]

Personal life

A Steve McNair matryoshka doll

McNair was married to Mechelle McNair[24] from June 21, 1997 until his death. He split his time between a farm in Mississippi and Nashville, Tennessee.[5]

McNair had two sons by Mechelle: Tyler and Trenton; and two sons - Steve LaTreal McNair and Steven O'Brian Koran McNair; - by two other women.[25]

McNair earned the nickname "Air McNair" in High School. He opened his own restaurant in Nashville, which he named Gridiron9.[26] 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's cousin Demario Davis currently plays for Cleveland Browns.

Death

On July 4, 2009, McNair was found dead from multiple gunshot wounds, along with the body of a young woman named Sahel "Jenni" Kazemi, in a condominium rented by McNair, at 105 Lea Avenue in downtown Nashville.[27] 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.[28][29][30] 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.[31] The Nashville police declared McNair's death a murder-suicide, with Kazemi as the perpetrator[32] and McNair as the victim.[33] The 9mm gun used was found under Kazemi's body and later tests revealed "trace evidence of (gunpowder) residue on her left hand."[32] Kazemi had a worsening financial situation and also suspected that McNair was in another extramarital relationship.[34][35]

McNair, who was married at the time, had been having an affair with the 20-year-old Kazemi in the months prior to their deaths.[36][37] 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.[27] McNair was not arrested, instead leaving in a taxi with Gordon, despite Kazemi repeatedly asking the arresting officer to tell McNair to come to the police car to talk to her. However, McNair later bailed Kazemi out of jail.[38] 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.[39]

Titans owner Bud Adams released a statement regarding McNair:[40]

“ We are saddened and shocked to hear the news of Steve McNair's passing today. He was one of the finest players to play for our organization and one of the most beloved players by our fans. He played with unquestioned heart and leadership and led us to places that we had never reached, including our only Super Bowl. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family as they deal with his untimely passing. ”

In a statement to the AP, Ozzie Newsome, executive vice president and general manager of the Baltimore Ravens, stated:[28][41]

“ This is so, so sad. We immediately think of his family, his boys. They are all in our thoughts and prayers. What we admired most about Steve when we played against him was his competitive spirit, and we were lucky enough to have that with us for two years. He is one of the best players in the NFL over the last 20 years... ”

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 Green Coliseum on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi on July 11 at 11:00 AM (CDT) 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 received $500,000.[42]

References

  1. ↑ Steve McNair Found Dead. WTVF, July 4, 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-04.
  2. ↑ "Remembering "Air McNair" - NCAA Football". Sporting News. Retrieved November 20, 2010.
  3. ↑ "Remembering Air McNair". CBS News.
  4. ↑ Steve McNair Stats, News, Photos. ESPN.com. Retrieved July 8, 2009.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Shooting Unveils Very Different Sides of Ex-NFL Quarterback Steve McNair. Fox News, July 6, 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-06.
  6. ↑ "McNair helped bring stability and success to vagabond franchise". NFL.com. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Sahel Kazemi: A study in the woman police say killed McNair a year ago - ESPN.go.com - ESPN". ESPN.com. July 4, 2010. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  8. 1 2 3 "The Steve McNair Foundation". Officialstevemcnair.com. February 14, 1973. Retrieved November 20, 2010.
  9. ↑ "MLB Amateur Draft Picks with the Name Matching: mcnair".
  10. ↑ Notes: Favre backs McNair; Leinart hires Condon. USA Today, April 22, 2006. Retrieved 2009-07-04.
  11. ↑ The Steve McNair Foundation, Biography. Retrieved July 4, 2009.
  12. ↑ Judge: Officer didn't have 'sufficient basis' to stop McNair for DUI. CBSSports.com, July 22, 2004. Retrieved 2009-07-04.
  13. ↑ Rank, Adam (February 10, 2014). "NFL players from historically black colleges". National Football League. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  14. ↑ McNair hospitalized with bruised sternum. UPI, September 27, 2004. Retrieved 2009-07-04.
  15. ↑ "McNair visits Titans, doesn't have animosity over parting - NFL - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
  16. 1 2 Walker, Teresa M. McNair introduced as Ravens' new starting QB. USA Today, June 8, 2006. Retrieved 2009-07-04.
  17. ↑ Clayton, John. McNair could have playoff impact in Baltimore. ESPN.com, May 24, 2006. Retrieved 2009-07-04.
  18. ↑ A Look Back at the Career of Steve McNair:Career Highlights, 2006 Baltimore www.titansonline.com
  19. ↑ Hensley, Jamison (May 10, 2007). "Ravens' McNair arrested on DUI charge". Baltimore Sun.
  20. ↑ Walker, Teresa, DUI charge against McNair dropped (July 10, 2007), Yahoo! Sports, Retrieved on July 10, 2007.
  21. ↑ "McNair Says Goodbye to Ravens, NFL". Baltimoreravens.com. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
  22. ↑ "Top 100 Modern Quarterbacks: 40-21". Football Nation. July 26, 2012.
  23. ↑ "Steve McNair Stats". ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
  24. ↑ "The Steve McNair Foundation, Biography". Officialstevemcnair.com. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
  25. ↑ "McNair's estate not a problem". ESPN.com. Associated Press. July 29, 2009. Retrieved June 9, 2010.
  26. ↑ Humbles, Andy. McNair's new restaurant open. The Tennessean, June 22, 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-04.
  27. 1 2 Kate Howard; Jaime Sarrio; Chris Echegaray (July 4, 2009). "Steve McNair and Sahel Kazemi killed". The Tennessean (Nashville, Tennessee). Retrieved July 5, 2009.
  28. 1 2 Archived July 8, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
  29. ↑ "Autopsy planned for slain NFL star Steve McNair". Reuters. July 5, 2009.
  30. ↑ Blake Farmer (July 5, 2009). "Steve McNair Found Dead". WPLN-FM (Nashville, Tennessee: WPLN-FM). Retrieved July 5, 2009.
  31. ↑ "[NFL] Police Release 911 Tapes In Steve McNair Case". Gridironfans.com. Retrieved November 20, 2010.
  32. 1 2 "Police Declare Murder-Suicide in Steve McNair case". The Tennessean. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
  33. ↑ Fleeman, Mike. Coroner: Steve McNair a Victim of Murder-Suicide People, July 8, 2009. Retrieved August 1, 2009.
  34. ↑ "Yahoo! Sports - Sports News, Scores, Rumors, Fantasy Games, and more". Sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved November 20, 2010.
  35. ↑ "Official Newsletter of the Metro Nashville Police Department, July 10, 2009" (PDF). Police.nashville.org. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
  36. ↑ The News Journal, Police: Steve McNair death is apparent murder-suicide
  37. ↑ Kate Howard (July 7, 2009). "Woman's gun ID'd in Steve McNair death, but questions linger". The Tennessean (USA Today). Retrieved July 7, 2009.
  38. ↑ "The New York Post: QB GAVE GAL A GOODBYE DISS". New York Post. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
  39. ↑ "The Clarion-Ledger: Police: Kazemi bought gun found at scene". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
  40. ↑ Statement From Titans Owner K.S. 'Bud' Adams, Jr. Regarding Steve McNair. TitansOnline.com, July 4, 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-04.
  41. ↑ Former QB Steve McNair Found Murdered baltimoreravens.com
  42. ↑ Associated Press (October 15, 2010). "Judge Gives McNair's Widow, Children $500k each". Miami Herald.

External links

External video
McNair at Alcorn State
McNair with the Tennessee Titans
McNair's retirement press conference
Wikiquote has quotations related to: Steve McNair

Steve McNair at Find a Grave

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