But if I'm playing basketball, I kind of look up there and tell her to sshhhhh.". Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair (9) scrambles during the Titans' 30-17 win over the Atlanta Falcons in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 19, 1999. . St. Louis scored the first 16 points as McNair struggled . There were many people at McNair's funeral who vowed to be there for Tyler and Trent. He added, "We believe now, at this time, that McNair was seated on the sofa and likely was asleep, and we believe that . Thus, all of Steves assets were left to her. 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. But her sons were terrified and confused. The boys are so close that Trent sleeps in Tyler's bed when he's at college. [51], McNair died without a last will and testament, and his assets were frozen pending probate of his estate. She thinks he shows his emotions too much. "I can deal with not having Steve here a lot more because I see him still every day in his boys." He was known as one of the toughest men in football, playing through myriad injuries. Timeline of Steve McNair and Sahel 'Jenni' Kazemi leading up to their deaths. [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. In happy times, they belted out SWV songs in Mechelle's little, red, two-seater Mercedes, his tiny head bobbing to the music. "At the end of the day, that's my husband," she says. Not to mention, he has played with two of the reputed football teams, Houston Titans and Baltimore Ravens, along with Lamar Jackson. No, I did not." Their normal. [46][44], Two days before their deaths, Kazemi was pulled over in a black 2007 Cadillac Escalade in Nashville. Things around the McNair family have been tense, to say the least, since Steve passed in 2009. E:60's John Minton III and Ryan Smith contributed to this report. [53], Dyson was unable to break the plane of the goal line, "Titans to Retire Steve McNair's No. She keeps McNair's football memorabilia in the basement, where Trent dribbles his basketball and Tyler practices his dance moves. He says she needs to go out more, to have fun sometimes. McNair was in the passenger seat and Vent Gordon, a chef at a restaurant McNair owned, was in the back seat. "He said momma,we need the moneyand I said look,your education is more important," said Lucille. "He was the first one saying how proud he was of me and how proud my dad would be." E:60's John Minton III and Ryan Smith contributed to this report. Regarding Steve McNair", "McNair's funeral draws thousands in Mississippi", "Steve McNair and the Perils of Dying Without a Will", "Tenn. Judge Gives McNair's Widow, Children $500k each", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Steve_McNair&oldid=1152382932, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 29 April 2023, at 22:36. Steve and Mechelle shares two children from their marital relationship. MOUNT OLIVE, Miss - (WJTV) Next Thursday marks the 10th anniversary of the death of legendary Alcorn State quarterback Steve McNair. He kissed Mechelle and told her he loved her, too. They carry pieces of Steve, from Tyler's mannerisms to the way Trent calls people "Buddy." The gun was also found near her dead body at the crime scene. He pushed an air mattress beside Tyler's bed when his brother was home and slept there. The Titans held a two-day memorial at LP Field on July 8 and 9, 2009, where fans could pay their last respects to McNair. Sahel Kazemi: A study in the woman police say killed Steve McNair a I can't wallow in it. He leaned on his mother, Mechelle, and Tyler, at left. The couple had first met at Alcorn State, a historically black university in Claiborne County, Mississippi. She is dating someone, but meeting people has been a struggle. He loved us. He was found dead with the body of a young woman, Sahel Kazemi, in a rented house at 105 Lea Avenue in downtown Nashville. Kazemi then lay down beside him and fired a bullet into her head. I don't want to be here by myself. 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 and her sons settled into a house surrounded by trees and the occasional deer that plops down in the middle of the yard. He went on to commit to play wide receiver at Southern Miss before playing at Pearl River Community College. He said he couldn't live without his daddy and wanted to kill himself. Over that time, McNair threw 119 touchdown passes and set an FCS record by throwing and running for a combined 16,823 yards. McNair's success in the NFL netted him a fortune. [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. "He didn't want to do anything. She was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. Bossip Comment Policy But this moment in front of the school is a good one. 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 stead entered Neil O'Donnell, a veteran who had guided the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Super Bowl four years earlier. VIDEO: Chelsea Handler Talks About Sex With 50 Cent & Dumping Him Because Of Ciara!!! Though McNair was an NFL quarterback, he never wanted to force football or sports on his children. 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. That same show aired as a rerun last week, on the night of the Super Bowl. Nine years later, it's still hard for him to talk about McNair. He'd say, 'I just need some rest.'" He tried to do both at first, but soon it was too much. The pressure to be Steve McNair's son weighs heavily. Mu was the one who took them to father-son breakfasts and NBA games. "I think that [Trent] would be attached to his dad.". Tyler tells her everything, even the stuff that can get him grounded. McNair was riding in his own pickup truck as a passenger when the police stopped the truck's driver, McNair's brother-in-law, for speeding. So he would sacrifice his bodyto try and help his team and his teammates," said Lucille. Nobody knew where he was. He felt comfortable in the country, near his siblings and his mother, Lucille. Offensive linemen spend their careers protecting the quarterback, and Piller couldn't. Did I know about some other people and some other things? Ludacris, FloRida and Ashanti; Thursday, July 20. By The Associated Press PUBLISHED: July 11, 2009 at 2:24 p . The 2009 murder of Steve McNair: Cops say Kazemi's unraveling life led to murder-suicide. "I look at Tyler," she says, "and he knows exactly what his passion is. "I loved him. Mechelle McNair married to Steve McNair on 1997 and divorce on 2009. He split his time between a farm in Mississippi and Nashville, Tennessee. The 46 years old wife of Steve, Mechelle was married to her long-time husband, Steve McNair, until 2009. You may remember, on July 4, 2009, NFL star Steve McNair was fatally shot by his mistress, Sahel Kazemi (seen below), in a murder-suicide. But his phone kept ringing. As a junior, McNair led the Mount Olive Pirates to the state championship. Ordered To Return Faith Evans' $164K Mercedes After Joyriding To Coachella, Michael Jackson's Mother Katherine Jackson Battles With Pop Star's Estate Over Secret Deal. She wanted to see him so she could help him. Sports was always one of the tougher areas for Mechelle to navigate. [39][40][41] After killing him, Kazemi sat on the couch beside him and shot herself in the temple. "I don't want him to look at me and say, 'Oh, my mom is just kind of relaxed,'" she says. But she put off doing the paperwork, and Alcorn was the school that offered her a scholarship. The two were living happily with each other and also parenting their two children until 2009. 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. He sees flashes of his friend, and it helps him stay close to him. When he headed back east after winter break, Trent refused to go to the airport because he didn't want to cry. "I don't want to be alone," she says. The vision of a 10-year-old boy holding a knife was like a cold bucket of water in the face. Steve McNair was buried on a Saturday in his home state of Mississippi. Then there was Mike Mu, a longtime family friend who used to run McNair's foundation. Eventually, he grew on her. "Don't go," Tyler and Trent told him. Steve McNair, in full Steve LaTreal McNair, byname Air McNair, (born February 14, 1973, Mount Olive, Mississippi, U.S.died July 4, 2009, Nashville, Tennessee), American gridiron football player who threw 174 touchdown passes during his 13 National Football League (NFL) seasons (19952008), primarily while playing for the Tennessee Titans. Nothing's going to change how I feel about my husband. [44] Kazemi had a worsening financial situation and also suspected that McNair was in another extramarital relationship. 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. There were good times, too. Everyone wanted to know what Mechelle was feeling. He told them to find something they loved and do it well. It wasa close knit family. And on the gridiron,he was magic. He was 36 when he died, and he had just opened Gridiron9, a catfish-and-burger joint in north Nashville. [6], McNair had two sons by Mechelle: Tyler and Trenton; and two sons Steve LaTreal McNair Jr. and Steven O'Brian McNair by two other women before they married. It has been exactly ten years of Steve's demise. And I don't feel like that's how God wants us to be." He made his first playoff start as a Raven against the Colts on January 13, 2007. He didn't just turn out all right. Christmas break is over, and the house is quiet. In 2002, Tennessee finished the regular season 115 and reached the playoffs. Mechelle is 45 now, and she does not look old enough to be dropping a son off at college. So, there is not much information about what she do for a living. Tyler believes it's the same thing his dad would have said. 27 Jerseys at Sunday's Game", "Remembering 'Air McNair' NCAA Football", "Shooting Unveils Very Different Sides of Ex-NFL Quarterback Steve McNair", "McNair helped bring stability and success to vagabond franchise", "MVP Patrick Mahomes is now part of the legendary black quarterback fraternity", "MLB Amateur Draft Picks with the Name Matching: mcnair", "Devlin Hodges notches FCS mark with 14,584 career passing yards", "Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Oilers - December 8th, 1996 - Pro-Football-Reference.com", Notes: Favre backs McNair; Leinart hires Condon, Judge: Officer didn't have 'sufficient basis' to stop McNair for DUI, "NFL players from historically black colleges", "McNair visits Titans, doesn't have animosity over parting National Football League", McNair introduced as Ravens' new starting QB, "McNair's case to be heard today in Tenn", McNair could have playoff impact in Baltimore, "A Look Back at the Career of Steve McNair", "McNair Says Goodbye to Ravens, National Football League", "NFF Announces Storied 2020 College Football Hall of Fame Class Presented by ETT", "Former Titans' QB opens Nashville restaurant", "Demario Davis Remembers His Cousin, Steve McNair", "Police: Steve McNair death is apparent murder-suicide", "Woman's gun ID'd in Steve McNair death, but questions linger", "Sahel Kazemi and Steve McNair Final Texts Show Worries of Love and Money", "Tenn. police rule ex-QB McNair's death a homicide", "Autopsy planned for slain NFL star Steve McNair", "ESPN A Football Life The tragic passing of Steve McNair", "Police Release 911 Tapes in Steve McNair Case", "Coroner: Steve McNair a Victim of Murder-Suicide", "Police: McNair mistress knew gun seller for weeks", "The 2009 Murder of Steve McNair: Jenni Kazemi had known man who sold gun to her", "Statement From Titans Owner K.S. Those assets included the million dollar mansion he had built for his mother, Lucille, to live in during her twilight years. Tyler, who is majoring in biology at NYU while continuing to pursue his dancing dreams, forged a path so different from his father's. 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. 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. [44][45] The 9mm gun used was found under Kazemi's body and later tests revealed "trace evidence of (gunpowder) residue on her left hand. 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. Because I hurt like everybody else. In happy times, they belted out SWV songs in Mechelle's little, red, two-seater Mercedes, his tiny head bobbing to the music. ON PRO FOOTBALL; McNair's Take-Control Mother Is Proud of Her Take "That word will always get to me. Steve McNair was buried on a Saturday in his home state of Mississippi. "Steve was a good person," Mechelle's mother says. "He was the first person to come," Tyler says. I do know that. Mechelle told him she didn't know. After the 2005 season, McNair was traded to the Baltimore Ravens, with whom he played for two seasons before retiring. 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. 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. "I can't say that I didn't have my bitter moments. The last full conversation he had with Mechelle centered on the restaurant's nightly receipts constantly being off and her desire to help. In a statement to the AP, Ozzie Newsome, executive vice president and general manager of the Baltimore Ravens, stated:[39][50]. Everyone wanted to know what Mechelle was feeling. She was so happy at the end of their talk, when he said she could attend the next employee meeting. Where Are Steve McNair's Wife and Kids Now? - The Cinemaholic Tyler came home for about a month, but he wasn't really there. A post shared by Tyler McNair (@_tylahh_). So, it is safe to say that she is currently a single woman. Mechelle didn't particularly want to go to such a tiny school. Over the course of his NFL career, McNair passed for 31,304 yards, rushed for 3,590 yards, played in three Pro Bowls, and was named joint Most Valuable Player in 2003, along with Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. They hug, and Tyler wants to tell her something before she goes back home to Tennessee. McNair played with the Titans franchise for 11 seasons before finishing his career with the Baltimore Ravens (200608). See our privacy policy. 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. He felt comfortable in the country, near his siblings and his mother, Lucille. I got to dance all the time, I got to travel, and I got into the college I wanted to. [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 transition from football player to businessman was not smooth. Time, if you handle it right, has a way of filtering out the bad memories but leaving the good. She had one job: to raise their sons. The boys are constantly chasing a ghost, a man who, in death, is still the biggest sports legend in Nashville. He was still trying to figure out his world outside of football. How 'Family Matters' Made One of Its Biggest Characters Disappear He did not have a will, creating a painful mess that dragged on for years. Mechelle didn't particularly want to go to such a tiny school. It's the most I've felt like a regular person, like nothing has happened." Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Oldest son Fred McNair was the first star to emerge. He made a mistake. He cleaned the fish when they got home that night, washed his truck and began to doze off on the couch. The pressure to be Steve McNair's son weighs heavily. George Clark/Hattiesburg American POOL/Getty Images. But plans change. Official Steve McNair I've been there." Courtesy Mechelle McNair. Tyler, who was 10, started crying. They are all in our thoughts and prayers. 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. That same show aired as a rerun last week, on the night of the Super Bowl. After thirteen seasons in the NFL, McNair announced his retirement from professional football in April 2008. Trent is headstrong and stubborn and has a bit of a temper. The Braves fashioned a record of 74, including a last-second victory in their rematch with Grambling. He'd handled everything -- the bills, the taxes, the boys' baseball swings -- until it was just her. A few months after his death, the restaurant was sold. Steve McNair was born on Valentine's Day, and he died on the Fourth of July. More on Steve McNair "Nope," she says. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE. Mechelle grabbed him and told him to stop. The team officially changed its name from Oilers to Titans for the 1999 season as they debuted a new stadium, Adelphia Coliseum. "She's very vocal," Trent says. [6][11], He was a member of the fraternity Omega Psi Phi, highlighting his allegiance by tattooing "Omega Man" on his arm. In the worst times, she kept both of her little boys beside her in bed, where she could keep them close and safe. She wasn't into sports, and she already had a boyfriend.