Steve McNair: 1973-2009

(Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images)

Steve McNair was the prototype 21st century NFL quarterback. 

He had the foot speed and elusive moves to dodge the 300 pound defensive linemen that came at him. 

He had the cannon arm to hit his receivers.

And he had the toughness.

Steve McNair was mentally tough enough to will his body through all of its physical ailments. Head, shoulders, knees, and toes plus a sternum would be on his list of injuries. Every Sunday, however, McNair was out there doing his job to the best of his ability.

Many football fans, most of whom are good at their jobs, loved to watch Steve McNair do his job.  

Steve McNair suffered a fatal personal tragedy. 

For a man who grew up in the limelight, the end of his life is contradictory to how he lived it.

A quiet, dignified life was cut short in an explosion of violence.

And it is none of our business.

We are able to watch sport stars because of the television contract that comes with their job. Other than that, we do not know these players off of the field. 

We get reports from reporters and it fills in the blanks of what some of the players do away from the field, but that is not knowing them either.

I would have liked to have met Steve McNair and I can't say that for a majority of celebrities. 

I would like to know what Steve McNair thought about his cover of Sports Illustrated when they picked a player from Alcorn State to win the Heisman Trophy.

I wonder what he thought when he let go of the ball that Kevin Dyson took within a yard of tying the Super Bowl.

I wonder what he would say if I thought he was a Hall of Fame player. The Hall of Fame might be driven by numbers but who was better at leading a team than Steve McNair?

This is not an article to promote Steve McNair for the Hall of Fame. It is not an article to speculate on his final moment of life for that is simply not our business.

We were lucky enough to watch Steve McNair do his job and that does not entitle us to speculate on any part of his private life. 

It is an article of sadness. Steve McNair inspired and entertained me like few others have and I was never able to thank him for that. There is also sadness because Steve McNair has become a story because of the way our society operates.

Maybe I am lucky though. I can only imagine what it would have been like to have known him and then lost him.     

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