Steve McNair

Stephen LaTreal McNair (February 14, 1973 – July 4, 2009), nicknamed "Air McNair", was an American professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He started his first two seasons with the Houston Oilers before the team relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, becoming the first franchise quarterback of the Tennessee Titans. McNair also played for two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens.

McNair played college football for the Alcorn State Braves, with whom he won the 1994 Walter Payton Award as the top player in NCAA Division I-AA. McNair was selected third overall by the Oilers in the 1995 NFL draft. He started six games in his first two seasons combined before becoming the team's regular starting quarterback for the 1997 season, and remained the starting quarterback for the Titans through 2005. After the 2005 season, McNair was traded to the Ravens, with whom he played for two seasons before retiring.

McNair appeared in the playoffs four times with the Titans, including their run to Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000, and made his final playoff appearance in 2006 with the Ravens. He was selected to the Pro Bowl thrice, and was an All-Pro and Co-MVP in 2003. McNair was the first African-American quarterback to win AP NFL MVP and remains, along with Cam Newton, Patrick Mahomes, and Lamar Jackson, only one of four to win the award. In 2009, McNair was shot and killed by his mistress in a murder–suicide.

Early life

McNair was born in a small tin-roofed house in Mount Olive, Mississippi, on February 14, 1973. He had four brothers, Fred, Jason, Michael, and Tim. McNair began attending Mount Olive High School in the fall of 1987, where he played football, baseball, and basketball in addition to running track. As a junior in 1989, McNair led the Mount Olive Pirates to the state championship. He also played free safety in high school, and in 1990 alone, McNair intercepted 15 passes, raising his career total to 30, which tied the mark established by Terrell Buckley at Pascagoula High School. An All-State selection (offense), McNair was named an All-American by Super Prep magazine (defense).

The Seattle Mariners drafted McNair in the 35th round of the 1991 MLB amateur draft.

College career

McNair was initially offered a full scholarship to the University of Florida to play running back, but wanting to play quarterback, he chose Alcorn State University, a Historically Black University that competes in the NCAA's Division I-AA (now known as the Football Championship Subdivision) Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). In 1992, McNair threw 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 game, 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 he threw for more than 3,000 yards and 30 touchdowns. McNair was also named First-Team All-SWAC for the third year in a row.

As a senior, McNair gained 6,281 combined yards rushing (904) and passing (5,377), along with 56 touchdowns. His total offense averages were 571 y/g over 11 games, the all-divisions collegiate per game record. In the process, McNair surpassed more than a dozen records and was named an All-American. He also 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 15,010 passing yards, as well as the division record for total offensive yards with 17,305 career yards. His record for career passing, total offensive yards, and total number of plays still stand, but his marks for career passing completions and attempts were eclipsed by Samford quarterback Devlin Hodges in 2018.

McNair was a member of the fraternity Omega Psi Phi, highlighting his allegiance by tattooing "Omega Man" on his arm.

College statistics

Professional career

Houston / Tennessee Oilers / Titans

1995–1996

With the third overall pick in the 1995 NFL draft, the Houston Oilers and new head coach Jeff Fisher selected McNair in hopes of replacing former starter Warren Moon, 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 against the Cleveland Browns. Late in the season, McNair also appeared briefly against the Detroit Lions and New York Jets. In 1996, McNair remained a backup to Chris Chandler until starting a game in Week 15 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

1997 season

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 in a season since Warren Moon in 1993, and his 13 interceptions were the fewest for a single season in franchise history. McNair also led the team in rushing touchdowns with eight and ranked second behind running back Eddie George with 674 yards on the ground, at the time the third-highest total for a quarterback in NFL history.

1998 season

In 1998, McNair set career passing highs with 492 attempts, 289 completions, 3,228 yards, and 15 touchdowns for the Oilers, now playing in Nashville. He also cut his interceptions to 10, helping his quarterback rating climb to 80.1.

1999 season: Super Bowl season

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 season, McNair was diagnosed with an inflamed disk following a narrow 36–35 victory 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 13–3 record and second place in the AFC Central.

The Titans 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 postseason rematch with the Rams. On the penultimate play of the game with the Titans facing 3rd-and-5 to go, McNair was hit by two Rams defenders, but he somehow got away and completed a 16-yard pass to Kevin Dyson to gain a first down at the Rams' 10-yard line. On the final play of the game, McNair's pass to Dyson was complete, but Dyson was unable to break the plane of the goal line, giving the Rams a 23–16 victory. In his only Super Bowl appearance, McNair threw 22-of-36 for 214 yards while rushing eight times for 64 yards. McNair signed a new six-year contract after the 1999 season worth US$47 million.

2000–2001

McNair played in all 16 games in 2000 but did not start the first of two annual games against the Steelers because of a sternum injury incurred in a 17–14 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs the previous game. Following the Titans’ bye week, Neil O'Donnell started against his former team, but after O'Donnell threw three interceptions, McNair came in and threw a touchdown to Erron Kinney; a missed Steelers field goal attempt resulted in the Titans winning 23–20.

Following a 13–3 season in 2000 which ended in a playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens, 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.

2002 season

In 2002, the Titans finished the regular season 11–5 and reached the playoffs. In the Divisional Round against the Pittsburgh Steelers, McNair threw for a career postseason high 338 yards, two touchdowns, and 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 lost to the Oakland Raiders 41–24.