Well, that's when the drama started between his wife and mom. She had plenty to cheer about by the time the franchise moved to Tennessee in 1997. Apart from her wealth, her late husband, Steve's net worth was around $26 Million at the time of his death. He did not have a will, creating a painful mess that dragged on for years. "I didn't know about her at all," Mechelle says. Initially, she did not believe her husband was dead. Dont miss to subscribe to our new feeds, kindly fill the form below. I don't want to be here by myself. Mechelle is 45 now, and she does not look old enough to be dropping a son off at college. He loved us. [12] McNair did not see his first action until the last two series of the fourth quarter in a November game versus the Cleveland Browns. Thank you for subscribing! It is a misdemeanor offense in Tennessee for an owner of a motor vehicle to knowingly allow an intoxicated person to drive the vehicle. It has been exactly ten years of Steve's demise. #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. "I mean, I'm here by myself. Thus, all of Steve's assets were left to her. And on the gridiron,he was magic. And I don't feel like that's how God wants us to be." 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. Yet, Steves persistence and personality won her over, so she found herself leaving the state with him after graduation to support his NFL career. "He was the first one saying how proud he was of me and how proud my dad would be." She never imagined she'd leave Mississippi after college to move to Houston with a man who had just been selected at No. He felt comfortable in the country, near his siblings and his mother, Lucille. At first, Mechelle thought he should stick it out. 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. In 2007, McNair did not play in Week 2 against the Jets in which the Ravens won 2013. 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. 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. Mechelle found strength and independence she never thought she had. The McNairs never had a lot,but Lucille saysthey had each other. God got her through this, she says. The estate of the former pro, who played 11 seasons with the Tennessee Titans and two with the. And that I still don't sometimes. 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. Tyler tells her everything, even the stuff that can get him grounded. Steve McNair Jr.was still in high school when his dad died, starring on the gridiron at Oak Grove High School in Hattiesburg. She had one job: to raise their sons. Mechelle had always considered herself a private person. Time, if you handle it right, has a way of filtering out the bad memories but leaving the good. [33], His cousin is NFL linebacker Demario Davis. He sat behind her in class and constantly flirted. She wanted to be a doctor and wanted one child, but she didn't think much about a partner. Steve McNair was buried on a Saturday in his home state of Mississippi. At the time of their father's demise, Tyler started crying and got a kitchen knife and tried to kill himself, saying he can't live without his father. Before everything changed. I've been there.". Fortunately, Mechelle grabbed him and stopped him. McNair missed nine more games during the rest of the season, due primarily to injury, only starting in six games. He was also the team's most effective rusher, tying George for the club lead with five scores. ", Though McNair was an NFL quarterback, he never wanted to force football or sports on his children. "At the end of the day, that's my husband," she says. He was 36 when he died, and he had just opened Gridiron9, a catfish-and-burger joint in north Nashville. She wanted to be a doctor and wanted one child, but she didn't think much about a partner. "He paved the way and now it's time for you to move forward.". But it gets worse, she told Steve's mom to pay $3,000 rent or get the hell out! Maybe she could do that. He leaned on his mother, Mechelle, and Tyler, at left. If I'm playing football and I hear her, I kind of just ignore it. Nobody knew where he was. 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. According to Piller, Trent hit five 3-pointers. She made faces at him to try to get him to stop. She never played. Former Titans Chris Johnson and Vince Young took the boys to the locker room, just as their dad had done. "I know what he's thinking. 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. 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. All rights reserved. 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). Tyler, who was 10, started crying. In the winter of 2016, Tyler was one of the best basketball players at Brentwood Academy, a Christian school with a powerhouse basketball program. Mourners console Lucille McNair, the mother of Steve McNair, during the former NFL quarterback's funeral Saturday in Hattiesburg, Miss. It's his way of being around his brother still. When he headed back east after winter break, Trent refused to go to the airport because he didn't want to cry. I saidthese boys is kinda special," added Lucille. A handful of them delivered. The enormity of his death cannot be overstated. He wore bandages for weeks. As they enter new stages of their lives, they wonder what their father would think. But,according to his mother,that was just a fraction of who Steve McNair was. He had four brothers, Fred, Jason, Michael, and Tim. "I can't say that I didn't have my bitter moments. She says she protects her heart and her kids. He says she needs to go out more, to have fun sometimes. Steve McNair would have been 40 today - Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame For more, watch E:60's story, "Heir McNair," on Sunday at 9 a.m. on ESPN, or stream it on WatchESPN. He cleaned the fish when they got home that night, washed his truck and began to doze off on the couch. Nothing's going to change how I feel about my husband. The enormity of his death cannot be overstated. He could see McNair smiling and telling his boy, "Good job, Buddy." In the worst times, she kept both of her little boys beside her in bed, where she could keep them close and safe. She keeps McNair's football memorabilia in the basement, where Trent dribbles his basketball and Tyler practices his dance moves. 9 and Eddie George's No. But his phone kept ringing. They are best friends. He opened his own restaurant in Nashville, which he named Gridiron9. McNair was selected to the Pro Bowl four times, and was an All-Pro and Co-MVP in 2003. [9], The Seattle Mariners drafted him in the 35th round of the 1991 MLB amateur draft.[10]. He made his first playoff start as a Raven against the Colts on January 13, 2007. Titans Draft Flashback: Steve McNair - Tennessee Titans In a short while, the officials concluded that shed shot her boyfriend before turning the gun on herself in a jealous rage. But if I'm playing basketball, I kind of look up there and tell her to sshhhhh." ", Tyler, right, and Trent served as honorary 12th Titans in a November game against the Baltimore Ravens. The boys are so close that Trent sleeps in Tyler's bed when he's at college. Her mother, Melzena Cartwright, saw the news on TV. "Most of the time I really don't hear it that much, but when I do, it's a little bit embarrassing. McNair threw for 3,228 yards and 15 touchdowns in '98, and he led the Titans to the Super Bowl a year later. He'd say, 'I just need some rest.'" But she put off doing the paperwork, and Alcorn was the school that offered her a scholarship. "I look at Tyler," she says, "and he knows exactly what his passion is. So, it is safe to say that she is currently a single woman. Stephen LaTreal McNair (February 14, 1973 July 4, 2009),[2] nicknamed "Air McNair",[3][4] was an American professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Houston / Tennessee Oilers / Titans franchise. 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. "You know boys are going to be boys," she said. A few months after his death, the restaurant was sold. She already had two men in her in life: Tyler, 19, and Trent, who just turned 14. "When I think about it, I don't want to be old and not have anybody to spend my last days with. In happy times, they belted out SWV songs in Mechelle's little, red, two-seater Mercedes, his tiny head bobbing to the music. But McNair was persistent. He was 36 when he died, and he had just opened Gridiron9, a catfish-and-burger joint in north Nashville. He tried to do both at first, but soon it was too much. He asked how somebody could do this to his daddy. 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. 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. The Steve Miller Band; Friday, July 7. The driver failed a field sobriety test and was arrested for DUI; McNair was charged with DUI by consent. [20] By May of 2006, the Baltimore Sun reported that the Baltimore Ravens were interested in McNair. Sheoffers this advice to other young athletes who aspire to be Warriors on the field,like McNair. 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. (AP Photo / Al Messerschmidt) . Mechelle knows life will change again soon, when Trent gets his driver's license. McNair signed a new six-year contract after the 1999 season worth US$47 million.[14]. NFL home I'm used to it by now. "I loved him. They met at Alcorn State, a historically black college in rural Claiborne County, Mississippi. "I don't want him to look at me and say, 'Oh, my mom is just kind of relaxed,'" she says. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. But did I know about her? God and her friends and family who cooked and took the kids swimming and handled everything. She was so happy at the end of their talk, when he said she could attend the next employee meeting. 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. Please read our Comment Policy before commenting. Late in the season, he also appeared briefly against the Detroit Lions and New York Jets. There were many people at McNair's funeral who vowed to be there for Tyler and Trent. Everyone changed. His good friend Zach Piller, right, protected him on the field and served as one of his pallbearers. When a parent dies young and leaves behind children, people make promises. Moreover, she belongs to the African-American ethnicity and holds an American nationality. He went on to commit to play wide receiver at Southern Miss before playing at Pearl River Community College. George Gojkovich/Getty Images MOUNT OLIVE, Miss - (WJTV) Next Thursday marks the 10th anniversary of the death of legendary Alcorn State quarterback Steve McNair. 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. It surprises her and forces her to ask the inevitable question: Who am I when my kids are grown and gone? "I can deal with not having Steve here a lot more because I see him still every day in his boys.". He kissed Mechelle and told her he loved her, too. She never played. 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. He felt comfortable in the country, near his siblings and his mother, Lucille. She had plans. Tyler believes it's the same thing his dad would have said. Eventually, there will be more goodbyes. McNair's success in the NFL netted him a fortune. When it hit her, she fell to the floor, screaming. Highlights from his career were played throughout each day and fans were able to sign books that were later given to the McNair family. Nine years later, it's still hard for him to talk about McNair. McNair said he loved them. Well, Steve was a prominent American football player who played as a quarterback in the NFL (National Football League) for Baltimore Ravens before retirement. Steven still resides in Mississippi. 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. Deadly Recall: Air McNair is an episode that examines the life, slaying, and aftermath of renowned NFL quarterback Stephen McNair, who died at the age of 36 and left behind a shocked family and fanbase. In happy times, they belted out SWV songs in Mechelle's little, red, two-seater Mercedes, his tiny head bobbing to the music. 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. It's the most I've felt like a regular person, like nothing has happened.". He did annoying things, peeking at her test answers, sticking his giant feet on her book bag. "I loved him. Her children had never seen her like that. He was one of the finest players to play for our organization and one of the most beloved players by our fans. The gun was also found near her dead body at the crime scene. [6], McNair appeared in the playoffs four times with the Titans, including their run to Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000, and made his final playoff appearance in 2006 with the Ravens. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. 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.
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