It's a little hard to believe.
I'm writing this on Saturday night, Sunday morning really, and now the celebration is over, and a young man has been killed. It's been years since a headline shocked me so much, on any topic. Maybe that means I take football too seriously, or that I'm so cynical I'm not surprised by large-scale tragedies, or simply that I'm naive about the dangers of modern life. But maybe it means that the murder — multiple gunshot wounds, including to the head — of a great quarterback, a young man (36), is one of those things that has the power to really shock us.
Several other NFL players — active players, young guys — have been murdered in the last several years, but none of those killings affected me the way this one did. Is it because McNair was a better player? Because he had been around longer, and I felt like I knew him better? I don't know. Rest assured that this column is going to be about Steve McNair, not about me and how I feel about his death. But I think it's hard to write a story like this without addressing your own feelings on the matter, and my primary feeling is shock.
One of the reasons this comes as such a shock is that McNair was, as far as I know, a good guy. There are some players who we know spend time in places they probably shouldn't, or who get busted for drugs or DUIs. This would be a lot less surprising if McNair was Pacman Jones. But Steve McNair was a model citizen, a class act. Maybe in the wake of this tragedy, some news will become public revealing that McNair wasn't the man we thought he was. Already we've learned that McNair apparently was dating the very young woman whose body was found with his. I don't want to go there right now. McNair was probably the most beloved star in Tennessee Titans history, and rightly so. Let's talk strictly about his football career for a while.
McNair's career was a gentle rollercoaster: in his last few years he was a little overrated, in the middle of his career a little underrated, and early in his career just plain under-the-radar, considering that he was a starting quarterback, a first-round draft pick, and had appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The Oilers (who in 1999 became the Titans) were patient with McNair. He played sparingly his first two years, throwing for just 1,766 yards, but with 9 TDs and only 5 INT, an 87.4 passer rating. He fumbled too much, but he was already showing that he could threaten NFL defenses with his feet. McNair struggled in his first season as a full-time starter, relying too much on his legs and not doing enough with his arm, but he quickly learned to be an efficient NFL quarterback, and in 1999 — only his third full year as a starter — he helped the Titans reach Super Bowl XXXIV.
Judging by the accounts reporting his death over the weekend, it's that season, that game, which McNair is most remembered for. That's fine with me. McNair played well, ran for 64 yards (a Super Bowl record for QBs), led a dramatic last-minute drive that nearly won the game. But he actually had his best seasons after that, from 2001-03. Tennessee remained a successful team for several years after Eddie George's legs went and the defense was rebuilding, basically because of McNair. During those three seasons, he threw for 3,300 yards per year, with twice as many TD passes as interceptions and a passer rating of 90.9. He rushed for 1,000 yards and 12 TDs.
In 2003, McNair averaged more than eight yards per pass attempt (which is sensational) and was +17 in TD/INT, with a passer rating over 100. He also rushed for four TDs and took only 19 sacks all season, leading the Titans to a division title and passing for 338 yards in their first-round playoff win. McNair also started the Pro Bowl that year, throwing a 90-yard touchdown pass on the AFC's first play. He was named regular season MVP, sharing the award with Peyton Manning, and remains the only black quarterback ever to win the award (which is a disgrace, because Randall Cunningham or Warren Moon should have won in 1990, but that's a different story).
McNair was an extremely tough player, almost always dealing with injuries, and in 2006, the Titans locked him out of training camp. Some players won't attend mandatory offseason workouts, much less voluntary ones. McNair tried to, and in the no-class move of the summer, the team wouldn't let him — the team captain, the face of the franchise — in the door. That season, McNair's steady leadership helped the Ravens to a 13-3 record, the best in franchise history. McNair also set a team record for longest pass completion. The next year, with McNair hurt and missing most of the season, Baltimore slipped to 5-11. He retired after the season.
Steve McNair began his NFL career as a great running quarterback. In 1998, he had a beautiful 71-yard touchdown run. This guy was fast. Last summer, I ranked him as one of the top 10 pass/run QBs in NFL history, a guy who do both and do them well. McNair was the type of player every team wants. He was a hard worker who improved on his weaknesses, a team leader who until now stayed out of trouble off the field, and a great player who always seemed to play on winning teams. Now he's dead, shot to death in the city where he made his career. The NFL will miss him, the community in Tennessee will miss him, and I'll miss him.
RIP Steve McNair
1973 - 2009
Houston Oilers, Tennessee Oilers, Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens
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