Mac 9: The Iron Man - Steve “Air” McNair

(Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)

         Steve LaTreal McNair was born on February 14, 1973 in Mt. Olive Miss.  McNair was slain in Nashville, Tenn. on Independence Day 2009. I was already in the beginning stages of writing a biographical article when hearing of the news of his brutal death.  I likely will not be the first to post a story on the gritty NFL signal caller, but I would like to honor the man who became a hero of sorts to me in my youth.  While I obviously didn’t personally know Steve off of the gridiron, every Tennessee Titan fan knew what he represented when he strapped on the armor and stepped on to the battlefield.

         Steve grew up in Mt. Olive, and eventually became a star at the local high school. As a Junior, McNair led Mt. Olive to a state title as the starting quarterback and safety on the varsity football squad.

         He intercepted 15 passes in the 1990 season, and was honored with an All-state selection, and later with an All-American selection by Super Prep magazine. McNair also excelled in baseball and after his senior season, he was drafted by the Seattle Mariners (35^th round) in the 1991 MLB amateur draft.

         After finishing high school, McNair decided to attend little Alcorn State University in Lorman, Mississippi. At Alcorn State, his football career would reach heights beyond his wildest dreams. By his senior year, McNair had become a star at the Division I-AA establishment. He smashed records in his senior season by gaining nearly 6,000 yards of total offense. With his cannon arm and phenomenal scrambling ability McNair also added 53 total touchdowns. That’s over 300 points scored by one player in a single season.

         McNair was garnished with numerous awards highlighted with an All-American selection,The Walter Payton award (I-AA player of the year), and a 3^rd place finish in the Heisman Trophy voting (college football player of the year). McNair being named as a Heisman finalist is a feat that is exceptionally impressive coming from a I-AA school such as Alcorn State, his statistics were well warranted.

          His collegiate success catapulted him onto the draft board of the Houston Oilers.  In 1995, Houston used their first pick (3^rd overall) in the NFL college draft on Steve McNair, and handed him the keys to the franchise with a seven year contract.  McNair played sparingly behind starting quarterback Chris Chandler his first two seasons in the NFL.

          In 1997, head coach Jeff Fisher and his staff gave him the nod and he went on to lead the Oilers to an even 8-8 record.  McNair threw for over 2,600 yards and just 13 interceptions in his first season as the starter. He led the team in rushing touchdowns with eight scores on the ground. His 674 rushing yards were second to only starting tailback Eddie George, and they were the third most for a quarterback in NFL history.

In 1998, he began to feel a little more comfortable with the position of quarterback at the NFL level in his second season. His passing yards arose from 2,665 to over 3,200, and his interception total dropped from 13 in 97’ to 10 in 98’, he also threw 15 scores. McNair was finding personal success but the team still finished with an 8-8 record for a second consecutive season.

Despite being stuck in mediocrity things were looking up for the Houston Oilers. They had their franchise quarterback in place on a promising young roster that was being led by a young inspiring head coach. However, the franchise itself was going through a major transition. Oilers owner K.S. Bud Adams Junior was in the process of moving his team to the little city of Nashville Tennessee.

The NFL had not yet tapped into the mid-south region and the oil man struck a deal with the pro football hungry state.  Adams got his wish when the city agreed to build a brand new, state of the art modern day coliseum in downtown Nashville. While the Tennessee Oilers waited for their new home to be constructed, they played their home games in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis in 1997, and Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville in 1998.  Finally in 1999, with their own arena, and their own identity, Steve McNair and the new Tennessee Titans would embark on an incredible journey that exceeded everyone’s expectations.

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