He tried to do both at first, but soon it was too much. The team officially changed its name from Oilers to Titans for the 1999 season as they debuted a new stadium, Adelphia Coliseum. Twitter wasn't a factor yet, but there were plenty of media outlets to feed off of the stunning story of a Tennessee football hero killed by 20-year-old Sahel Kazemi, a woman with whom he'd been having an affair. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM. "Most of the time I really don't hear it that much, but when I do, it's a little bit embarrassing. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Steve-McNair, Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame - Steve McNair, Pro Football History - The Life And Career Of QB Steve McNair. He told Mechelle that the alarm was going off at his restaurant, but she knows now that Kazemi was probably the one who called. Tyler disagrees. He made his first playoff start as a Raven against the Colts on January 13, 2007. On the morning of July 4, 2009, Mechelle McNair woke up with a crushing headache. They are best friends. But if I'm playing basketball, I kind of look up there and tell her to sshhhhh." That was meand God.". She keeps McNair's football memorabilia in the basement, where Trent dribbles his basketball and Tyler practices his dance moves. Following a 133 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. But plans change. But after Steve's death, the most intimate details of her life were fodder for public consumption. According to his wife, Michele, the will that his agent claimed was drawn up has been lost. Nine years after Mechelle McNair's world caved in, her oldest son, Tyler, is going to NYU on an academic scholarship. After his death, Mechelle went to the court and claimed $500,000 each for their children's care and expenses from her husband's assets. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Here was an NFL quarterback one season into retirement, a former co-MVP and a Super Bowl participant, murdered. For more, watch E:60's story, "Heir McNair," on Sunday at 9 a.m. on ESPN, or stream it on WatchESPN. We've joined the BHM Digital family of websites and have updated our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. When he's at school, he FaceTimes with her at least once a day, so it's almost as if she sees him more when he's in New York. She stood up, the pain radiated from the right side of her skull, and she had to lie back down. [23], On May 9, 2007, McNair was arrested in Nashville for drunk driving even though he was not driving at the time. On the morning of July 4, 2009, Mechelle McNair woke up with a crushing headache. Time, if you handle it right, has a way of filtering out the bad memories but leaving the good. For many, the pain still lingers and will never go away. Dance was his release, a way of working through his emotions. He probably wouldn't have spent most of the summer dreading this moment, standing in front of a college dorm, trying not to cry. Her husband would have done things differently. You're so strong,'" Mechelle says. Why Steve McNair's Legacy Won't Be Remembered the Way It Should 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. Steve McNair's No.9 jersey will be retired during a halftime ceremony during Sunday's home opener against the Indianapolis Colts. "He was a good dad. There were good times, too. Years ago, after Cartwright lost her own husband, Steve had told her to pack her bags and come live with them. When the police arrived, his corpse was on the couch with multiple wounds of the gunshot, including one to the head. The 46 years old wife of Steve, Mechelle was married to her long-time husband, Steve McNair, until 2009. George Gojkovich/Getty Images It had been a long time since they'd been there. In 2007, McNair did not play in Week 2 against the Jets in which the Ravens won 2013. The judge agreed, and each of the four children received $500,000. Hell graduate high school in 2022, whereas his elder brother will graduate college in 2021. ", McNair was known as one of the toughest players in the NFL. Initially, she did not believe her husband was dead. Steve McNair was born on Valentine's Day, and he died on the Fourth of July. Nearly 5,000 people mourned McNair at Reed Green Coliseum on the campus of Southern Miss. One year after former Tennessee Titans star Steve McNair was shot and killed, details emerge about the life of Sahel Kazemi, the woman who police say pulled the trigger then turned the gun on herself. Stephen "Steve" LaTreal McNair fathered his namesake and Steven O'Brian McNair through different relationships before he met, fell in love, and tied the knot with his only wife, Mechelle McNair, on June 21, 1997. Years ago, after Cartwright lost her own husband, Steve had told her to pack her bags and come live with them. I've been there." Sports was always one of the tougher areas for Mechelle to navigate. Timeline of Steve McNair and Sahel 'Jenni' Kazemi leading up to their deaths. "Nope," she says. Tyler disagrees. He was still trying to figure out his world outside of football. They carry pieces of Steve, from Tyler's mannerisms to the way Trent calls people "Buddy." Things around the McNair family have been tense, to say the least, since Steve passed in 2009. Mechelle found strength and independence she never thought she had. He didn't win the Heisman,but was taken 3rd in the NFL draft,heading to Houston to become an Oiler,and eventually,a Tennessee Titan. Dont miss to subscribe to our new feeds, kindly fill the form below. She once took him on a girlfriends-only trip to the Bahamas, and if anyone took issue with it, well, tough. She never played. "He was the first one saying how proud he was of me and how proud my dad would be. She thinks about the next chapter in her life. Steve McNair - Wikipedia "Honestly, the most I've ever felt like a child is this year," Tyler says. McNair's first season as the Oilers' starter in 1997 (the team's first year in Tennessee) resulted in an 88 record for the team, which played its home games at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee. "They appreciated what they had," add Lucille. According to Piller, Trent hit five 3-pointers. She tried to explain to the boys what had happened, the best she could, but Trent wanted to read about his father in the paper. "He never cried, not once," Mrs. McNair. Steve and Mechelle had happily welcomed their first child, Tyler McNair, a year after getting married, followed by Trenton roughly five years later. They got married in Vicksburg, Mississippi, in 1997, and a year later, Tyler came along. "I don't want to be alone," she says. Yes. He pictured his dad sitting in a pew, his leg sticking out in the aisle because the seat was too small for his giant body. Yet, Steves persistence and personality won her over, so she found herself leaving the state with him after graduation to support his NFL career. In happy times, they belted out SWV songs in Mechelle's little, red, two-seater Mercedes, his tiny head bobbing to the music. 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. Elizabeth MerrillMerrill is a senior writer for ESPN. Trent shows flashes of great talent at quarterback, but he won't play the position. Merrill: The dilemma of how to mourn McNair In his stead entered Neil O'Donnell, a veteran who had guided the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Super Bowl four years earlier. McNair missed the 2004 season's fourth game with a bruised sternum, an injury suffered the previous week against Jacksonville,[18] and played in only five more games that season. How do you think she was feeling? Mechelle knows life will change again soon, when Trent gets his driver's license. He split time between his home in Nashville and his farm in Collins, Mississippi. To Mechelle, he was sort of a gentle giant, romantic enough to hide an engagement ring in a piece of strawberry cake, country enough to skin a deer and cook it up for his teammates. She got on the elliptical machine, hoping some exercise would get rid of the headache. Did I know about some other people and some other things? Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. It's his way of being around his brother still. OLIVE, MS (Mississippi News Now) - He led the Tennessee Titans to Super Bowl XXXIV, went to three Pro Bowls, was All-Pro once, threw 174 touchdowns against 119 interceptions, had 31,304 yards passing, and had an impressive 60.1 career completion percentage. Those assets included the million dollar mansion he had built for his mother, Lucille, to live in during her twilight years. The gun was also found near her dead body at the crime scene. Miss. Remembers Steve McNair at Funeral - CBS News Family of Steve McNair dividing up estate despite lack of signed will - al Piller, a former guard for the Titans, was one of McNair's pallbearers. Tyler tells her everything, even the stuff that can get him grounded. You're so strong,'" Mechelle says. His good friend Zach Piller, right, protected him on the field and served as one of his pallbearers. She would go to her room, door closed, and sob. They met at Alcorn State, a historically black college in rural Claiborne County, Mississippi. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. But his phone kept ringing. But did I know about her? [42] The bodies were discovered by McNair's friends Wayne Neely and Robert Gaddy, who called 911. But this moment in front of the school is a good one. Steve McNair, in full Steve LaTreal McNair, byname Air McNair, (born February 14, 1973, Mount Olive, Mississippi, U.S.died July 4, 2009, Nashville, Tennessee), American gridiron football player who threw 174 touchdown passes during his 13 National Football League (NFL) seasons (19952008), primarily while playing for the Tennessee Titans.