Former Titan’s QB Steve McNair Found Murdered in Music City

Steve McNair as a Baltimore Raven in 2007 | Photo-Keith Allison Creative Commons

The man who almost lead the Tennessee Titans to victory in Super Bowl XXXIV has been found shot to death in Nashville, TN. today.

Steve McNair was found shot to death with an unnamed female at a condo on Lea Avenue in Music City. Two days earlier (July) a 2007 Cadillac Escalade that was registered to McNair and Sahel Kazemi was stopped by Nashville Metro Police Department and the driver Kazemi was arrested for driving under the influence and violation the implied consent law (refusing to take a breathalyzer test). Police had towed a black Cadillac Escalade from the condominium complex where McNair and the unidentified woman were found today.

The Nashville Post reports that sources have told them that around 2 a.m. on the of the morning that McNair was found dead he was confronted by a 20 year old woman at the Blue Moon Lagoon. The story has that the woman was accusing McNair of slipping the date rape drug Rohypnol in her drink a year ago and said “that her boyfriend was going to kill him.”

Update

Police are confirming that Sahel Kazemi was the woman found with McNair. Other details were that McNair was shot multiple times and Kazemi was shot once to the head. Regarding Kazemi’s arrest, her former boyfriend, Keith Norfleet, told The Tennessean that Steve McNair was in the Cadillac at the time it was stop, but it was not on any papers about the arrest.

With all the unflattering news coming to light, I thought that some the highlights of his career should get equal time. Steve McNair leaves behind his wife, Mechelle and four sons, Junior, Steven, Tyler, and Trenton. Steve McNair and The Steve McNair Foundation have supported charities that included the Boy and Girls Clubs, Katrina Relief and had sent more than 5,000 young players to football camp in the past 10 years.

He was quarterback at Alcorn State University. In 1994 he won the Walter Payton award top I-AA player and was third in the voting for the Heisman Trophy. McNair was the third pick in the first round of the NFL draft pick taken by the Houston Oilers. As a quarterback for the young Tennessee Oilers he helped take the team to Super Bowl XXXIV where they faced and lost to the St. Louis Rams 23-16. He was selected for the Pro Bowl in 2000, 2003 and 2005. In 2003 Associated Press National Football League Most Valuable Player (AP NFL MVP) Award selection he was tapped as Co-MVP along Peyton Manning.

I had a chance to interview him in 2001. At the time he seemed like a man that appreciated the support he had received from Tennessee. He was excited about his charitable foundation he recently stated and was hoping to give back the city that made feel like he was home. Some athletes are not fond of giving interviews and their tone tells it. Steve McNair seemed to have no problem taking a few a minutes to talk about the past season and the plan for the next. When I heard of his death today the first thing that came to my mind was how I wished more pro athletes had his great attitude when they had deal with the media.

Steve McNair’s Career Stats