Thousands Turn Out for Steve McNair's Funeral

Steve “Air” McNair was laid to rest in front a couple hundred of his family and friends this past Saturday, but nearly 5,000 turned out to say goodbye at his the funeral services held at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg earlier in the day. Pall bearers included former Tennessee Titan and Baltimore Raven teammates. Speakers included Titans coach Jeff Fisher and quarterback Vince Young and Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis.

"Steve was like a hero to me, and heroes are not supposed to die,'' Vince Young said before stopping to rub his eyes as he talked about the man he knew from football camps as a teenager and called "Pops''. Other NFL men who competed with and against McNair or coached him on the field also attended, including Eddie George and The high school football team McNair's son plays on wore their jerseys in honor of the man they often saw smiling from the sidelines. Steve McNair’s good friend, Brett Favre, who had a home near McNair's in Hattiesburg, sat behind the McNair family. Doug Williams, the first Black quarterback to win the Super Bowl, also was on hand.

It was one of the largest funerals in the recent history of Mississippi, McNair's home state. The hearse carrying McNair's casket was escorted the 30 miles down Highway 49 by nine police officers on motorcycles and several vehicles carried family members. Steve McNair's family rented buses to carry in people from his hometown of Mount Olive. After the two-hour service, the procession headed back down the road for the private burial at Griffith Cemetery, about 20 miles from Mount Olive.

The three-time Pro Bowl quarterback will be remembered for being an incredibly hard worker, a dedicated teammate and a true NFL leader. He was selected third overall by the Houston Oilers in the 1995 NFL Draft. As a prolific quarterback at Alcorn State, he shattered Division I-AA records, won the Walter Payton Award, and finished third in Heisman Trophy voting behind Rashaan Salaam and Ki-Jana Carter (who and who). Despite missing two games with an injured calf and ankle during the 2003 season, McNair finished with the best numbers of his career -- including 24 touchdown passes and a quarterback rating of 100.4. McNair and Peyton Manning were named co-NFL MVPs for the season. "Mississippi has lost a tremendous legend,'' said Cardell Jones, McNair's college coach at Alcorn State.

Former NFL QB Steve McNair Shot to Death

Former NFL quarterback Steve McNair was shot multiple times in Nashville, Tennessee Saturday. Police said they found McNair and a woman identified as Sahel Kazemi fatally shot receiving a phone call about an injured person in a condominium in downtown Nashville. The ex-NFL star was shot twice in the head and twice in the chest, while Ms. Kazemi was shot once in the head. McNair's body was found seated on a living room sofa and a semi-automatic pistol was found under Kazemi's body, which was on the floor. The bodies were found two days after Kazemi was pulled over in an Escalade, registered to her and McNair, and charged with driving under the influence. McNair was in the car at the time. McNair, a married father of four, and Sahel Kazemi apparently were involved in a dating relationship over the past several months.

McNair met Kazemi at the Dave & Buster’s restaurant where she worked as a server and where his family ate often. The two began dating a few months ago. Ms. Kazemi bought a gun a couple of days before she was found dead alongside the slain former NFL quarterback. “There was no way she was depressed and wanting to do this,” he said. “She was so happy. … She just had it made, you know, this guy taking care of everything,” said her nephew, who also said his aunt believed Steve McNair was divorcing his wife and she was preparing to sell her furniture to move in with him. Sounds like the common occurrence of the girlfriend disappointed when she finds out that the husband is not leaving his wife for her.

Mechelle McNair has been described as very distraught about her husband’s death but has not commented on it. Nashville courts had no record of a McNair divorce case, but a 14,000-square-foot home he owned in Nashville is on the market for $3 million.
Publicly, McNair was a happily married man and proud father of four sons who split his time between his Mississippi farm and a home in Music City, where celebrities are cherished, not hassled. His death, however, thrust a darker side of his private life into the spotlight.

On the football field, he simply was “Air McNair,” a winner. McNair still holds the NCAA’s Football Championship Series (formerly Division I-AA) records for career yards passing (14,496) and total offense (16,823) from his days at Alcorn State University, a HBCU school.

He played 13 NFL seasons, starting with the then-Houston Oilers, which became the Tennessee Titans. He led the Titans to the 2000 Super Bowl. He was named the NFL's co-Most Valuable Player with Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning in 2003. He ended his career with the Baltimore Ravens last season, after being traded away by the Titans after they drafted Vince Young as a replacement for the aching and expensive veteran. Steve McNair played with unquestioned heart and leadership and NFL fans were shocked by the news of his death.

What is so sad is that his family will forever have this to remember every Fourth of July. And after such a marvelous career, a person is remembered by a last act, which becomes your legacy.

Quarterback Steve McNair retires after 13 seasons

Steve McNair worked hard during the off-season and arrived at minicamp ready to assume his role as the starting quarterback. His body had other plans. Ending a 13-year career, McNair announced his retirement Thursday. Some of his highlights include being selected co-MVP in 2003, leading the Tennessee Titans to the Super Bowl and orchestrating the most successful regular season in Baltimore Ravens history. He received a standing ovation from his teammates after revealing his decision, then contained his emotions during a hastily arranged news conference. "In your mind, you feel like you can play, that you can still compete”, he said. “But when your mind and your body are not in accord, it’s not going to work in the National Football League.” The 35-year-old McNair guided the Ravens to a franchise-best 13-3 record in 2006, his first season in Baltimore. But he injured his groin during the season opener, developed back and shoulder injuries and played in only six games last season and never regained the form that enabled him to earn a berth in four Pro Bowls. He threw only two touchdown passes, was intercepted four times and lost seven fumbles before being placed on injured reserve in December, ending his most frustrating season in the NFL.

Steve McNair began his career in 1995 with the Houston Oilers, who eventually became the Tennessee Titans. He led the team to four playoff appearances, including the Super Bowl after the 1999 season. He was chosen co-MVP of the league in 2003, sharing the award with Peyton Manning, after throwing for 3,215 yards and 24 touchdowns with only seven interceptions. The highlight of his career might be a five-game stretch at the end of the 2002 season in which the quarterback was banged up so much he could not practice. Yet, he started all five games and led the Titans to wins to finish 11-5 and reach the AFC championship game for the second time in four seasons.

He underwent surgery on his non-throwing shoulder in December and spent much of the past three months getting ready for his 14th NFL season. But McNair had an inkling that all the running and weightlifting might be for naught. "My mind was telling me, ’Yes,’ and my body was like, ’No, what are you doing?’ I came up with (the idea of retiring) two or three days ago, but it’s been lingering ever since December."

Eddie George, who played running back behind McNair in Houston and Tennessee, said, "You name the injury and Steve had it and he still showed up. Not only did he show up, but he showed up and played extremely well. In his MVP year he played most of the year hurt. It is a testament to his willingness to win and how he sacrificed his body for the team." Tennessee’s Jeff Fisher, his coach for most of his career, echoed George’s comments, noting that McNair never wanted anyone to know how badly he was hurt. Baltimore Linebacker Ray Lewis, who had many memorable duels with McNair before the two became teammates, said, "There is no greater warrior or player with a bigger heart than Steve McNair. "He came into this game and gave it everything he had. He now can walk away with his head held high."

Steve McNair retires as one of the most versatile quarterbacks in NFL history. He's just one of three quarterbacks to amass over 30,000 yards passing and more than 3,000 yards rushing. The other two were Fran Tarkenton and Steve Young.

Nick named Air McNair, he was originally drafted by the Houston Oilers third overall in the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college football at Alcorn State University a historically Black university which competes in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), arguably the toughest Black conference in the U. S. which includes nationally known schools such as Grambling State, Jackson State, and Southern Universities. Many major colleges recruited McNair to play defensive back, but Alcorn was one of the few institutions that recruited him to play quarterback. In his senior season (1994), he amassed incredible statistics - throwing for 4,863 yards with 44 touchdowns (thus the nick name Air McNair) and rushing for 936 yards. His 2,387 rushing yards from 1997-2001 made him one of three quarterbacks in NFL history to rush for more than 2,350 yards in a five-season span. Mike Vick had 3,570 from 2002-2006; Randall Cunningham had 3,232 from 1986-1990.

Steve McNair grew up with his mother and four brothers in the rural farming community of Mt. Olive, Mississippi. He married his wife Mechelle in 1997 and has four sons. His cousin, Brandon McDonald, is a cornerback and punt returner for the Cleveland Browns. McNair hosts an annual football camp for children at his alma mater Alcorn State and teaches kids sportsmanship, good role models, and football.