Jul 06, 2009 at 12:08 pm. When the police arrived, his corpse was on the couch with . Every season, Mechelle sends Trent's basketball schedule to Mu and to Zach Piller. 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. "She just had it made, you . She would wonder, later, about signs. She always worried where he was. He doesn't believe anyone can play quarterback as well as his father did, so why even try? He says she needs to go out more, to have fun sometimes. "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. More on Steve McNair Mechelle was born in 1973 in the USA. [24] The quarterback's charge was dropped on July 10, 2007 when McNair's brother-in-law pleaded guilty to reckless driving.[25]. "They were wrestling all the time,tearing thebed down and fixing the bed back up. Before she met McNair, Mechelle never thought she would get married. Michele is also claiming she cant find Steves Will. But his phone kept ringing. He also did not play the full game in Week 3, however, the game was won by the Ravens, 2623. I can't wallow in it. Official Steve McNair 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. Courtesy Mechelle McNair "I think it was important for [Lucille] because you see a part of your son you lost," Mechelle says. You're so strong,'" Mechelle says. 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. The vehicle was registered in the names of both McNair and Kazemi. "That word will always get to me. He split time between his home in Nashville and his farm in Collins, Mississippi. "[38] There was also a conversation about financial issues where McNair transferred $2,000 to Kazemi, who claimed she was "stressed" and needed to pay her phone bill. She would wonder, later, about signs. Nearly 5,000 people mourned McNair at Reed Green Coliseum on the campus of Southern Miss. There were good times, too. He did annoying things, peeking at her test answers, sticking his giant feet on her book bag. And them. NFL home The enormity of his death cannot be overstated. Please read our Comment Policy before commenting. Mu was the one who took them to father-son breakfasts and NBA games. Nine years after Mechelle McNair's world caved in, her oldest son, Tyler, is going to NYU on an academic scholarship. Trent is headstrong and stubborn and has a bit of a temper. Lucille had to rush him to the hospital. From that moment on, she could not let her children see her break down. Times when McNair would take the boys out on his motorcycle and they didn't even need to talk. As a junior, McNair led the Mount Olive Pirates to the state championship. [44] Kazemi had a worsening financial situation and also suspected that McNair was in another extramarital relationship. Steelers coach Bill Cowher said that he called a timeout before the winning kick took place. Tyler, who was 10, started crying. 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. I'm used to it by now. At that point, Mechelle had a boyfriend and was only focused on pursuing a career in the medical field as a doctor. And I don't feel like that's how God wants us to be.". "He said momma,we need the moneyand I said look,your education is more important," said Lucille. From that moment on, she could not let her children see her break down. He split his time between a farm in Mississippi and Nashville, Tennessee. God got her through this, she says. She stood up, the pain radiated from the right side of her skull, and she had to lie back down. "I didn't know about her at all," Mechelle says. She worked nightsand had no idea that her sons,against her wishes, were making a name for themselves on the football field. I got to dance all the time, I got to travel, and I got into the college I wanted to. On the morning of July 4, 2009, Mechelle McNair woke up with a crushing headache. Mechelle is 45 now, and she does not look old enough to be dropping a son off at college. He was found dead with the body of a young woman, Sahel Kazemi, in a rented house at 105 Lea Avenue in downtown Nashville. Mechelle says she could hear Steve's footsteps in the house sometimes. (McNair also has two older sons from previous relationships.) [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. Yet, Steves persistence and personality won her over, so she found herself leaving the state with him after graduation to support his NFL career. But her sons were terrified and confused. But Lucille was more concerned with themmoving in the classroom. She wanted to be a doctor and wanted one child, but she didn't think much about a partner. He pushed an air mattress beside Tyler's bed when his brother was home and slept there. Nine years after Mechelle McNair's world caved in, her oldest son, Tyler, is going to NYU on an academic scholarship. But did I know about her? After killing Steve, Kazemi killed herself, and her body was also laying down on the floor. She thinks he shows his emotions too much. (AP Photo / Al Messerschmidt) . Well, that's when the drama started between his wife and mom. Without a doubt, she must have inherited a portion of her husband's fortune. He announced his retirement following the 2007 season. Initially, she did not believe her husband was dead. When news of his death flashed on the TV screen, Cartwright rushed through the house to Mechelle's room. McNair then offered to come over to check on her after she said her chest felt heavy. Here was an NFL quarterback one season into retirement, a former co-MVP and a Super Bowl participant, murdered. "He was a good dad. "At the end of the day, that's my husband," she says. He also cut his interceptions to ten, helping his quarterback rating climb to 80.1. 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. Oldest son Fred McNair was the first star to emerge. That same show aired as a rerun last week, on the night of the Super Bowl. She already had two men in her in life: Tyler, 19, and Trent, who just turned 14. "I can deal with not having Steve here a lot more because I see him still every day in his boys." He probably wouldn't have spent most of the summer dreading this moment, standing in front of a college dorm, trying not to cry. "I know he's in his head," Steve would tell Mechelle. ". Titans Draft Flashback: Steve McNair - Tennessee Titans I feel like I'm the weakest person sometimes. Tyler is at New York University on an academic scholarship for a degree in biology while pursuing a career in the entertainment industry as a dancer. Miss. Remembers Steve McNair at Funeral - CBS News He accumulated this hefty amount of money from his career as a talented NFL player. However, McNair later bailed Kazemi out of jail. He went on to commit to play wide receiver at Southern Miss before playing at Pearl River Community College. 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. The family Tennessee Titans legend Steve McNair left behind - ESPN He tried to do both at first, but soon it was too much. Steven still resides in Mississippi. 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. On the second-to-last play with the Titans facing 3rd down and 5 to go, McNair was hit by two Rams defenders, but he somehow got away and completed a 16-yard pass to Kevin Dyson to gain a 1st down at the Rams' 10-yard line. Ludacris, FloRida and Ashanti; Thursday, July 20. 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. [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. She is a spiritual woman who thanks God every morning for waking up and for allowing the rest of her family to wake up, too. Then there was Mike Mu, a longtime family friend who used to run McNair's foundation. ", Tyler, right, and Trent served as honorary 12th Titans in a November game against the Baltimore Ravens. A handful of them delivered. Steve McNair was buried on a Saturday in his home state of Mississippi. She tried to explain to the boys what had happened, the best she could, but Trent wanted to read about his father in the paper. He was found dead with the body of a young woman, Sahel Kazemi, in a rented house at 105 Lea Avenue in downtown Nashville. "Nope," she says. McNair's widow, his sons and other family members and friends will return to Nissan Stadium for the special day. I don't want to be here by myself. Maybe they would have been anyway, had Steve McNair not been killed. He was the starting quarterback for Alcorn State for all but one game in his four-year college football career. "I don't want him to look at me and say, 'Oh, my mom is just kind of relaxed,'" she says. They carry pieces of Steve, from Tyler's mannerisms to the way Trent calls people "Buddy." But soon,everyone knew. The transition from football player to businessman was not smooth. Aside from kid functions and dinners out, she lived the life of a homebody. The boys are constantly chasing a ghost, a man who, in death, is still the biggest sports legend in Nashville. Steve and Mechelle shares two children from their marital relationship. She says she protects her heart and her kids. He did not have a will, creating a painful mess that dragged on for years. He asked how somebody could do this to his daddy. Merrill: The dilemma of how to mourn McNair. He says she needs to go out more, to have fun sometimes. I'm just pushing forward. His total offense averages were 571 y/g over 11 games. "I loved him. Kazemi then lay down beside him and fired a bullet into her head. MT. How do you think she was feeling? 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. "I know what he's thinking. George Clark/Hattiesburg American POOL/Getty Images. "I feel like I'm just living. He told them to find something they loved and to do it well. Mechelle says she could hear Steve's footsteps in the house sometimes. It would not go away. Yes. This past summer, Mechelle and her sons visited Lucille in Mississippi. McNair was in the passenger seat and Vent Gordon, a chef at a restaurant McNair owned, was in the back seat. Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair (9) scrambles during the Titans' 30-17 win over the Atlanta Falcons in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 19, 1999. . After his death, Mechelle went to the court and claimed $500,000 each for their children's care and expenses from her husband's assets. And I said what you ain't got,you can't miss it.". Where Are Steve McNair's Wife and Kids Now? - The Cinemaholic Offensive linemen spend their careers protecting the quarterback, and Piller couldn't. Steve McNair | Biography, Statistics, Death, & Facts | Britannica SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE. All rights reserved. We've joined the BHM Digital family of websites and have updated our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. She made faces at him to try to get him to stop. Piller likes to mess with Trent sometimes and tells him he could probably jump higher if he'd cut his long hair. Their normal. "When I think about it, I don't want to be old and not have anybody to spend my last days with. He did annoying things, peeking at her test answers, sticking his giant feet on her book bag. Christmas break is over, and the house is quiet. For more, watch E:60's story, "Heir McNair," on Sunday at 9 a.m. on ESPN, or stream it on WatchESPN. They met at Alcorn State, a historically black college in rural Claiborne County, Mississippi. Mechelle didn't particularly want to go to such a tiny school. The McNairs never had a lot,but Lucille saysthey had each other. "[38] McNair, who was believed to have been asleep on the couch when the shooting occurred, was shot twice in the body and twice in the head, with only one of the shots coming from closer than three feet. 9 and Eddie George's No. Because I hurt like everybody else. Before she met McNair, Mechelle never thought she would get married. Fred and Timboth played football, and younger brother Steve was magic,in both footballand baseball. ", Though McNair was an NFL quarterback, he never wanted to force football or sports on his children. In 2007, McNair did not play in Week 2 against the Jets in which the Ravens won 2013. The Steve McNair Foundation, Inc. 209 10th Avenue South Nashville, TN 37218 The Steve McNair Foundation Teams With the NFL Youth Football Fund for $100,000 in Katrina Relief. 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. She never worried about that with Tyler, but for some reason, she thinks about it now that it's just her and Trent. Sometimes on the Fourth of July, he picked up the kids and bought fireworks and did anything that took their minds off the anniversary. In happy times, they belted out SWV songs in Mechelle's little, red, two-seater Mercedes, his tiny head bobbing to the music. "She's very vocal," Trent says. [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. 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 took care of us. [16] All charges related to the incident were later dropped.[6]. In the worst times, she kept both of her little boys beside her in bed, where she could keep them close and safe. It wasa close knit family. Here Are The 7 Best Date Night Restaurants in Cleveland! 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. She knew how much potential he had. 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. She would not lose it in front of them. [8], McNair was born in a small tin-roofed house in Mount Olive, Mississippi on February 14, 1973. The two were living happily with each other and also parenting their two children until 2009. Nothing's going to change how I feel about my husband. She thinks about the next chapter in her life. Everyone wanted to know what Mechelle was feeling. But it gets worse, she told Steve's mom to pay $3,000 rent or get the hell out! Tyler, who is majoring in biology at NYU while continuing to pursue his dancing dreams, forged a path so different from his father's. Mechelle told him she didn't know. Everyone changed. God got her through this, she says. But I'm not going to hell blaming somebody or having the hate and animosity in my heart. Tyler, who was 10, started crying. They hug, and Tyler wants to tell her something before she goes back home to Tennessee. Also known as: Air McNair, Steve LaTreal McNair. 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. But when she saw how committed Tyler was to dance, she told him to do what makes him happy. Nashville Police Chief Ronal Serpas said, "The police department has concluded that Steve McNair was murdered by Sahel Kazemi and that, in turn, Sahel Kazemi killed herself with a single gunshot wound to her head.". Years ago, after Cartwright lost her own husband, Steve had told her to pack her bags and come live with them. "They never complained about other children having this and they couldn't have that;they never complained.". McNair's death shocked the country on the Fourth of July in 2009. Mechelle sits in the stands and yells at him to "keep your face straight." Tyler tells her everything, even the stuff that can get him grounded. Piller, a former guard for the Titans, was one of McNair's pallbearers. 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. The estate of the former pro, who played 11 seasons with the Tennessee Titans and two with the. Death of Mechelle's Husband, Steve McNair. McNair threw for 3,228 yards and 15 touchdowns in '98, and he led the Titans to the Super Bowl a year later. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM. McNair helped Baltimore to a 133 record and an AFC North Championship. McNair threw for 3,228 yards and 15 touchdowns in '98, and he led the Titans to the Super Bowl a year later. He will want to spend more time with his friends, not his mom. 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. In 1992, McNair threw 3,541 yards and 29 touchdowns, and ran in for 10 more scores. She never played. So, there is not much information about what she do for a living. Conspiracy theorists flooded the internet and airwaves. She already had two men in her in life: Tyler, 19, and Trent, who just turned 14. "I feel like I'm just living. Sahel Kazemi was 20 years old and swept up: He gave her a Cadillac Escalade for her birthday and took her on trips to places such as Key West, Fla., and Las Vegas. Funeral services were held for McNair at the Reed Green Coliseum on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi on July 11; he was buried at Griffith Cemetery in Prentiss, Mississippi. The now 46-year-old widow continues to keep her partners memories alive through her work and hopes that his children do the same. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. McNair and Colts quarterback Peyton Manning were named co-NFL MVPs following the 2003 season, which ended for the Titans in a playoff loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. I always have thought Steve got his toughness from his mother. Since she loves taking care of others, shes even thinking of becoming a foster parent. She wanted to see him so she could help him. Trent, who was 5, rested his head on his mother's lap during the service. The fact that he was the quarterback everyone on campus was talking about held no currency with Mechelle. The team officially changed its name from Oilers to Titans for the 1999 season as they debuted a new stadium, Adelphia Coliseum. She was so happy at the end of their talk, when he said she could attend the next employee meeting. "I think that [Trent] would be attached to his dad." "He didn't want to do anything. He told them to find something they loved and do it well. There wasn't anything those children wanted that he didn't get for them." She merely wanted to grieve her loss in private. But his phone kept ringing. "If you put them out thereto throw passes,they looked the same. Elizabeth MerrillMerrill is a senior writer for ESPN. Mu was the one who took them to father-son breakfasts and NBA games. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). George Clark/Hattiesburg American POOL/Getty Images "Don't go," Tyler and Trent told him. I've gotta keep going.". She is dating someone, but meeting people has been a struggle. Mechelle sits in the stands and yells at him to "keep your face straight." 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. There were good times, too. Read More: How Did Mike Tysons Daughter Die? He was known as one of the toughest men in football, playing through myriad injuries. Stephen LaTreal McNair (February 14, 1973 July 4, 2009),[2] nicknamed "Air McNair",[3][4] was an American professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Houston / Tennessee Oilers / Titans franchise. She didn't usually get as much . He was quiet until you knew him, and he waited a while to talk to her. Mechelle tied the knot with Steve on 21 June 1997 in front of their close friends and relatives as their wedding ceremony was held privately at Vicksburg, Mississippi. Just because she doesnt know how to manage money doesnt mean she can bully her dead husbands poor old mother! Tyler came home for about a month, but he wasn't really there. Although she didn't grow up playing sports, Mechelle quickly acclimated herself to the life of a football wife. But did I know about her? They are best friends. She would go to her room, door closed, and sob. Yes, he made mistakes and was figuring out what to do outside football, but he was a good husband and father to all four of his children, as per his now-widow. She would go to her room, door closed, and sob. I got to dance all the time, I got to travel, and I got into the college I wanted to. Ex-Tennessee tight end Bo Scaife filled Tyler's closet with sneakers. "I didn't know about her at all," Mechelle says. 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).