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. Here Are The 7 Best Date Night Restaurants in Cleveland! Nothing's going to change how I feel about my husband. NFL home Their normal. He played with unquestioned heart and leadership and led us to places that we had never reached, including our only Super Bowl. The team would not let him rehab in its building because it feared an injury would force the franchise to pay him $23.46 million (his contract had been restructured so often that his salary cap reached a hard-to-manage amount). A few months after his death, the restaurant was sold. [21] Speculation was that the Titans might hold onto McNair until the week before training camp in late July if the Ravens didn't come up with a satisfactory trade offer for McNair according to a league source. just standing in the pocket," said Lucille. He never forced his sons to play sports. The pressure to be Steve McNair's son weighs heavily. It has been exactly ten years of Steve's demise. Fred and Timboth played football, and younger brother Steve was magic,in both footballand baseball. The investigation later revealed that they were in a romantic relationship for over six months, and the two also texted each other, saying love you and love you too before the incident happened. "I look at Tyler," she says, "and he knows exactly what his passion is. Sports was always one of the tougher areas for Mechelle to navigate. Mechelle could handle algebra and first crushes, but sometimes, a boy needs a male figure in his life. ", Tyler, right, and Trent served as honorary 12th Titans in a November game against the Baltimore Ravens. He did not have a will, creating a painful mess that dragged on for years. As they enter new stages of their lives, they wonder what their father would think. "[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. Yes. Mechelle didn't particularly want to go to such a tiny school. More on Steve McNair Eventually, he grew on her. McNair set career records for the Football Championship Series with 14,496 passing yards, as well as the division record for total offensive yards with 16,823 career yards. She would not lose it in front of them. He never forced his sons to play sports. George Gojkovich/Getty Images. "I know what he's thinking. She doesn't want to go through any more pain. He was human. [53], Dyson was unable to break the plane of the goal line, "Titans to Retire Steve McNair's No. He was known as one of the toughest men in football, playing through myriad injuries. McNair was known for his tenacity in playing through injuries and his dexterity as a scrambler or passer. Mechelle found strength and independence she never thought she had. Steelers coach Bill Cowher said that he called a timeout before the winning kick took place. Mechelle knows life will change again soon, when Trent gets his driver's license. 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. SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE. "What's my purpose? "He was the first person to come," Tyler says. "I think it was important for [Lucille] because you see a part of your son you lost," Mechelle says. 3 in the NFL draft. Fortunately, Mechelle grabbed him and stopped him. "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. The 45 acre 6 bedroom ranch in Collins, MS was built by McNair for his mother; a gift to a woman, who as a single mom raised 5 rowdy boys in poor, rural Mississippi. He says she needs to go out more, to have fun sometimes. Before she met McNair, Mechelle never thought she would get married. A "True Crimes with Aphrodite Jones" episode filmed in 2013 even pointed suspicion at her. Piller went to one of Trent's basketball games recently, and the younger McNair didn't disappoint. According to his wife, Michele, the will that his agent claimed was drawn up has been lost. [29][30], McNair was married to Mechelle McNair[31] from June 21, 1997, until his death. Steve McNair was born on Valentine's Day, and he died on the Fourth of July. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. He was a tenacious defender who helped his team win two state championships. McNair was born in a small tin-roofed house in Mount Olive, Mississippi on February 14, 1973. The boys call Mu "Uncle Mike." In his senior year alone, he set a single-season FCS mark by totaling 5,799 yards and finished third in the balloting for the 1994 Heisman Trophy. She once took him on a girlfriends-only trip to the Bahamas, and if anyone took issue with it, well, tough. Because I hurt like everybody else. Everyone changed. According to Piller, Trent hit five 3-pointers. He said he had to go, and kissed the boys goodbye. ", McNair was known as one of the toughest players in the NFL. The boys call Mu "Uncle Mike." [47] The police later stated that after being released from jail, Kazemi purchased the gun from a convicted murderer she met while looking for a buyer for her Kia. He says that McNair would do the same thing for him, and that what he does isn't much. He will want to spend more time with his friends, not his mom. Mechelle McNair married to Steve McNair on 1997 and divorce on 2009. 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. Jul 06, 2009 at 12:08 pm. "I look at Tyler," she says, "and he knows exactly what his passion is. E:60's John Minton III and Ryan Smith contributed to this report. His total offense averages were 571 y/g over 11 games. Merrill: The dilemma of how to mourn McNair Naked Pic of Serena Williams Goes Viral! If I'm playing football and I hear her, I kind of just ignore it. He said he couldn't live without his daddy and wanted to kill himself. "You know boys are going to be boys," she said. Eddie George Then & Now . She would go to her room, door closed, and sob. "When I think about it, I don't want to be old and not have anybody to spend my last days with. 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. When McNair was alive, if one of the boys was struggling with a batting stance or a shot, he could go outside, spend 30 minutes with him and get it figured out. "They ain't got nothing,he would say. Following the Titans bye week Neil O'Donnell started against his former team but after ODonnell threw three picks he was sacked out of the game in the final four minutes. It has been exactly ten years of Steve's demise. After killing Steve, Kazemi killed herself, and her body was also laying down on the floor. I don't. He wore bandages for weeks. I'm used to it by now. Initially, she did not believe her husband was dead. "Steve was a good person," Mechelle's mother says. NFL home "I didn't know about her at all," Mechelle says. One year after former Tennessee Titans star Steve McNair was shot and killed, details emerge about the life of Sahel Kazemi, the woman who police say pulled the trigger then turned the gun on herself. So, it is safe to say that she is currently a single woman. 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. It is a misdemeanor offense in Tennessee for an owner of a motor vehicle to knowingly allow an intoxicated person to drive the vehicle. Kazemi then lay down beside him and fired a bullet into her head. McNair's widow, his sons and other family members and friends will return to Nissan Stadium for the special day. He says she needs to go out more, to have fun sometimes. We've joined the BHM Digital family of websites and have updated our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. McNair and the Titans reached the AFC Championship game but were unable to reach the Super Bowl, losing to the Oakland Raiders 4124. The full schedule includes: Advertisement. McNair was in the passenger seat and Vent Gordon, a chef at a restaurant McNair owned, was in the back seat. "She's very vocal," Trent says. She wasn't into sports, and she already had a boyfriend. Steve McNair's No.9 jersey will be retired during a halftime ceremony during Sunday's home opener against the Indianapolis Colts. 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. The house actually had been on the market before McNair died, but then the housing crisis hit, and it bounced on and off the listings for four years. In that contest, McNair returned from an injury and helped Alcorn State, trailing late in the final period, move deep into Tigers' territory. The transition from football player to businessman was not smooth. (AP Photo / Al Messerschmidt) . She wanted to be a doctor and wanted one child, but she didn't think much about a partner. He didn't just turn out all right. He kissed Mechelle and told her he loved her, too. She would go to her room, door closed, and sob. But it gets worse, she told Steves mom to pay $3,000 rent or get the hell out! Over that time, McNair threw 119 touchdown passes and set an FCS record by throwing and running for a combined 16,823 yards. Piller downplays his involvement. He told them to find something they loved and to do it well. He felt comfortable in the country, near his siblings and his mother, Lucille. 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.". He pictured his dad sitting in a pew, his leg sticking out in the aisle because the seat was too small for his giant body. Piller downplays his involvement. Everyone wanted to know what Mechelle was feeling. The gun was also found near her dead body at the crime scene. She was slow to trust after her husband's death and never remarried. But McNair was persistent. She got on the elliptical machine, hoping some exercise would get rid of the headache. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. "I don't want him to look at me and say, 'Oh, my mom is just kind of relaxed,'" she says. "I know what he's thinking. The Players Association's filed a grievance on his behalf in which an arbitrator ruled that the team violated its contract, opening the possibility for a trade. "If you put them out thereto throw passes,they looked the same. Maybe they would have been anyway, had Steve McNair not been killed. He ran to the kitchen and got a knife. In 2013, she sold their 13,000-square-foot house and moved to a smaller home. So, there is not much information about what she do for a living. Tyler graduated from Brentwood in the spring. God and her friends and family who cooked and took the kids swimming and handled everything. Her mother, Melzena Cartwright, saw the news on TV. He'd handled everything -- the bills, the taxes, the boys' baseball swings -- until it was just her. Tyler, who is majoring in biology at NYU while continuing to pursue his dancing dreams, forged a path so different from his father's. She noticed her husband wasn't home and made a number of phone calls trying to find him. At the time, it was considered one of the biggest funerals in the state. And I said what you ain't got,you can't miss it.". If I'm playing football and I hear her, I kind of just ignore it. The last full conversation he had with Mechelle centered on the restaurant's nightly receipts constantly being off and her desire to help. She never played. He told them to find something they loved and to do it well. I'm not going to do it." She had plans. What's my passion?" 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. [6], McNair had two sons by Mechelle: Tyler and Trenton; and two sons Steve LaTreal McNair Jr. and Steven O'Brian McNair by two other women before they married. Years ago, after Cartwright lost her own husband, Steve had told her to pack her bags and come live with them. She once took him on a girlfriends-only trip to the Bahamas, and if anyone took issue with it, well, tough. So now that years have gone by, we cant help but wonder about the people Steve left behind. 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. In the winter of 2016, Tyler was one of the best basketball players at Brentwood Academy, a Christian school with a powerhouse basketball program. McNair left a large estate behind that's in probate in both Tennessee and Mississippi. In 2005, he played in 14 games because of a back injury. One year after former Tennessee Titans star Steve McNair was shot and killed, details emerge about the life of Sahel Kazemi, the woman who police say pulled the trigger then turned the gun on herself. His blood alcohol was above 0.10, and a 9-mm handgun was sitting in the front of the car. I'm just pushing forward. The fact that he was the quarterback everyone on campus was talking about held no currency with Mechelle. It wasa close knit family. But he could be there for McNair's boys. But he could be there for McNair's boys. He was the starting quarterback for Alcorn State for all but one game in his four-year college football career. Copyright 2016 MSNewsNow. Named to the Pro Bowl for the first time, McNair sat out the game due to a shoulder injury.[15]. When a parent dies young and leaves behind children, people make promises. Mechelle could handle algebra and first crushes, but sometimes, a boy needs a male figure in his life. "That word will always get to me. "He said, 'but they need me and I'm not going to let them down.' In 2007, McNair did not play in Week 2 against the Jets in which the Ravens won 2013. Here was an NFL quarterback one season into retirement, a former co-MVP and a Super Bowl participant, murdered. In continuing his charity and philanthropic work, Tennessee Titans Quarterback Steve McNair was recently honored as Nashville's Philanthropist of the Year. According to Piller, Trent hit five 3-pointers. Well, thats when the drama started between his wife and mom. He sees flashes of his friend, and it helps him stay close to him. Tyler, who was 10, started crying. "He never cried, not once," Mrs. McNair. Times when McNair would take the boys out on his motorcycle and they didn't even need to talk. But she put off doing the paperwork, and Alcorn was the school that offered her a scholarship. She wanted to see him so she could help him. Dance was his release, a way of working through his emotions. Stephen Steve LaTreal McNair fathered his namesake and Steven OBrian McNair through different relationships before he met, fell in love, and tied the knot with his only wife, Mechelle McNair, on June 21, 1997. McNair's 2,665 passing yards were the most for the Oilers in a season since Warren Moon in 1993, and his 13 interceptions were the fewest for a single season in franchise history. "He was tough from day one.". When his father passed away, Steve McNair Jr. was a star wide receiver at Oak Grove High School in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Right now, my mom's here with me, but like when Trent's gone off to school and meets somebody, and then my mom, who knows how long -- I'm not saying who's going to go before who because that's not necessarily true -- but she's older. In his senior season, McNair gained 6,281 combined yards rushing (904) and passing (5,377), along with 56 touchdowns. I still love him. The closest town, if you want to call it that, is Lorman, a community with one known claim to fame, the Old Country Store, which serves fried chicken that people drive hours for. Steve McNair was buried on a Saturday in his home state of Mississippi. Mechelle had just found out. The Titans ended at 124, the same record as the Colts, but Indianapolis took the AFC South division championship by virtue of its two victories over Tennessee. He made a mistake. Well, that's when the drama started between his wife and mom. But Fred was more,Fred would pick you apart. She is dating someone, but meeting people has been a struggle. The enormity of his death cannot be overstated. Mechelle McNair filed the lawsuit last week against Vincent Hill, a cameraman known as John Doe, Crime Watch Daily, and one of the show's employees, Andrew Isom. I do know that. Mechelle grabbed him and told him to stop. There was one problem: His heart wasn't in it anymore, and he wanted to dance instead. Deadly Recall: Air McNair is an episode that examines the life, slaying, and aftermath of renowned NFL quarterback Stephen McNair, who died at the age of 36 and left behind a shocked family and fanbase. In happy times, they belted out SWV songs in Mechelle's little, red, two-seater Mercedes, his tiny head bobbing to the music. He was 36 when he died, and he had just opened Gridiron9, a catfish-and-burger joint in north Nashville. Following a 133 season in 2000 which ended in a playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens, McNair put together his most productive year as a pro in 2001. [32], McNair earned the nickname "Air McNair" in high school. Mechelle found strength and independence she never thought she had. When you walk into Lucille McNair's memory room, it's hard not be overwhelmed with the accomplishments of her sons, especially the one known as Steve "Air" McNair; a legacy she says began when Steve was a young boy, following in the footsteps of his older brother Fred. In the process, he surpassed more than a dozen records and was named an All-American. McNair's success in the NFL netted him a fortune. I feel like I'm the weakest person sometimes. He asked how somebody could do this to his daddy. And them. "I had it in my mindbut I didn't tell nobody. They hug, and Tyler wants to tell her something before she goes back home to Tennessee. Dont miss to subscribe to our new feeds, kindly fill the form below. A few months after his death, the restaurant was sold. But soon,everyone knew. Further, he was buried at Griffith Cemetery in Prentiss, Mississippi, and over 5000 people attended his funeral. Just 24 hours earlier, McNair had taken his sons fishing. They met at Alcorn State, a historically black college in rural Claiborne County, Mississippi. Called a Warrior on the field,McNair often played through bruises, concussionsand other fairly serious injuries. "I think it was important for [Lucille] because you see a part of your son you lost," Mechelle says. "He was the first one saying how proud he was of me and how proud my dad would be." Late in the season, he also appeared briefly against the Detroit Lions and New York Jets. He ran his finger through the print and sounded out the words he knew. Eventually, there will be more goodbyes. McNair threw for 3,228 yards and 15 touchdowns in '98, and he led the Titans to the Super Bowl a year later. "[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 always worried where he was. "Nope," she says. Everyone changed. ". He also played for the Baltimore Ravens. He was catching up with friends and hanging out at Waffle House at 2 in the morning. 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. "He was the first one saying how proud he was of me and how proud my dad would be. Maybe they would have been anyway, had Steve McNair not been killed. She was so happy at the end of their talk, when he said she could attend the next employee meeting. In his stead entered Neil O'Donnell, a veteran who had guided the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Super Bowl four years earlier. She has thought about becoming a foster parent. I'm used to it by now. She thinks he shows his emotions too much. She never played. Piller, a former guard for the Titans, was one of McNair's pallbearers. Sahel Kazemi allegedly shot and killed Steve McNair, then herself. Mechelle is asked whether she thinks they'd be this close had McNair lived. "At the end of the day, that's my husband," she says. And that I still don't sometimes. Mechelle says she could hear Steve's footsteps in the house sometimes. He didn't want to watch TV, didn't want to eat anything. Tyler was her road dog. The game had a controversial finish when, after missing a game-winning field goal at the end of regulation time and a second failed kick in overtime was negated because of a controversial running-into-the-kicker penalty on Pittsburgh's Dewayne Washington, kicker Joe Nedney won the game from 26 yards out 2:15 into overtime. They hug, and Tyler wants to tell her something before she goes back home to Tennessee. [39][40][41] After killing him, Kazemi sat on the couch beside him and shot herself in the temple. McNair played in all sixteen games in 2000 but did not start the first of two annual games against the Steelers. "They were slipping and playing football on the peewee team. "He would just come home and be, like, dead," Tyler says. "[People] always say, 'Oh, I admire you so much. He was quiet until you knew him, and he waited a while to talk to her. He was 36 years old. Hell graduate high school in 2022, whereas his elder brother will graduate college in 2021. Brett Favre and Ray Lewis and Jay Cutler showed up for the funeral. Times when McNair would take the boys out on his motorcycle and they didn't even need to talk. That was meand God.". "When they were saying hand him the Heisman,I was likewhat is the Heisman and they were giving me different people names who had won the Heisman.". In his last days, McNair seemed overwhelmed at times, almost as if he was at a crossroads, Mechelle says. A "True Crimes with Aphrodite Jones" episode filmed in 2013 even pointed suspicion at her. [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. He ran to the kitchen and got a knife. "I feel like I'm just living. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. It's his way of being around his brother still. Aside from kid functions and dinners out, she lived the life of a homebody. So instead,he headed to Alcorn State University,following his brothers Fredand Tim. [33], His cousin is NFL linebacker Demario Davis. In 2001, McNair registered career passing highs in yards (3,350), completions (264), touchdowns (21), and quarterback rating (90.2). I know how it is when you ain't got nothing,and I never believed that I would be in this position to help other people," said Lucille. "They never complained about other children having this and they couldn't have that;they never complained.". Ex-linemen tell stories about how she used to sit in the stands and yell at them to protect her husband. Before everything changed. Elyria Parent Sprays Elementary School Principal With Mace, Faces Felony, Become and DJ for Day Plus win $500 from Z1079. But she put off doing the paperwork, and Alcorn was the school that offered her a scholarship. But did I know about her? McNair said he loved them. Then there was Mike Mu, a longtime family friend who used to run McNair's foundation. After the death of her husband, she has not married nor has any relationship with other men. She had hoped to go to Southern Miss. Tyler and Trent immediately flipped into kid mode, running around with their cousins, sprawling out on sleeping bags at bedtime, swearing they'd stay up all night. The Steve Miller Band; Friday, July 7. The old home had too many memories. But if I'm playing basketball, I kind of look up there and tell her to sshhhhh." Steve and Mechelle shares two children from their marital relationship. After the 2005 season, McNair was traded to the Baltimore Ravens, with whom he played for two seasons before retiring. Nine years after Mechelle McNair's world caved in, her oldest son, Tyler, is going to NYU on an academic scholarship. It was a good day for two little boys who saw their dad as a superhero. On a recent winter afternoon, Mechelle is sitting in the dining room of their house in the hills of Nashville, waiting to pick Trent up from school. "They were wrestling all the time,tearing thebed down and fixing the bed back up. Tyler disagrees. Tyler was her road dog. 3 in the NFL draft. In the worst times, she kept both of her little boys beside her in bed, where she could keep them close and safe. 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 well-known footballer, Steve, died on 4 July 2009 at the age of 46. He was quiet until you knew him, and he waited a while to talk to her. "[People] always say, 'Oh, I admire you so much. We immediately think of his family, his boys. Her husband would have done things differently. Piller likes to mess with Trent sometimes and tells him he could probably jump higher if he'd cut his long hair. This past summer, Mechelle and her sons visited Lucille in Mississippi. He made at least $90 million in salary over his 13-year career with the Houston Oilers, Tennessee Titans and. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM. He added, "We believe now, at this time, that McNair was seated on the sofa and likely was asleep, and we believe that . [35] McNair was not arrested, instead leaving in a taxi with Gordon, despite Kazemi repeatedly asking the arresting officer to tell McNair to come to the police car to talk to her. He was still trying to figure out his world outside of football. He'd say, 'I just need some rest.'" "I think that [Trent] would be attached to his dad." They carry pieces of Steve, from Tyler's mannerisms to the way Trent calls people "Buddy." That same show aired as a rerun last week, on the night of the Super Bowl. Thus, all of Steve's assets were left to her. Trent will put his hands on his hips and walk to the bench, and it reminds Piller of Steve heading to the huddle. She wanted to see him so she could help him. He leaned on his mother, Mechelle, and Tyler, at left. He was one of the finest players to play for our organization and one of the most beloved players by our fans. McNair left a large estate behind that's in probate in both Tennessee and Mississippi. She didn't usually get as much . Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). He didn't want to watch TV, didn't want to eat anything. He cleaned the fish when they got home that night, washed his truck and began to doze off on the couch. Kazemi then lay down beside him and fired a bullet into her head. Maybe she could do that. [35] Kazemi and McNair had been previously involved with each other romantically. Lucille saidpeople will never know how kind and gentle her son was,but she says hislegacy lives on through his four boys and his family. 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. She and her sons settled into a house surrounded by trees and the occasional deer that plops down in the middle of the yard. Mu was the one who took them to father-son breakfasts and NBA games. Her mother, Melzena Cartwright, saw the news on TV. When you walk into Lucille McNair's memory room,it's hard not be overwhelmed with the accomplishments of her sons, especially the oneknown as Steve "Air" McNair; alegacy she says beganwhen Steve was a young boy,following in the footsteps of his older brother Fred. The boys are so close that Trent sleeps in Tyler's bed when he's at college. "But Steve,his feet,he just moved. She received her degree in nursing years ago. Yes. The victory over Grambling helped the Braves qualify for the I-AA playoffs where they faced off against then-Northeast Louisiana, falling 7827 to the Indians on November 21, 1992.
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