Steve McNair facts for kids
McNair with the Baltimore Ravens in 2007
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| No. 9 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | February 14, 1973 Mount Olive, Mississippi, U.S. |
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| Died: | July 4, 2009 (aged 36) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 230 lb (104 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Mount Olive (Mount Olive, Mississippi) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Alcorn State (1991–1994) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1995 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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College Football Hall of Fame
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Stephen LaTreal McNair (February 14, 1973 – July 4, 2009) was an American professional football player. He was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. He mostly played for the Houston / Tennessee Oilers / Titans team. He also played for the Baltimore Ravens.
McNair played college football at Alcorn State University in Lorman, Mississippi. There, he won the 1994 Walter Payton Award as the best player in NCAA Division I-AA. The Titans (then called the Houston Oilers) picked him third overall in the 1995 NFL Draft. He became their main starting quarterback in 1997. He stayed with the Titans until 2005. After that, McNair was traded to the Baltimore Ravens. He played for them for two seasons before he retired.
McNair led the Titans to the playoffs four times. This included their trip to Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000. He made his last playoff appearance in 2006 with the Ravens. McNair was chosen for the Pro Bowl four times. He was also an All-Pro and Co-MVP in 2003. McNair was the first African–American quarterback to win the AP NFL MVP award. He is one of only four to win this award.
Contents
Early Life and Sports Talents
McNair was born in Mount Olive, Mississippi, on February 14, 1973. He had four brothers: Fred, Jason, Michael, and Tim. He went to Mount Olive High School starting in 1987. There, he played football, baseball, and basketball. He also ran track.
As a junior, McNair led the Mount Olive Pirates to the state championship. He also played free safety in high school. In 1990, he caught 15 passes from opponents. This brought his career total to 30. The Seattle Mariners baseball team chose him in the 1991 MLB draft.
College Football Career
McNair was offered a scholarship to the University of Florida to play running back. But he wanted to play quarterback. So, he chose Alcorn State University. This is a Historically Black University. It plays in the NCAA's Division I-AA (now called the Football Championship Subdivision).
In 1992, McNair threw for 3,541 yards and 29 touchdowns. He also ran for 10 more scores. The team had a 7–4 record. McNair helped Alcorn State have another good year in 1993. The team's record improved to 8–3. McNair threw for over 3,000 yards and 30 touchdowns. He was named First-Team All-SWAC for the third year in a row.
In his senior year, McNair gained 6,281 combined yards. This included 904 rushing yards and 5,377 passing yards. He also scored 56 touchdowns. He broke many records and was named an All-American. McNair won the Walter Payton Award as the best I-AA player. He also finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting. McNair set career records for the Football Championship Series. He had 14,496 passing yards and 16,823 total offensive yards.
He was a member of the fraternity Omega Psi Phi.
College Statistics
| Season | GP | Passing | Rushing | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rtg | Att | Yds | ||
| 1991 | 10 | 189 | 338 | 55.9 | 2,895 | 8.6 | 80 | 24 | 89.8 | 57 | 242 |
| 1992 | 11 | 231 | 419 | 55.1 | 3,541 | 8.5 | 85 | 29 | 95.4 | 92 | 516 |
| 1993 | 11 | 204 | 386 | 52.8 | 3,197 | 8.3 | 90 | 22 | 83.4 | 107 | 633 |
| 1994 | 11 | 356 | 612 | 58.2 | 5,377 | 8.8 | 99 | 47 | 102.5 | 128 | 904 |
| Career | 43 | 980 | 1,755 | 55.8 | 15,010 | 8.5 | 99 | 122 | 92.8 | 384 | 2,295 |
Professional Football Career
Houston / Tennessee Oilers / Titans Years
The Houston Oilers picked McNair third overall in the 1995 NFL Draft. This made him the highest-drafted African-American quarterback in NFL history at that time. He signed a seven-year contract.
Starting as Quarterback
McNair's first season as the Oilers' starter was in 1997. The team had an 8–8 record. McNair threw for 2,665 yards. This was the most for the Oilers since 1993. He also had only 13 interceptions, a team record. He led the team in rushing touchdowns with eight. He was second in rushing yards with 674.
In 1998, McNair set career highs in passing attempts (492), completions (289), yards (3,228), and touchdowns (15). He also lowered his interceptions to ten. His quarterback rating went up to 80.1.
Super Bowl Season: 1999
The team changed its name from Oilers to Titans for the 1999 season. They also got a new stadium, Adelphia Coliseum. McNair had surgery early in the season for an inflamed disk. Veteran player Neil O'Donnell filled in for him. O'Donnell led the Titans to a 4–1 record. When McNair returned, Tennessee won seven of its last nine games. They finished with a 13–3 record.
The Titans started the playoffs at home against the Buffalo Bills. They won with the famous "Music City Miracle" play. They eventually reached Super Bowl XXXIV to play the St. Louis Rams. In the Super Bowl, McNair made a great play late in the game. He escaped two Rams defenders and threw a 16-yard pass. This set up a final play. On that play, McNair's pass to Kevin Dyson was caught. But Dyson was stopped just short of the goal line. The Rams won the game. After the 1999 season, McNair signed a new six-year contract.
Productive Years: 2000–2001
McNair played in all sixteen games in 2000. The Titans finished 13–3. Their season ended with a playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens. In 2001, McNair had his best year yet. He had career highs in passing yards (3,350), completions (264), touchdowns (21), and quarterback rating (90.2). He was also the team's best rusher, tying for the lead with five scores. He was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time.
Playoff Runs: 2002–2003
In 2002, Tennessee finished the regular season 11–5 and made the playoffs. In the playoff round against the Pittsburgh Steelers, McNair threw for 338 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 29 yards and another score. The Titans won this game in overtime. McNair and the Titans reached the AFC Championship game. But they lost to the Oakland Raiders.
In 2003, McNair had the best numbers of his career. He had 3,215 passing yards, 24 touchdown passes, and only seven interceptions. His quarterback rating was 100.4. The Titans finished 12–4. McNair and Colts quarterback Peyton Manning were named co-NFL MVPs for 2003. McNair finished 2003 as the league leader in passer rating. He became the youngest player in NFL history to pass for 20,000 yards and run for 3,000 yards.
Later Years with Titans: 2004–2005
McNair missed games in 2004 due to a bruised sternum. He played in only five more games that season. In 2005, he played in 14 games because of a back injury.
Baltimore Ravens Career
After the 2005 season, McNair was traded to the Baltimore Ravens on June 7, 2006. He joined the Ravens for a 4th-round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft.
2006 Season with Ravens
In the 2006 season, McNair started every game for the Ravens. He helped Baltimore to a 13–3 record. They won the AFC North Championship. He made his first playoff start as a Raven against the Colts. The Ravens lost that game 15–6.
Retirement and Legacy
After thirteen seasons in the NFL, McNair announced his retirement from professional football in April 2008.
In July 2012, Football Nation named McNair the 35th greatest quarterback of the NFL's modern era.
The Titans retired McNair's number 9 jersey during a ceremony on September 15, 2019.
McNair was inducted into the Black College Football Hall of Fame in 2012. He was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2020.
NFL Career Statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| AP NFL MVP (joint) | |
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular Season Statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | ||
| 1995 | HOU | 4 | 2 | 2–0 | 41 | 80 | 51.3 | 569 | 7.1 | 3 | 1 | 81.7 | 11 | 38 | 3.5 | 0 |
| 1996 | HOU | 9 | 4 | 2–2 | 88 | 143 | 61.5 | 1,197 | 8.4 | 6 | 4 | 90.6 | 31 | 169 | 5.5 | 2 |
| 1997 | TEN | 16 | 16 | 8–8 | 216 | 415 | 52.0 | 2,665 | 6.4 | 14 | 13 | 70.4 | 101 | 674 | 6.7 | 8 |
| 1998 | TEN | 16 | 16 | 8–8 | 289 | 492 | 58.7 | 3,228 | 6.6 | 15 | 10 | 80.1 | 77 | 559 | 7.3 | 4 |
| 1999 | TEN | 11 | 11 | 9–2 | 187 | 331 | 56.5 | 2,179 | 6.6 | 12 | 8 | 78.6 | 72 | 337 | 4.7 | 8 |
| 2000 | TEN | 16 | 15 | 12–3 | 248 | 396 | 62.6 | 2,847 | 7.2 | 15 | 13 | 83.2 | 72 | 403 | 5.6 | 0 |
| 2001 | TEN | 15 | 15 | 7–8 | 264 | 431 | 61.3 | 3,350 | 7.8 | 21 | 12 | 90.2 | 75 | 414 | 5.5 | 4 |
| 2002 | TEN | 16 | 16 | 11–5 | 301 | 492 | 61.2 | 3,387 | 6.9 | 22 | 15 | 84.0 | 82 | 440 | 5.4 | 3 |
| 2003 | TEN | 14 | 14 | 10–4 | 250 | 400 | 62.5 | 3,215 | 8.0 | 24 | 7 | 100.4 | 38 | 138 | 3.6 | 4 |
| 2004 | TEN | 8 | 8 | 3–5 | 129 | 215 | 60.0 | 1,343 | 6.2 | 8 | 9 | 73.1 | 23 | 128 | 5.6 | 1 |
| 2005 | TEN | 14 | 14 | 4–10 | 292 | 476 | 61.3 | 3,161 | 6.6 | 16 | 11 | 82.4 | 32 | 139 | 4.3 | 1 |
| 2006 | BAL | 16 | 16 | 13–3 | 295 | 468 | 63.0 | 3,050 | 6.5 | 16 | 12 | 82.5 | 45 | 119 | 2.6 | 1 |
| 2007 | BAL | 6 | 6 | 2–4 | 133 | 205 | 64.9 | 1,113 | 6.4 | 2 | 4 | 73.9 | 10 | 32 | 3.2 | 0 |
| Career | 161 | 153 | 91–62 | 2,733 | 4,544 | 60.1 | 31,304 | 6.9 | 174 | 119 | 82.8 | 669 | 3,590 | 5.4 | 37 | |
Postseason Statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | ||
| 1999 | TEN | 4 | 4 | 3–1 | 62 | 107 | 57.9 | 514 | 4.8 | 1 | 2 | 65.7 | 30 | 209 | 7.0 | 3 |
| 2000 | TEN | 1 | 1 | 0–1 | 24 | 46 | 52.2 | 176 | 3.8 | 0 | 1 | 52.4 | 5 | 31 | 6.2 | 0 |
| 2002 | TEN | 2 | 2 | 1–1 | 48 | 80 | 60.0 | 532 | 6.7 | 3 | 2 | 81.9 | 13 | 82 | 6.3 | 3 |
| 2003 | TEN | 2 | 2 | 1–1 | 32 | 49 | 65.3 | 369 | 7.5 | 2 | 4 | 67.5 | 6 | 27 | 4.5 | 0 |
| 2006 | BAL | 1 | 1 | 0–1 | 18 | 29 | 62.1 | 173 | 6.0 | 0 | 1 | 49.9 | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 0 |
| Career | 10 | 10 | 5–5 | 184 | 311 | 59.2 | 1,764 | 5.7 | 6 | 11 | 66.7 | 55 | 355 | 6.5 | 6 | |
Personal Life and Nickname
McNair was married to Mechelle McNair from June 21, 1997, until his death. He had two sons with Mechelle: Tyler and Trenton. He also had two other sons: Steve LaTreal McNair Jr. and Steven O'Brian McNair.
McNair earned the nickname "Air McNair" in high school. He opened his own restaurant in Nashville, which he named Gridiron9. His cousin is NFL linebacker Demario Davis.
Death and Memorial
Steve McNair passed away on July 4, 2009, at the age of 36.
The Titans held a two-day memorial at LP Field on July 8 and 9, 2009. Fans could visit and pay their respects to McNair. Highlights from his career were shown, and fans could sign books for the McNair family.
During the 2009 NFL season, every member of the Titans wore a special "9" sticker. It was placed on the back of each helmet to honor McNair. Funeral services were held for McNair on July 11. He was buried in Prentiss, Mississippi.
See also
In Spanish: Steve McNair para niños
