He asked how somebody could do this to his daddy. He told them to find something they loved and to do it well. He probably wouldn't have spent most of the summer dreading this moment, standing in front of a college dorm, trying not to cry. 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). In addition, McNair won the Walter Payton Award as the top I-AA player and finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting behind Rashaan Salaam and Ki-Jana Carter. Mechelle had always considered herself a private person. The boys call Mu "Uncle Mike." The transition from football player to businessman was not smooth. Bossip Comment Policy I do know that. McNair threw for 3,228 yards and 15 touchdowns in '98, and he led the Titans to the Super Bowl a year later. And them. Steve turned down an opportunity out of high school to be drafted into baseball. She always worried where he was. Steve McNair's widow sues crew of well-known crime show - WKRN News 2 A few months after his death, the restaurant was sold. Brett Favre and Ray Lewis and Jay Cutler showed up for the funeral. They hug, and Tyler wants to tell her something before she goes back home to Tennessee. She loves taking care of people. [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 transition from football player to businessman was not smooth. Everyone wanted to know what Mechelle was feeling. She worked nightsand had no idea that her sons,against her wishes, were making a name for themselves on the football field. Mechelle grabbed him and told him to stop. The estate of the former pro, who played 11 seasons with the Tennessee Titans and two with the. "[People] always say, 'Oh, I admire you so much. "I always tell these young childrenI'm not braggin on him, but you can do what Steve McNair did," said Lucille. Corrections? 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. A "True Crimes with Aphrodite Jones" episode filmed in 2013 even pointed suspicion at her. He leaned on his mother, Mechelle, and Tyler, at left. 3 in the NFL draft. He told Mechelle that the alarm was going off at his restaurant, but she knows now that Kazemi was probably the one who called. She wasn't into sports, and she already had a boyfriend. and in junior high they started doing,and I saidsomething is not right about this. It has been exactly ten years of Steve's demise. "He was tough from day one.". McNair threw for 3,228 yards and 15 touchdowns in '98, and he led the Titans to the Super Bowl a year later. Things around the McNair family have been tense, to say the least, since Steve passed in 2009. Merrill: The dilemma of how to mourn McNair Sahel Kazemi and Steve McNair Final Texts Show Worries of Love and Keep in mind, its a $1 million dollar home that he built for his mom. She is thankful for that last day McNair had with the boys and for that night when they argued and made up. So, it is safe to say that she is currently a single woman. He ran his finger through the print and sounded out the words he knew. [35] Kazemi and McNair had been previously involved with each other romantically. "I know what he's thinking. When he headed back east after winter break, Trent refused to go to the airport because he didn't want to cry. "I know he's in his head," Steve would tell Mechelle. Thus, after graduation, he committed to playing ball at Southern Mississippi before transferring to Pearl River Community College. He will want to spend more time with his friends, not his mom. She doesn't want to go through any more pain. The judge agreed, and each of the four children received $500,000. He was a tenacious defender who helped his team win two state championships. Lucille says Steve gave freely of his time,his talents and his money. The vision of a 10-year-old boy holding a knife was like a cold bucket of water in the face. 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. Initially, she did not believe her husband was dead. I don't. [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. [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. He didn't want to watch TV, didn't want to eat anything. According to his wife, Michele, the will that his agent claimed was drawn up has been lost. He kissed Mechelle and told her he loved her, too. Lucille saidpeople will never know how kind and gentle her son was,but she says hislegacy lives on through his four boys and his family. She noticed her husband wasn't home and made a number of phone calls trying to find him. But plans change. The enormity of his death cannot be overstated. His blood alcohol was above 0.10, and a 9-mm handgun was sitting in the front of the car. [43] The Nashville police declared McNair's death a murder-suicide, with Kazemi as the perpetrator and McNair as the victim. 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 had four brothers, Fred, Jason, Michael, and Tim. At that point, Mechelle had a boyfriend and was only focused on pursuing a career in the medical field as a doctor. She received her degree in nursing years ago. He's going to kick the world's ass. She didn't usually get as much . Her husband would have done things differently. 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. Dance was his release, a way of working through his emotions. In that contest, McNair returned from an injury and helped Alcorn State, trailing late in the final period, move deep into Tigers' territory. They carry pieces of Steve, from Tyler's mannerisms to the way Trent calls people "Buddy." Although she didn't grow up playing sports, Mechelle quickly acclimated herself to the life of a football wife. "At the end of the day, that's my husband," she says. The well-known footballer, Steve, died on 4 July 2009 at the age of 46. He'd handled everything -- the bills, the taxes, the boys' baseball swings -- until it was just her. Naked Pic of Serena Williams Goes Viral! For many, the pain still lingers and will never go away. Beach Boys, Ludacris, Ashanti and more: See lineup for Hard Rock Casino Here, let's have a glance over her marital life with her late husband. He was still trying to figure out his world outside of football. The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department ruled it a murder-suicide, concluding that Kazemi shot McNair four times -- twice in the head -- in the early morning hours of July 4, most likely while he was sleeping on the couch of his rented condo. But when she saw how committed Tyler was to dance, she told him to do what makes him happy. It would not go away. Well, thats when the drama started between his wife and mom. We care about your data. She was slow to trust after her husband's death and never remarried. 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. Yes. She has thought about becoming a foster parent. 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. But his phone kept ringing. He didn't want to watch TV, didn't want to eat anything. As a junior, McNair led the Mount Olive Pirates to the state championship. ", Though McNair was an NFL quarterback, he never wanted to force football or sports on his children. According to his wife, Michele, the will that his agent claimed was drawn up has been lost. [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. He announced his retirement following the 2007 season. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family as they deal with his untimely passing. There were good times, too. "He was the first person to come," Tyler says. I still love him. She knew how much potential he had. A "True Crimes with Aphrodite Jones" episode filmed in 2013 even pointed suspicion at her. This is just one of the many feel-good stories McNair was known for in his life. Offensive linemen spend their careers protecting the quarterback, and Piller couldn't. "I don't want to be alone," she says. Before everything changed. The vision of a 10-year-old boy holding a knife was like a cold bucket of water in the face. The now 46-year-old widow continues to keep her partners memories alive through her work and hopes that his children do the same. See our privacy policy. McNair was selected to the Pro Bowl four times, and was an All-Pro and Co-MVP in 2003. She never played. Maybe they would have been anyway, had Steve McNair not been killed. He was quiet until you knew him, and he waited a while to talk to her. (McNair also has two older sons from previous relationships.) His early death became fodder for tabloids: the married McNair was found dead in a condominium alongside a woman he had been dating whom police believed killed him and then herself. In 2011, a legal spat between Mechelle and Lucille over property in Mississippi played out in the local news media. Piller, a former guard for the Titans, was one of McNair's pallbearers. Before she met McNair, Mechelle never thought she would get married. I know how it is when you ain't got nothing,and I never believed that I would be in this position to help other people," said Lucille. When news of his death flashed on the TV screen, Cartwright rushed through the house to Mechelle's room. "They were slipping and playing football on the peewee team. Her husband would have done things differently. She had plenty to cheer about by the time the franchise moved to Tennessee in 1997. How 'Family Matters' Made One of Its Biggest Characters Disappear No, I did not." He was drafted third overall by the Titans (then known as the Houston Oilers) in 1995, becoming the team's regular starting quarterback in 1997, their first season in Tennessee (though he started six games over the prior two seasons in Houston), and remained the starting quarterback for the Titans through 2005. He made at least $90 million in salary over his 13-year career with the Houston Oilers, Tennessee Titans and. The gun was also found near her dead body at the crime scene. She stood up, the pain radiated from the right side of her skull, and she had to lie back down. In fact,he was the first to wear the #9 jersey that his younger brother would eventually make famous. Nine years later, it's still hard for him to talk about McNair. Mechelle didn't particularly want to go to such a tiny school. [35] McNair was not arrested, instead leaving in a taxi with Gordon, despite Kazemi repeatedly asking the arresting officer to tell McNair to come to the police car to talk to her. So this week we sat down with Steve McNair's mother. 'Bud' Adams, Jr. He was known as one of the toughest men in football, playing through myriad injuries. 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. McNair missed nine more games during the rest of the season, due primarily to injury, only starting in six games. So he would sacrifice his bodyto try and help his team and his teammates," said Lucille. 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. Brett Favre and Ray Lewis and Jay Cutler showed up for the funeral. 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. Trent, pictured right, was 5. Steve McNair's Widow, Children Given $500,000 Each - NewsOne 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. Tyler graduated from Brentwood in the spring. He split his time between a farm in Mississippi and Nashville, Tennessee. This past summer, Mechelle and her sons visited Lucille in Mississippi. She thinks about the next chapter in her life. [33], His cousin is NFL linebacker Demario Davis. [44] Kazemi had a worsening financial situation and also suspected that McNair was in another extramarital relationship. 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. "I loved him. Trent, who was 5, rested his head on his mother's lap during the service. "I look at Tyler," she says, "and he knows exactly what his passion is. Her children had never seen her like that. "Steve was a good person," Mechelle's mother says. 9 and Eddie George's No. Then there was Mike Mu, a longtime family friend who used to run McNair's foundation. I'm used to it by now. Every season, Mechelle sends Trent's basketball schedule to Mu and to Zach Piller. 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. 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 said momma,we need the moneyand I said look,your education is more important," said Lucille. The vehicle was registered in the names of both McNair and Kazemi. Trent will put his hands on his hips and walk to the bench, and it reminds Piller of Steve heading to the huddle. As they enter new stages of their lives, they wonder what their father would think. It would not go away. OLIVE, MS (Mississippi News Now) - He led the Tennessee Titans to Super Bowl XXXIV, went to three Pro Bowls, was All-Pro once, threw 174 touchdowns against 119 interceptions, had 31,304 yards passing, and had an impressive 60.1 career completion percentage. McNair's success in the NFL netted him a fortune. 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. She was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. The enormity of his death cannot be overstated. 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 never played. He was catching up with friends and hanging out at Waffle House at 2 in the morning. Because I hurt like everybody else. 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 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. When it hit her, she fell to the floor, screaming. "And I knew then. Mechelle found strength and independence she never thought she had. Time, if you handle it right, has a way of filtering out the bad memories but leaving the good. 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. 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. "I think it was important for [Lucille] because you see a part of your son you lost," Mechelle says. I can't wallow in it. He doesn't believe anyone can play quarterback as well as his father did, so why even try? The closest town, if you want to call it that, is Lorman, a community with one known claim to fame, the Old Country Store, which serves fried chicken that people drive hours for. She never imagined she'd leave Mississippi after college to move to Houston with a man who had just been selected at No. Mechelle didn't particularly want to go to such a tiny school. He says that McNair would do the same thing for him, and that what he does isn't much. "I think it was important for [Lucille] because you see a part of your son you lost," Mechelle says. 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. Late in the season, he also appeared briefly against the Detroit Lions and New York Jets. It had been a long time since they'd been there. "He was a good dad. It was a good day for two little boys who saw their dad as a superhero. When a parent dies young and leaves behind children, people make promises. McNair and the Titans reached the AFC Championship game but were unable to reach the Super Bowl, losing to the Oakland Raiders 4124. And on the gridiron,he was magic. He tried to do both at first, but soon it was too much. The fact that he was the quarterback everyone on campus was talking about held no currency with Mechelle. The Tragic Death of Steve McNair Still Causing - Sportscasting Eventually, he grew on her. They got married in Vicksburg, Mississippi, in 1997, and a year later, Tyler came along. Why Steve McNair's Legacy Won't Be Remembered the Way It Should I don't. After the 2005 season, McNair was traded to the Baltimore Ravens, with whom he played for two seasons before retiring. A few months after his death, the restaurant was sold. Nothing's going to change how I feel about my husband. I'm just pushing forward. Ex-Tennessee tight end Bo Scaife filled Tyler's closet with sneakers. "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.". He played with unquestioned heart and leadership and led us to places that we had never reached, including our only Super Bowl. [29][30], McNair was married to Mechelle McNair[31] from June 21, 1997, until his death. One of the popular celebrity wives, Mechelle McNair, is best-known as the wife of late Steve McNair. Merrill: The dilemma of how to mourn McNair "You're going to have people who say, 'Oh, she knew.' God got her through this, she says. Mechelle is 45 now, and she does not look old enough to be dropping a son off at college. Steve McNair death: Timeline of how it happened - The Tennessean And now, from what we have been able to discern, he doesnt play professionally, is a father, and prefers to keep his distance from the spotlight. [39][40][41] After killing him, Kazemi sat on the couch beside him and shot herself in the temple. At first, Mechelle thought he should stick it out. Mechelle says she could hear Steve's footsteps in the house sometimes. Eventually, there will be more goodbyes. "I'm finally doing something I love, and I was happy year-round. In the winter of 2016, Tyler was one of the best basketball players at Brentwood Academy, a Christian school with a powerhouse basketball program. He probably wouldn't have spent most of the summer dreading this moment, standing in front of a college dorm, trying not to cry. Apart from her wealth, her late husband, Steve's net worth was around $26 Million at the time of his death. Mechelle had always considered herself a private person. Freshman year, she had a human anatomy class with McNair, and he spent most of it staring at her. Since she loves taking care of others, shes even thinking of becoming a foster parent. Mourners console Lucille McNair, the mother of Steve McNair, during the former NFL quarterback's funeral Saturday in Hattiesburg, Miss. 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. Ludacris, FloRida and Ashanti; Thursday, July 20. "They appreciated what they had," add Lucille. But his phone kept ringing. Where Are Steve McNair's Wife and Kids Now? - The Cinemaholic "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. Copyright 2016 MSNewsNow. She had hoped to go to Southern Miss. Those assets included the million dollar mansion he had built for his mother, Lucille, to live in during her twilight years.

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