The boys are constantly chasing a ghost, a man who, in death, is still the biggest sports legend in Nashville. "Honestly, the most I've ever felt like a child is this year," Tyler says. Tyler, who is majoring in biology at NYU while continuing to pursue his dancing dreams, forged a path so different from his father's. Maybe she could do that. Yes. Tyler came home for about a month, but he wasn't really there. It's the most I've felt like a regular person, like nothing has happened.". 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. 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. Editor's note: Sports Illustrated is releasing a podcast examining the death of former Titans quarterback . Copyright 2021, All Right Reserved MARRIEDCELEB. The driver failed a field sobriety test and was arrested for DUI; McNair was charged with DUI by consent. Courtesy Mechelle McNair. She is thankful for that last day McNair had with the boys and for that night when they argued and made up. Steve McNair was buried on a Saturday in his home state of Mississippi. Tyler is at New York University on an academic scholarship for a degree in biology while pursuing a career in the entertainment industry as a dancer. Steve turned down an opportunity out of high school to be drafted into baseball. "She's very vocal," Trent says. [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. Naked Pic of Serena Williams Goes Viral! [39][40][41] After killing him, Kazemi sat on the couch beside him and shot herself in the temple. He says that McNair would do the same thing for him, and that what he does isn't much. They are best friends. I saidthese boys is kinda special," added Lucille. 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. Pat Boone, a singer from the 1950s, eventually bought the home. 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. She has thought about becoming a foster parent. Ex-linemen tell stories about how she used to sit in the stands and yell at them to protect her husband. Times when the family would pair up in teams and wrestle, Mechelle and Tyler on one side; Trent and Steve on the other. Just because she doesnt know how to manage money doesnt mean she can bully her dead husbands poor old mother! Steve McNair was buried on a Saturday in his home state of Mississippi. Tyler disagrees. She would wonder, later, about signs. She got on the elliptical machine, hoping some exercise would get rid of the headache. He says that McNair would do the same thing for him, and that what he does isn't much. It would not go away. The victory over Grambling helped the Braves qualify for the I-AA playoffs where they faced off against then-Northeast Louisiana, falling 7827 to the Indians on November 21, 1992. She and her sons settled into a house surrounded by trees and the occasional deer that plops down in the middle of the yard. McNair's success in the NFL netted him a fortune. "They ain't got nothing,he would say. But plans change. Offensive linemen spend their careers protecting the quarterback, and Piller couldn't. She says she protects her heart and her kids. "Isaid we struggling now,we are not always gonna be down. 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. The pressure to be Steve McNair's son weighs heavily. [35] Kazemi and McNair had been previously involved with each other romantically. A few months after his death, the restaurant was sold. She doesn't want to go through any more pain. He didn't just turn out all right. Time, if you handle it right, has a way of filtering out the bad memories but leaving the good. Death of Mechelle's Husband, Steve McNair. Highlights from his career were played throughout each day and fans were able to sign books that were later given to the McNair family. 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. "I don't want to be alone," she says. Her mother, Melzena Cartwright, saw the news on TV. The funeral program included memories from McNair's mother, his wife . She would go to her room, door closed, and sob. The 2009 murder of Steve McNair: Cops say Kazemi's unraveling life led to murder-suicide. ". ". He was known as one of the toughest men in football, playing through myriad injuries. So instead,he headed to Alcorn State University,following his brothers Fredand Tim. They met at Alcorn State, a historically black college in rural Claiborne County, Mississippi. I can't wallow in it. He told them to find something they loved and to do it well. Nothing's going to change how I feel about my husband. "When I think about it, I don't want to be old and not have anybody to spend my last days with. But her sons were terrified and confused. "He was a good dad. Regardless of how he left here, I know he loved us. She would lean on her friends, who dropped everything to be with her in Nashville, or cry to her aunts and uncles. How was she feeling? Then, despite a leg injury, he tucked the ball under his arm and dove into the end zone for the winning touchdown. It is a misdemeanor offense in Tennessee for an owner of a motor vehicle to knowingly allow an intoxicated person to drive the vehicle. 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. A post shared by Tyler McNair (@_tylahh_). 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. In his senior season, McNair gained 6,281 combined yards rushing (904) and passing (5,377), along with 56 touchdowns. [5], McNair played college football at Alcorn State University in Lorman, Mississippi, where he won the 1994 Walter Payton Award as the top player in NCAA Division I-AA. She is thankful for that last day McNair had with the boys and for that night when they argued and made up. He felt comfortable in the country, near his siblings and his mother, Lucille. On a recent winter afternoon, Mechelle is sitting in the dining room of their house in the hills of Nashville, waiting to pick Trent up from school. As they enter new stages of their lives, they wonder what their father would think. "They appreciated what they had," add Lucille. She wanted to be a doctor and wanted one child, but she didn't think much about a partner. He was the starting quarterback for Alcorn State for all but one game in his four-year college football career. 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. The two were living happily with each other and also parenting their two children until 2009. She loves taking care of people. Piller likes to mess with Trent sometimes and tells him he could probably jump higher if he'd cut his long hair. She stood up, the pain radiated from the right side of her skull, and she had to lie back down. She thinks he shows his emotions too much. "I always tell these young childrenI'm not braggin on him, but you can do what Steve McNair did," said Lucille. "I know he's in his head," Steve would tell Mechelle. [8], McNair was born in a small tin-roofed house in Mount Olive, Mississippi on February 14, 1973. This is so, so sad. You're so strong,'" Mechelle says. The gun was also found near her dead body at the crime scene. In 2019, he claimed that neither he nor his elder brother was invited to the ceremony where his fathers jersey was retired. "What's my purpose? He said he couldn't live without his daddy and wanted to kill himself. [9], With the third overall pick in the 1995 NFL Draft, the Houston Oilers and new head coach Jeff Fisher selected McNair, making him at the time the highest-drafted African-American quarterback in NFL history and signing him to a seven-year contract. She worked nightsand had no idea that her sons,against her wishes, were making a name for themselves on the football field. She never imagined she'd leave Mississippi after college to move to Houston with a man who had just been selected at No. So, it is safe to say that she is currently a single woman. Those assets included the million dollar mansion he had built for his mother, Lucille, to live in during her twilight years. "I can't say that I didn't have my bitter moments. 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. McNair was in the passenger seat and Vent Gordon, a chef at a restaurant McNair owned, was in the back seat. Piller downplays his involvement. She wanted to see him so she could help 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). 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. I'm just pushing forward. "[People] always say, 'Oh, I admire you so much. Also known as: Air McNair, Steve LaTreal McNair. For more, watch E:60's story, "Heir McNair," on Sunday at 9 a.m. on ESPN, or stream it on WatchESPN. In 2013, she sold their 13,000-square-foot house and moved to a smaller home. Bossip Comment Policy "I had it in my mindbut I didn't tell nobody. But McNair was persistent. [34], On July 4, 2009, McNair was found dead from multiple gunshot wounds, along with the body of a 20-year-old woman named Sahel "Jenni" Kazemi, in a condominium rented by McNair in downtown Nashville. 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. They carry pieces of Steve, from Tyler's mannerisms to the way Trent calls people "Buddy." In 1996, McNair remained a backup to Chris Chandler until starting a game on December 8 in Week 15 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.[13]. 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. Mechelle grabbed him and told him to stop. There was one problem: His heart wasn't in it anymore, and he wanted to dance instead. She keeps McNair's football memorabilia in the basement, where Trent dribbles his basketball and Tyler practices his dance moves. She knew how much potential he had. They got married in Vicksburg, Mississippi, in 1997, and a year later, Tyler came along. Here, let's have a glance over her marital life with her late husband. I still love him. He was human. Mechelle is asked whether she thinks they'd be this close had McNair lived. Every season, Mechelle sends Trent's basketball schedule to Mu and to Zach Piller. However, McNair later bailed Kazemi out of jail. "Don't go," Tyler and Trent told him. But it gets worse, she told Steve's mom to pay $3,000 rent or get the hell out! [48], Titans owner Bud Adams released a statement regarding McNair:[49]. He says she needs to go out more, to have fun sometimes. Mechelle is asked whether she thinks they'd be this close had McNair lived. Thus, all of Steves assets were left to her. George Clark/Hattiesburg American POOL/Getty Images. I don't. Did I know about some other people and some other things? You may remember, on July 4, 2009, NFL star Steve McNair was fatally shot by his mistress, Sahel Kazemi (seen below), in a murdersuicide. He was 36 when he died, and he had just opened Gridiron9, a catfish-and-burger joint in north Nashville. Named to the Pro Bowl for the first time, McNair sat out the game due to a shoulder injury.[15]. In 2011, a legal spat between Mechelle and Lucille over property in Mississippi played out in the local news media. She is a spiritual woman who thanks God every morning for waking up and for allowing the rest of her family to wake up, too. "Honestly, the most I've ever felt like a child is this year," Tyler says. In a statement to the AP, Ozzie Newsome, executive vice president and general manager of the Baltimore Ravens, stated:[39][50]. [47] The police later stated that after being released from jail, Kazemi purchased the gun from a convicted murderer she met while looking for a buyer for her Kia. Mechelle says she could hear Steve's footsteps in the house sometimes. "I can deal with not having Steve here a lot more because I see him still every day in his boys." The fact that he was the quarterback everyone on campus was talking about held no currency with Mechelle. Mechelle is 45 now, and she does not look old enough to be dropping a son off at college. Nothing's going to change how I feel about my husband. He ran to the kitchen and got a knife. Sometimes on the Fourth of July, he picked up the kids and bought fireworks and did anything that took their minds off the anniversary. McNair was initially-offered a full scholarship to the University of Florida to play running back, but wanting to play quarterback, McNair chose Alcorn State University, a Historically Black University which competes in the NCAA's Division I-AA (now known as the Football Championship Subdivision) Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). 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. So now that years have gone by, we cant help but wonder about the people Steve left behind. And that I still don't sometimes. But Fred was more,Fred would pick you apart. He 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. It would not go away. But after Steve's death, the most intimate details of her life were fodder for public consumption. McNair was shot and killed on the Fourth of July by Sahel Kazemi, a 20-year-old girlfriend who then shot herself in the head. When news of his death flashed on the TV screen, Cartwright rushed through the house to Mechelle's room. We immediately think of his family, his boys. [32], McNair earned the nickname "Air McNair" in high school. George Clark/Hattiesburg American POOL/Getty Images E:60's John Minton III and Ryan Smith contributed to this report. Before everything changed. According to his wife, Michele, the will that his agent claimed was drawn up has been lost. 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. No, I did not.". By The Associated Press PUBLISHED: July 11, 2009 at 2:24 p . But,according to his mother,that was just a fraction of who Steve McNair was. "[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. Mechelle had just found out. At the time, it was considered one of the biggest funerals in the state. After all, her sons are almost grown-up. I'm not going to do it." 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. #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. How do you think she was feeling? The vision of a 10-year-old boy holding a knife was like a cold bucket of water in the face. God and her friends and family who cooked and took the kids swimming and handled everything. It's his way of being around his brother still. He probably wouldn't have spent most of the summer dreading this moment, standing in front of a college dorm, trying not to cry. After the 2005 season, McNair was traded to the Baltimore Ravens, with whom he played for two seasons before retiring. Initially, she did not believe her husband was dead. Mechelle sits in the stands and yells at him to "keep your face straight." A "True Crimes with Aphrodite Jones" episode filmed in 2013 even pointed suspicion at her. "They were slipping and playing football on the peewee team. But McNair was persistent. The McNairs never had a lot,but Lucille saysthey had each other. He did not have a will, creating a painful mess that dragged on for years. Mechelle knows life will change again soon, when Trent gets his driver's license. George Clark/Hattiesburg American POOL/Getty Images. In the days leading up to Steve McNair's death, he spent time at Nashville bars, went fishing and helped put his . Tyler, who was 10, started crying. But Lucille was more concerned with themmoving in the classroom. Here was an NFL quarterback one season into retirement, a former co-MVP and a Super Bowl participant, murdered. "I know what he's thinking. He didn't want to watch TV, didn't want to eat anything. The boys call Mu "Uncle Mike." "I didn't know about her at all," Mechelle says. NFL home Times when the family would pair up in teams and wrestle, Mechelle and Tyler on one side; Trent and Steve on the other. She made faces at him to try to get him to stop. Mechelle had just found out. "Nope," she says. "I'm finally doing something I love, and I was happy year-round. Tyler was her road dog. What's my passion?" It's his way of being around his brother still. Copyright 2016 MSNewsNow. Her husband would have done things differently. In that contest, McNair returned from an injury and helped Alcorn State, trailing late in the final period, move deep into Tigers' territory. Everyone wanted to know what Mechelle was feeling. I'm used to it by now. Ex-Tennessee tight end Bo Scaife filled Tyler's closet with sneakers. Moreover, she belongs to the African-American ethnicity and holds an American nationality. 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. 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. The well-known footballer, Steve, died on 4 July 2009 at the age of 46. Tyler came home for about a month, but he wasn't really there. Her husband would have done things differently. Steve McNair was born on Valentine's Day, and he died on the Fourth of July. He asked how somebody could do this to his daddy. (She was never a suspect). "He was the first one saying how proud he was of me and how proud my dad would be." He split time between his home in Nashville and his farm in Collins, Mississippi. Piller went to one of Trent's basketball games recently, and the younger McNair didn't disappoint. 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. The night of his death, McNair put his children to bed, then at 11:00p.m. he texted Kazemi "On my way. McNair came in and threw a touchdown to Erron Kinney; a missed Steelers field goal attempt resulted in the Titans winning 2320. He didn't want to watch TV, didn't want to eat anything. Because I hurt like everybody else. She never played. I got to dance all the time, I got to travel, and I got into the college I wanted to. They are all in our thoughts and prayers. The team officially changed its name from Oilers to Titans for the 1999 season as they debuted a new stadium, Adelphia Coliseum. Tyler graduated from Brentwood in the spring. He was still trying to figure out his world outside of football. [21] Speculation was that the Titans might hold onto McNair until the week before training camp in late July if the Ravens didn't come up with a satisfactory trade offer for McNair according to a league source. Years ago, after Cartwright lost her own husband, Steve had told her to pack her bags and come live with them. Oldest son Fred McNair was the first star to emerge. [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. 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. [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. "Most of the time I really don't hear it that much, but when I do, it's a little bit embarrassing. 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 was a good dad. McNair completed 18 of 29 pass attempts for 173 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions as the Ravens lost, 156. He announced his retirement following the 2007 season. But authorities wouldn't. Piller downplays his involvement. I'm not going to do it.". "I feel like I'm just living. That was meand God.". 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. Maybe they would have been anyway, had Steve McNair not been killed. She never imagined she'd leave Mississippi after college to move to Houston with a man who had just been selected at No. He said he couldn't live without his daddy and wanted to kill himself. He was one of the finest players to play for our organization and one of the most beloved players by our fans. She never worried about that with Tyler, but for some reason, she thinks about it now that it's just her and Trent. Nearly 5,000 people mourned McNair at Reed Green Coliseum on the campus of Southern Miss. She would not lose it in front of them. Trent is headstrong and stubborn and has a bit of a temper. It's the most I've felt like a regular person, like nothing has happened." In 1992, McNair threw 3,541 yards and 29 touchdowns, and ran in for 10 more scores. She doesn't want to be a hindrance to him. It surprises her and forces her to ask the inevitable question: Who am I when my kids are grown and gone? If I'm playing football and I hear her, I kind of just ignore it. Steven still resides in Mississippi. The transition from football player to businessman was not smooth. "When they were saying hand him the Heisman,I was likewhat is the Heisman and they were giving me different people names who had won the Heisman.". That drove Mechelle nuts, the waking up in the middle of the night. 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 past summer, Mechelle and her sons visited Lucille in Mississippi. The Braves fashioned a record of 74, including a last-second victory in their rematch with Grambling. They are best friends. "I loved him. And on the gridiron,he was magic. Because I hurt like everybody else. Elizabeth MerrillMerrill is a senior writer for ESPN. [9] An All-State selection (offense), McNair was named an All-American by Super Prep magazine (defense). The full schedule includes: Advertisement. He'd say, 'I just need some rest.'". 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. He doesn't believe anyone can play quarterback as well as his father did, so why even try?
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