It was just like 2009. It had been a long time since they'd been there. So he would sacrifice his bodyto try and help his team and his teammates," said Lucille. [29][30], McNair was married to Mechelle McNair[31] from June 21, 1997, until his death. She knew how much potential he had. For whatever reason, Michelle believes that Lucille should have to pay ($3,000/month) to live in the home that her millionaire son built. He accumulated this hefty amount of money from his career as a talented NFL player. The pressure to be Steve McNair's son weighs heavily. But authorities wouldn't. No, I did not." She never worried about that with Tyler, but for some reason, she thinks about it now that it's just her and Trent. They carry pieces of Steve, from Tyler's mannerisms to the way Trent calls people "Buddy." When the police arrived, his corpse was on the couch with multiple wounds of the gunshot, including one to the head. When a parent dies young and leaves behind children, people make promises. Death of Mechelle's Husband, Steve McNair. Before everything changed. Everyone wanted to know what Mechelle was feeling. Mechelle says she could hear Steve's footsteps in the house sometimes. 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. Updates? The fact that he was the quarterback everyone on campus was talking about held no currency with Mechelle. Mechelle sits in the stands and yells at him to "keep your face straight." Tyler graduated from Brentwood in the spring. She would go to her room, door closed, and sob. She would lean on her friends, who dropped everything to be with her in Nashville, or cry to her aunts and uncles. I saidthese boys is kinda special," added Lucille. Mechelle didn't particularly want to go to such a tiny school. Piller went to one of Trent's basketball games recently, and the younger McNair didn't disappoint. The Steve Miller Band; Friday, July 7. "You're going to have people who say, 'Oh, she knew.' 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. She would wonder, later, about signs. She once took him on a girlfriends-only trip to the Bahamas, and if anyone took issue with it, well, tough. E:60's John Minton III and Ryan Smith contributed to this report. Everyone wanted to know what Mechelle was feeling. Mechelle is asked whether she thinks they'd be this close had McNair lived. Beach Boys; Friday, August 11. [51], McNair died without a last will and testament, and his assets were frozen pending probate of his estate. (She was never a suspect). Did I know about some other people and some other things? He never forced his sons to play sports. Nine years after Mechelle McNair's world caved in, her oldest son, Tyler, is going to NYU on an academic scholarship. Steve McNair would have been 40 today - Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame "I don't want to be alone," she says. She wanted to see him so she could help him. VIDEO: Chelsea Handler Talks About Sex With 50 Cent & Dumping Him Because Of Ciara!!! In December of the 2003 season, an injured calf and ankle kept McNair sidelined 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,[17] and a quarterback rating of 100.4. Eddie George Then & Now . The team officially changed its name from Oilers to Titans for the 1999 season as they debuted a new stadium, Adelphia Coliseum. Trent will put his hands on his hips and walk to the bench, and it reminds Piller of Steve heading to the huddle. "You're going to have people who say, 'Oh, she knew.' Steve McNair's mom 'not mad' over son's brutal death, calls it 'devil's Merrill: The dilemma of how to mourn McNair. McNair grew up in Mississippi and chose to attend the rural Alcorn State University, a historically Black Division I-AA (now Football Championship Subdivision [FCS]) school where he could play quarterback, rather than serve as defensive back at a major university. Sometimes, when she's rushing to a game or going to Bible study, it hits her -- the absence of tears and drama, the return to normal. Nothing's going to change how I feel about my husband. "You know boys are going to be boys," she said. He was also named First-Team All-SWAC for the third year in a row. Steve McNair | Biography, Statistics, Death, & Facts | Britannica Steve McNair - Wikipedia It would not go away. He did annoying things, peeking at her test answers, sticking his giant feet on her book bag. Steve McNair's Widow, Children Given $500,000 Each - NewsOne [52] 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 for his children's care and expenses until the estate matters were resolved in court. The tabloids fed off the story and ran photos of McNair vacationing with the young waitress and texts they sent to each other in their final hours. Offensive linemen spend their careers protecting the quarterback, and Piller couldn't. It surprises her and forces her to ask the inevitable question: Who am I when my kids are grown and gone? He'd say, 'I just need some rest.'" 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. He told them to find something they loved and to do it well. Mrs. McNair talked about the time Steve, not yet a teen, was raking leaves and burning them in the yard. By all accounts, although Steve was usually exhausted when at home due to his practice and games, things were good for the McNair family, especially after he retired in 2008. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Piller likes to mess with Trent sometimes and tells him he could probably jump higher if he'd cut his long hair. Pat Boone, a singer from the 1950s, eventually bought the home. In a short while, the officials concluded that shed shot her boyfriend before turning the gun on herself in a jealous rage. [39][40][41] After killing him, Kazemi sat on the couch beside him and shot herself in the temple. "They were wrestling all the time,tearing thebed down and fixing the bed back up. He did not have a will, creating a painful mess that dragged on for years. Her children had never seen her like that. I've been there.". The now 46-year-old widow continues to keep her partners memories alive through her work and hopes that his children do the same. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. I can't wallow in it. He didn't want to watch TV, didn't want to eat anything. 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. 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. More on Steve McNair There was one problem: His heart wasn't in it anymore, and he wanted to dance instead. "I feel like I'm just living. God got her through this, she says. It's his way of being around his brother still. The Braves fashioned a record of 74, including a last-second victory in their rematch with Grambling. Lucille had to rush him to the hospital. 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. Trent will put his hands on his hips and walk to the bench, and it reminds Piller of Steve heading to the huddle. He didn't want to watch TV, didn't want to eat anything. He 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. Ludacris, FloRida and Ashanti; Thursday, July 20. In 2002, Tennessee finished the regular season 115 and reached the playoffs. She wanted to be a doctor and wanted one child, but she didn't think much about a partner. After thirteen seasons in the NFL, McNair announced his retirement from professional football in April 2008. He could see McNair smiling and telling his boy, "Good job, Buddy. The driver failed a field sobriety test and was arrested for DUI; McNair was charged with DUI by consent. 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. McNair's wife Michele cut his mother out of her grandchildren's life. He was found dead with the body of a young woman, Sahel Kazemi, in a rented house at 105 Lea Avenue in downtown Nashville. But Fred was more,Fred would pick you apart. McNair signed a new six-year contract after the 1999 season worth US$47 million.[14]. "He would just come home and be, like, dead," Tyler says. "They never complained about other children having this and they couldn't have that;they never complained.". She doesn't want to be a hindrance to him. He told Mechelle that the alarm was going off at his restaurant, but she knows now that Kazemi was probably the one who called. NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Shot twice in the head and two more times in the chest, former NFL quarterback Steve McNair was the victim of a homicide, police declared Sunday. Widow of Titans QB Steve McNair Anticipating Another - Tennessee Titans He sees flashes of his friend, and it helps him stay close to him. "He didn't want to do anything. 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 the win. All rights reserved. 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. Steve turned down an opportunity out of high school to be drafted into baseball. [22] 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. Her husband would have done things differently. 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. Ex-linemen tell stories about how she used to sit in the stands and yell at them to protect her husband. "Don't go," Tyler and Trent told him. 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 16,823 career yards. McNair's success in the NFL netted him a fortune. I'm used to it by now. [19], 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. They are best friends. He made his first playoff start as a Raven against the Colts on January 13, 2007. He split time between his home in Nashville and his farm in Collins, Mississippi. In the days leading up to Steve McNair's death, he spent time at Nashville bars, went fishing and helped put his . This time, against the St. Louis Rams in the biggest game of his life, McNair helped to turn Super Bowl XXXIV into a circus-like affair. Because I hurt like everybody else. She had plenty to cheer about by the time the franchise moved to Tennessee in 1997. He told them to find something they loved and do it well. Live with Fuel; Saturday, August . But her sons were terrified and confused. This is so, so sad. 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 rematch with the Rams. MT. Trent shows flashes of great talent at quarterback, but he won't play the position. He was human. 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. Christmas break is over, and the house is quiet. Maybe she could do that. 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. When it hit her, she fell to the floor, screaming. "I feel like I'm just living. Eventually, he grew on her. So, it is safe to say that she is currently a single woman. He didn't just turn out all right. Nearly 5,000 people mourned McNair at Reed Green Coliseum on the campus of Southern Miss. It's the most I've felt like a regular person, like nothing has happened.". He was catching up with friends and hanging out at Waffle House at 2 in the morning. At first, Mechelle thought he should stick it out. Eventually, he grew on her. He says she needs to go out more, to have fun sometimes. Times when the family would pair up in teams and wrestle, Mechelle and Tyler on one side; Trent and Steve on the other. There wasn't anything those children wanted that he didn't get for them. E:60's John Minton III and Ryan Smith contributed to this report. Somehow, he seared his hands. She once took him on a girlfriends-only trip to the Bahamas, and if anyone took issue with it, well, tough. By The Associated Press PUBLISHED: July 11, 2009 at 2:24 p . She keeps McNair's football memorabilia in the basement, where Trent dribbles his basketball and Tyler practices his dance moves. Her mother, Melzena Cartwright, saw the news on TV. She never imagined she'd leave Mississippi after college to move to Houston with a man who had just been selected at No. He was catching up with friends and hanging out at Waffle House at 2 in the morning. Here, let's have a glance over her marital life with her late husband. He was a tenacious defender who helped his team win two state championships. 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. Mechelle is 45 now, and she does not look old enough to be dropping a son off at college. McNair left a large estate behind that's in probate in both Tennessee and Mississippi. 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. "[People] always say, 'Oh, I admire you so much. Copyright 2021, All Right Reserved MARRIEDCELEB. Please read our Comment Policy before commenting. "I know he's in his head," Steve would tell Mechelle. He split his time between a farm in Mississippi and Nashville, Tennessee. But his phone kept ringing. 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. "He said momma,we need the moneyand I said look,your education is more important," said Lucille. Apart from her wealth, her late husband, Steve's net worth was around $26 Million at the time of his death. "I look at Tyler," she says, "and he knows exactly what his passion is. Following Steves tragic passing, save for a public statement expressing her gratitude for the love she and her family were receiving, Mechelle refused to give interviews or speak about the matter. He probably wouldn't have spent most of the summer dreading this moment, standing in front of a college dorm, trying not to cry. He was still trying to figure out his world outside of football.
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