Steve McNair

Steve McNair
McNair with the Baltimore Ravens in 2007
No. 9
PositionQuarterback
Personal information
Born(1973-02-14)February 14, 1973
Mount Olive, Mississippi, U.S.
DiedJuly 4, 2009(2009-07-04) (aged 36)
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High schoolMount Olive
CollegeAlcorn State (1991–1994)
NFL draft1995: 1st round, 3rd overall pick
Career history
Awards and highlights
  • NFL Most Valuable Player (2003)[a]
  • Second-team All-Pro (2003)
  • 3× Pro Bowl (2000, 2003, 2005)
  • NFL passer rating leader (2003)
  • Titans/Oilers Ring of Honor
  • Tennessee Titans No. 9 retired[1]
  • Walter Payton Award (1994)
  • Eddie Robinson Trophy (1994)
  • 4× SWAC Offensive Player of the Year (1991–1994)
  • SWAC Freshman of the Year (1991)
  • 4× First-team All-SWAC (1991–1994)
Career NFL statistics
Passing attempts4,544
Passing completions2,733
Completion percentage60.1%
TDINT174–119
Passing yards31,304
Passer rating82.8
Rushing yards3,590
Rushing touchdowns38
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Stephen LaTreal McNair (February 14, 1973 – July 4, 2009),[2] nicknamed "Air McNair",[3][4] was an American professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He started his first two seasons with the Houston Oilers before the team relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, becoming the first franchise quarterback of the Tennessee Titans. McNair also played for two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens.[5]

McNair played college football for the Alcorn State Braves, with whom he won the 1994 Walter Payton Award as the top player in NCAA Division I-AA. McNair was selected third overall by the Oilers in the 1995 NFL draft. He started six games in his first two seasons combined before becoming the team's regular starting quarterback for the 1997 season, and remained the starting quarterback for the Titans through 2005. After the 2005 season, McNair was traded to the Ravens, with whom he played for two seasons before retiring.[6]

McNair appeared in the playoffs four times with the Titans, including their run to Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000, and made his final playoff appearance in 2006 with the Ravens. He was selected to the Pro Bowl thrice, and was an All-Pro and Co-MVP in 2003.[7] McNair was the first African-American quarterback to win AP NFL MVP and remains, along with Cam Newton, Patrick Mahomes, and Lamar Jackson, only one of four to win the award.[8] In 2009, McNair was shot and killed by his mistress in a murder–suicide.


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  1. ^ Wyatt, Jim (September 10, 2019). "Titans to Retire Steve McNair's No. 9 and Eddie George's No. 27 Jerseys at Sunday's Game". The Tennessee Titans.
  2. ^ Steve McNair Found Dead Archived July 6, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. WTVF, July 4, 2009. Retrieved July 4, 2009.
  3. ^ "Remembering 'Air McNair' – NCAA Football". Sporting News. Archived from the original on September 5, 2009. Retrieved November 20, 2010.
  4. ^ "Remembering Air McNair". CBS News. Archived from the original on July 28, 2010.
  5. ^ Steve McNair Stats, News, Photos. ESPN. Retrieved July 8, 2009.
  6. ^ "Shooting Unveils Very Different Sides of Ex-NFL Quarterback Steve McNair". Fox News. July 6, 2009. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012.
  7. ^ "McNair helped bring stability and success to vagabond franchise". NFL.com. July 4, 2009. Retrieved December 25, 2024.
  8. ^ "MVP Patrick Mahomes is now part of the legendary black quarterback fraternity". Andscape. February 3, 2019.