I'm not going to do it.". When people say that to me, I'm always like, 'Where are they getting this from?' Mechelle knows life will change again soon, when Trent gets his driver's license. Late in the season, he also appeared briefly against the Detroit Lions and New York Jets. Those assets included the million dollar mansion he had built for his mother, Lucille, to live in during her twilight years. When the police arrived, his corpse was on the couch with . "Just stay focused and move on up. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. After thirteen seasons in the NFL, McNair announced his retirement from professional football in April 2008. Freshman year, she had a human anatomy class with McNair, and he spent most of it staring at her. As a junior, McNair led the Mount Olive Pirates to the state championship. At that point, Mechelle had a boyfriend and was only focused on pursuing a career in the medical field as a doctor. Thank you for subscribing! Right now, my mom's here with me, but like when Trent's gone off to school and meets somebody, and then my mom, who knows how long -- I'm not saying who's going to go before who because that's not necessarily true -- but she's older. When a parent dies young and leaves behind children, people make promises. It had been a long time since they'd been there. If I'm playing football and I hear her, I kind of just ignore it. At first, Mechelle thought he should stick it out. Ex-Tennessee tight end Bo Scaife filled Tyler's closet with sneakers. Two of their children are sons named Trenton John McNair, who was born in 2004, and his age is 15 years old as of 2019. She says she protects her heart and her kids. There wasn't anything those children wanted that he didn't get for them. ", McNair was known as one of the toughest players in the NFL. She already had two men in her in life: Tyler, 19, and Trent, who just turned 14. By continuing to use this site, you agree to our updated Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. The Braves fashioned a record of 74, including a last-second victory in their rematch with Grambling. Then there was Mike Mu, a longtime family friend who used to run McNair's foundation. Mechelle appreciates the little things, such as the neighbor who used to replace the boys' basketball net whenever it looked worn, or the random texts Piller sends to the boys to ask how it's going. Tyler, who is majoring in biology at NYU while continuing to pursue his dancing dreams, forged a path so different from his father's. Live with Fuel; Saturday, August . Updates? "I can deal with not having Steve here a lot more because I see him still every day in his boys." Steelers coach Bill Cowher said that he called a timeout before the winning kick took place. She thinks about the next chapter in her life. But did I know about her? He said he couldn't live without his daddy and wanted to kill himself. He loved us. "But Steve,his feet,he just moved. The boys are constantly chasing a ghost, a man who, in death, is still the biggest sports legend in Nashville. The man who had taken epidurals and basically crawled around in pain six days a week but somehow played football on Sundays couldn't be gone. Right now, my mom's here with me, but like when Trent's gone off to school and meets somebody, and then my mom, who knows how long -- I'm not saying who's going to go before who because that's not necessarily true -- but she's older. "[38] McNair, who was believed to have been asleep on the couch when the shooting occurred, was shot twice in the body and twice in the head, with only one of the shots coming from closer than three feet. She was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. Bossip Comment Policy He'd handled everything -- the bills, the taxes, the boys' baseball swings -- until it was just her. She once took him on a girlfriends-only trip to the Bahamas, and if anyone took issue with it, well, tough. I don't. He made at least $90 million in salary over his 13-year career with the Houston Oilers, Tennessee Titans and. When you walk into Lucille McNair's memory room, it's hard not be overwhelmed with the accomplishments of her sons, especially the one known as Steve "Air" McNair; a legacy she says began when Steve was a young boy, following in the footsteps of his older brother Fred. He could see McNair smiling and telling his boy, "Good job, Buddy." In his senior season, McNair gained 6,281 combined yards rushing (904) and passing (5,377), along with 56 touchdowns. The house actually had been on the market before McNair died, but then the housing crisis hit, and it bounced on and off the listings for four years. She has thought about becoming a foster parent. She is thankful for that last day McNair had with the boys and for that night when they argued and made up. In his last days, McNair seemed overwhelmed at times, almost as if he was at a crossroads, Mechelle says. He was a tenacious defender who helped his team win two state championships. He had four brothers, Fred, Jason, Michael, and Tim. The two were living happily with each other and also parenting their two children until 2009. LIKE US ON FACEBOOK. Steve turned down an opportunity out of high school to be drafted into baseball. She noticed her husband wasn't home and made a number of phone calls trying to find him. George Gojkovich/Getty Images I can't wallow in it. [20], The 2006 season saw McNair start each game for the Ravens, missing only portions of two games. But did I know about her? You may remember, on July 4, 2009, NFL star Steve McNair was fatally shot by his mistress, Sahel Kazemi (seen below), in a murdersuicide. "She's very vocal," Trent 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. "You know boys are going to be boys," she said. And them. He didn't just turn out all right. But now one of them is leaving, and Mechelle is just trying not to lose it. The vehicle was registered in the names of both McNair and Kazemi. He probably wouldn't have spent most of the summer dreading this moment, standing in front of a college dorm, trying not to cry. 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. McNair's wife Michele cut his mother out of her grandchildren's life. "[38] There was also a conversation about financial issues where McNair transferred $2,000 to Kazemi, who claimed she was "stressed" and needed to pay her phone bill. Read More: How Did Mike Tysons Daughter Die? The driver failed a field sobriety test and was arrested for DUI; McNair was charged with DUI by consent. 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. It has been exactly ten years of Steve's demise. "Most of the time I really don't hear it that much, but when I do, it's a little bit embarrassing. 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. Death of Mechelle's Husband, Steve McNair. [9] An All-State selection (offense), McNair was named an All-American by Super Prep magazine (defense). The old home had too many memories. Naked Pic of Serena Williams Goes Viral! "That word will always get to me. That drove Mechelle nuts, the waking up in the middle of the night. In the worst times, she kept both of her little boys beside her in bed, where she could keep them close and safe. She had one job: to raise their sons. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM. As a matter of fact, Steve shares two children named Steve LaTreal McNair Jr. and Steven O' Brian McNair with two other women whose names are not disclosed. The enormity of his death cannot be overstated. Nashville Police Chief Ronal Serpas said, "The police department has concluded that Steve McNair was murdered by Sahel Kazemi and that, in turn, Sahel Kazemi killed herself with a single gunshot wound to her head.". This is just one of the many feel-good stories McNair was known for in his life. He made at least $90 million in salary over his 13-year career with the Houston Oilers, Tennessee Titans and. She always worried where he was. Editor's note: Sports Illustrated is releasing a podcast examining the death of former Titans quarterback . His life was cut short on July 4, 2009, but his legacy lives onin family and those who knew him best. Brett Favre and Ray Lewis and Jay Cutler showed up for the funeral. Lucille had to rush him to the hospital. So this week we sat down with Steve McNair's mother. Nearly 5,000 people mourned McNair at Reed Green Coliseum on the campus of Southern Miss. "Steve was a good person," Mechelle's mother says. He says she needs to go out more, to have fun sometimes. He made his first playoff start as a Raven against the Colts on January 13, 2007. He says she needs to go out more, to have fun sometimes. McNair returned against the St. Louis Rams, and with McNair starting, Tennessee won seven of its last nine games, good for a record of 133 and second place in the AFC Central. Funeral services were held for McNair at the Reed Green Coliseum on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi on July 11; he was buried at Griffith Cemetery in Prentiss, Mississippi. But it gets worse, she told Steves mom to pay $3,000 rent or get the hell out! When McNair was alive, if one of the boys was struggling with a batting stance or a shot, he could go outside, spend 30 minutes with him and get it figured out. He also did not play the full game in Week 3, however, the game was won by the Ravens, 2623. 3 in the NFL draft. He was catching up with friends and hanging out at Waffle House at 2 in the morning. He asked how somebody could do this to his daddy. But she put off doing the paperwork, and Alcorn was the school that offered her a scholarship. Offensive linemen spend their careers protecting the quarterback, and Piller couldn't. Her statement read, in part, Your prayers, kind deeds, and outpouring of support throughout this difficult time have been of tremendous comfort to usYou are appreciated beyond measure. Moreover, in the months that followed, despite the fact that Steve had not left a will, her lawyers revealed that, as per instructions, she would not exclude any of his kids from his estate. God and her friends and family who cooked and took the kids swimming and handled everything. The Steve Miller Band; Friday, July 7. Steven went as far as to addthat he and Steve Jr. have been closed out of their younger brothers lives and their fathers legacy, which Mechelle has since denied. George Clark/Hattiesburg American POOL/Getty Images. ". They carry pieces of Steve, from Tyler's mannerisms to the way Trent calls people "Buddy." "He was the first person to come," Tyler says. [43] The Nashville police declared McNair's death a murder-suicide, with Kazemi as the perpetrator and McNair as the victim. Steve McNair was born on Valentine's Day, and he died on the Fourth of July. Trent, pictured right, was 5. She said she couldn't bear to lose both of them. "He paved the way and now it's time for you to move forward.". 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. He was also named First-Team All-SWAC for the third year in a row. Wade Payne/AP Photo. The man who had taken epidurals and basically crawled around in pain six days a week but somehow played football on Sundays couldn't be gone. The vision of a 10-year-old boy holding a knife was like a cold bucket of water in the face. He did annoying things, peeking at her test answers, sticking his giant feet on her book bag. When his father passed away, Steve McNair Jr. was a star wide receiver at Oak Grove High School in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Please read our Comment Policy before commenting. McNair was born in a small tin-roofed house in Mount Olive, Mississippi on February 14, 1973. 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. It had been a long time since they'd been there. McNair helped Alcorn State to another good year in 1993, as the Braves upped their record to 83 while McNair threw for more than 3,000 yards and 30 touchdowns. Tyler, who is majoring in biology at NYU while continuing to pursue his dancing dreams, forged a path so different from his father's. Mechelle was born in 1973 in the USA. Omissions? They got married in Vicksburg, Mississippi, in 1997, and a year later, Tyler came along. The old home had too many memories. "Everyone went to college and I bought them a bible and I told them,God come first, books come second and their sports come next," said Lucille. The boys are so close that Trent sleeps in Tyler's bed when he's at college. Pat Boone, a singer from the 1950s, eventually bought the home. He sees flashes of his friend, and it helps him stay close to him. There were good times, too. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. More on Steve McNair She loves taking care of people. I don't want to be here by myself. When you walk into Lucille McNair's memory room,it's hard not be overwhelmed with the accomplishments of her sons, especially the oneknown as Steve "Air" McNair; alegacy she says beganwhen Steve was a young boy,following in the footsteps of his older brother Fred. NFL home On the morning of July 4, 2009, Mechelle McNair woke up with a crushing headache. 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. 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. "I always tell these young childrenI'm not braggin on him, but you can do what Steve McNair did," said Lucille. Maybe they would have been anyway, had Steve McNair not been killed. Fred and Timboth played football, and younger brother Steve was magic,in both footballand baseball. According to the last reports, Mechelle never remarried but is dating, and she received a degree in nursing years ago. And that I still don't sometimes. He was quiet until you knew him, and he waited a while to talk to her. Merrill: The dilemma of how to mourn McNair. They are all in our thoughts and prayers. It is a misdemeanor offense in Tennessee for an owner of a motor vehicle to knowingly allow an intoxicated person to drive the vehicle. #FlexExcellence: The Most Extravagant Prom Flexes Of 2023, #FlexExcellence: Tammy Rivera, Monica, Dr. Heavenly & Erica Dixon Send Their Celebrity Seeds Off To Prom In Style, Your Weekly Helping Of Tidday Meats & Treats On The Gram, Picture Perfect Poster Girl: Taylour Paige Stars As "Boogie's" Leading Lady, Kylie Jenner Klaims Its A Misconception That Shes Had So Much Surgery On Her Face, Kauses Kosmetic Kommotion Akross Internet, Riding Dirty: Stevie J. He was also the team's most effective rusher, tying George for the club lead with five scores. The Titans ended at 124, the same record as the Colts, but Indianapolis took the AFC South division championship by virtue of its two victories over Tennessee. At first, Mechelle thought he should stick it out. Named to the Pro Bowl for the first time, McNair sat out the game due to a shoulder injury.[15]. 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. In 2011, a legal spat between Mechelle and Lucille over property in Mississippi played out in the local news media. The gun was also found near her dead body at the crime scene. In happy times, they belted out SWV songs in Mechelle's little, red, two-seater Mercedes, his tiny head bobbing to the music. I got to dance all the time, I got to travel, and I got into the college I wanted to. Tyler and Trent immediately flipped into kid mode, running around with their cousins, sprawling out on sleeping bags at bedtime, swearing they'd stay up all night. Furthermore, her younger child, Trenton, is a 64 shooting guard basketball player at Brentwood Academy and has already received an offer from Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tennessee. He pushed an air mattress beside Tyler's bed when his brother was home and slept there. He was human. The boys call Mu "Uncle Mike." The funeral program included memories from McNair's mother, his wife . A few months after his death, the restaurant was sold. "At the end of the day, that's my husband," she says. Here was an NFL quarterback one season into retirement, a former co-MVP and a Super Bowl participant, murdered. The boys call Mu "Uncle Mike." I've been there.". It was nearly 11 years ago when former Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair was found dead next to a young woman in a downtown Nashville condo. George Gojkovich/Getty Images. "I can't say that I didn't have my bitter moments. In that contest, McNair returned from an injury and helped Alcorn State, trailing late in the final period, move deep into Tigers' territory. I've gotta keep going." But after Steve's death, the most intimate details of her life were fodder for public consumption. Ex-linemen tell stories about how she used to sit in the stands and yell at them to protect her husband. Piller downplays his involvement. Mechelle McNair filed the lawsuit last week against Vincent Hill, a cameraman known as John Doe, Crime Watch Daily, and one of the show's employees, Andrew Isom. "[People] always say, 'Oh, I admire you so much. He had four brothers, Fred, Jason, Michael, and Tim. I feel like I'm the weakest person sometimes. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). [6][11], He was a member of the fraternity Omega Psi Phi, highlighting his allegiance by tattooing "Omega Man" on his arm. [32], McNair earned the nickname "Air McNair" in high school. Further, he was buried at Griffith Cemetery in Prentiss, Mississippi, and over 5000 people attended his funeral. When a parent dies young and leaves behind children, people make promises. Tyler, right, and Trent served as honorary 12th Titans in a November game against the Baltimore Ravens. "I had it in my mindbut I didn't tell nobody. But he could be there for McNair's boys. She had plans. In his senior year alone, he set a single-season FCS mark by totaling 5,799 yards and finished third in the balloting for the 1994 Heisman Trophy. She wasn't into sports, and she already had a boyfriend. She and Steve McNair had two sons together. She knew how much potential he had. Mechelle appreciates the little things, such as the neighbor who used to replace the boys' basketball net whenever it looked worn, or the random texts Piller sends to the boys to ask how it's going. In the week 14 game against the Kansas City Chiefs, McNair threw the longest regular-season touchdown pass in the Ravens' history, an 89-yard touchdown pass to Mark Clayton. She was slow to trust after her husband's death and never remarried. He never forced his sons to play sports. As for Steven OBryant McNair, who was 15 at the time of Steve Sr.s death, he still resides in Mississippi. I'm used to it by now. Fortunately, Mechelle grabbed him and stopped him. The team would not 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). Courtesy Mechelle McNair. But McNair was persistent. "They were wrestling all the time,tearing thebed down and fixing the bed back up. The transition from football player to businessman was not smooth. just standing in the pocket," said Lucille. "I don't think he's doing that, but I want him to see me doing something where he feels like he has a drive." "I know what he's thinking. She would lean on her friends, who dropped everything to be with her in Nashville, or cry to her aunts and uncles. "I think that [Trent] would be attached to his dad.". In fact,he was the first to wear the #9 jersey that his younger brother would eventually make famous. McNair left a large estate behind that's in probate in both Tennessee and Mississippi. Regardless of how he left here, I know he loved us. [44] Kazemi had a worsening financial situation and also suspected that McNair was in another extramarital relationship. She never imagined she'd leave Mississippi after college to move to Houston with a man who had just been selected at No. Well, Steve was a prominent American football player who played as a quarterback in the NFL (National Football League) for Baltimore Ravens before retirement. "That word will always get to me. He ran his finger through the print and sounded out the words he knew. I do know that. Their normal. Conspiracy theorists flooded the internet and airwaves. There were good times, too. 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. She and her sons settled into a house surrounded by trees and the occasional deer that plops down in the middle of the yard. Nine years later, it's still hard for him to talk about McNair. And I don't feel like that's how God wants us to be." "Isaid we struggling now,we are not always gonna be down. He loved us. McNair also played free safety in high school, and in 1990 alone, he intercepted 15 passes, raising his career total to 30, which tied the mark established by Terrell Buckley at Pascagoula High School. [36][37] The day of the shooting, text messages between the pair were exchanged proclaiming their love to one another in which Kazemi texted the victim, "u love me" in which McNair replied, "I love you baby. The couple had first met at Alcorn State, a historically black university in Claiborne County, Mississippi. It's his way of being around his brother still. He could see McNair smiling and telling his boy, "Good job, Buddy. Dance was his release, a way of working through his emotions. But this moment in front of the school is a good one. I don't want to be here by myself. He will want to spend more time with his friends, not his mom. He took care of us. On July 4, 2009, the former Titans player was found in his downtown Nashville condo with multiple gunshot wounds alongside his mistress, Sahel Jenni Kazemi. He was 36 when he died, and he had just opened Gridiron9, a catfish-and-burger joint in north Nashville. Aside from kid functions and dinners out, she lived the life of a homebody. Piller, a former guard for the Titans, was one of McNair's pallbearers. Steve and Mechelle had happily welcomed their first child, Tyler McNair, a year after getting married, followed by Trenton roughly five years later.
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