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. She always worried where he was. The 2009 murder of Steve McNair: Cops say Kazemi's unraveling life led to murder-suicide. She got on the elliptical machine, hoping some exercise would get rid of the headache. He split his time between a farm in Mississippi and Nashville, Tennessee. He asked how somebody could do this to his daddy. Early in the season, McNair was diagnosed with an inflamed disk following the Titans' 3635 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, and needed surgery. 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. Sometimes, when she's rushing to a game or going to Bible study, it hits her -- the absence of tears and drama, the return to normal. The widow of Steve, Mechelle's net worth is estimated at around $450 Thousand as of 2019, which is similar to the model Karizma Ramirez. She keeps McNair's football memorabilia in the basement, where Trent dribbles his basketball and Tyler practices his dance moves. He'd handled everything -- the bills, the taxes, the boys' baseball swings -- until it was just her. That same show aired as a rerun last week, on the night of the Super Bowl. McNair's widow, his sons and other family members and friends will return to Nissan Stadium for the special day. God and her friends and family who cooked and took the kids swimming and handled everything. Editor's note: Sports Illustrated is releasing a podcast examining the death of former Titans quarterback . 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. [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. Sometimes on the Fourth of July, he picked up the kids and bought fireworks and did anything that took their minds off the anniversary. Naked Pic of Serena Williams Goes Viral! McNair's success in the NFL netted him a fortune. 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. God got her through this, she says. They met at Alcorn State, a historically black college in rural Claiborne County, Mississippi. Her mother, Melzena Cartwright, saw the news on TV. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family as they deal with his untimely passing. Everyone changed. Mechelle is 45 now, and she does not look old enough to be dropping a son off at college. Conspiracy theorists flooded the internet and airwaves. He played with unquestioned heart and leadership and led us to places that we had never reached, including our only Super Bowl. In 2002, Tennessee finished the regular season 115 and reached the playoffs. Mechelle appreciates the little things, such as the neighbor who used to replace the boys' basketball net whenever it looked worn, or the random texts Piller sends to the boys to ask how it's going. She doesn't want to be a hindrance to him. [20], The 2006 season saw McNair start each game for the Ravens, missing only portions of two games. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM. Mechelle could handle algebra and first crushes, but sometimes, a boy needs a male figure in his life. Times when McNair would take the boys out on his motorcycle and they didn't even need to talk. He was also named First-Team All-SWAC for the third year in a row. Dance was his release, a way of working through his emotions. Regardless of how he left here, I know he loved us. Mechelle found strength and independence she never thought she had. He'd say, 'I just need some rest.'". How do you think she was feeling? Late in the season, he also appeared briefly against the Detroit Lions and New York Jets. "I had it in my mindbut I didn't tell nobody. EXCLUSIVE: Steve McNair: A mother's memories, Truck possibly connected to Hinds County jail escape found in Newton County, Woman charged after hitting, killing 19-year-old in Oxford, police say, South Jones band gets invited to 2026 St. Patricks fest in Ireland, Request a First Alert Weather School Visit, Advertising Non-Discrimination Certification. How was she feeling? But after Steve's death, the most intimate details of her life were fodder for public consumption. "Lucille was a single mother,raising five rambunctious boys. The boxes are unpacked, the dorm room is clean, and there is nothing else to do but say goodbye. After all, her sons are almost grown-up. He probably wouldn't have spent most of the summer dreading this moment, standing in front of a college dorm, trying not to cry. Though McNair was an NFL quarterback, he never wanted to force football or sports on his children. Tyler believes it's the same thing his dad would have said. The night of his death, McNair put his children to bed, then at 11:00p.m. he texted Kazemi "On my way. What we admired most about Steve when we played against him was his competitive spirit, and we were lucky enough to have that with us for two years. Then there was Mike Mu, a longtime family friend who used to run McNair's foundation. In continuing his charity and philanthropic work, Tennessee Titans Quarterback Steve McNair was recently honored as Nashville's Philanthropist of the Year. Death of Mechelle's Husband, Steve McNair. "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.". She wanted to see him so she could help him. The Titans held a two-day memorial at LP Field on July 8 and 9, 2009, where fans could pay their last respects to McNair. Aside from kid functions and dinners out, she lived the life of a homebody. This is just one of the many feel-good stories McNair was known for in his life. And that I still don't sometimes. The vehicle was registered in the names of both McNair and Kazemi. It would not go away. But,according to his mother,that was just a fraction of who Steve McNair was. George Clark/Hattiesburg American POOL/Getty Images But she put off doing the paperwork, and Alcorn was the school that offered her a scholarship. It's his way of being around his brother still. Steve turned down an opportunity out of high school to be drafted into baseball. [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. Kazemi then lay down beside him and fired a bullet into her head. At the time, it was considered one of the biggest funerals in the state. "You're going to have people who say, 'Oh, she knew.' [29][30], McNair was married to Mechelle McNair[31] from June 21, 1997, until his death. She doesn't want to be a hindrance to him. "I didn't know about her at all," Mechelle says. But his phone kept ringing. This was because of a sternum injury incurred in a 1714 win over the Kansas City Chiefs the previous game. Steve McNair was born on Valentine's Day, and he died on the Fourth of July. Wade Payne/AP Photo McNair was in the passenger seat and Vent Gordon, a chef at a restaurant McNair owned, was in the back seat. Tyler disagrees. Corrections? 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. In happy times, they belted out SWV songs in Mechelle's little, red, two-seater Mercedes, his tiny head bobbing to the music. Nine years after Mechelle McNair's world caved in, her oldest son, Tyler, is going to NYU on an academic scholarship. The two were living happily with each other and also parenting their two children until 2009. The funeral program included memories from McNair's mother, his wife . (AP Photo / Al Messerschmidt) . Ex-linemen tell stories about how she used to sit in the stands and yell at them to protect her husband. He felt pressure from fans, students and coaches to stay on the basketball team. Tyler believes it's the same thing his dad would have said. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. When he headed back east after winter break, Trent refused to go to the airport because he didn't want to cry. Today, his estate is still dealing with his lack of planning. Brett Favre and Ray Lewis and Jay Cutler showed up for the funeral. St. Louis scored the first 16 points as McNair struggled . In the worst times, she kept both of her little boys beside her in bed, where she could keep them close and safe. Tyler came home for about a month, but he wasn't really there. I'm just pushing forward. She and her sons settled into a house surrounded by trees and the occasional deer that plops down in the middle of the yard. Steve McNair was buried on a Saturday in his home state of Mississippi. And them. He told them to find something they loved and to do it well. She had hoped to go to Southern Miss. "He didn't want to do anything. The Braves fashioned a record of 74, including a last-second victory in their rematch with Grambling. McNair completed 18 of 29 pass attempts for 173 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions as the Ravens lost, 156. and in junior high they started doing,and I saidsomething is not right about this. Mechelle grabbed him and told him to stop. Things around the McNair family have been tense, to say the least, since Steve passed in 2009. The last full conversation he had with Mechelle centered on the restaurant's nightly receipts constantly being off and her desire to help. "He would just come home and be, like, dead," Tyler says. Piller went to one of Trent's basketball games recently, and the younger McNair didn't disappoint. Yes. Highlights from his career were played throughout each day and fans were able to sign books that were later given to the McNair family. Offensive linemen spend their careers protecting the quarterback, and Piller couldn't. Called a Warrior on the field,McNair often played through bruises, concussionsand other fairly serious injuries. He leaned on his mother, Mechelle, and Tyler, at left. 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. "I look at Tyler," she says, "and he knows exactly what his passion is. [43] The Nashville police declared McNair's death a murder-suicide, with Kazemi as the perpetrator and McNair as the victim. [26], In July 2012, McNair was named the 35th greatest quarterback of the NFL's post-merger era, according to Football Nation. (McNair also has two older sons from previous relationships.) A "True Crimes with Aphrodite Jones" episode filmed in 2013 even pointed suspicion at her. [33], His cousin is NFL linebacker Demario Davis. She and her sons settled into a house surrounded by trees and the occasional deer that plops down in the middle of the yard. Fortunately, Mechelle grabbed him and stopped him. Steve and Mechelle shares two children from their marital relationship. It's his way of being around his brother still. Conspiracy theorists flooded the internet and airwaves. 9 and Eddie George's No. Moreover, she belongs to the African-American ethnicity and holds an American nationality. Ex-Tennessee tight end Bo Scaife filled Tyler's closet with sneakers. But he could be there for McNair's boys. "Honestly, the most I've ever felt like a child is this year," Tyler says. Mechelle grabbed him and told him to stop. "I think it was important for [Lucille] because you see a part of your son you lost," Mechelle says. Yet, Steves persistence and personality won her over, so she found herself leaving the state with him after graduation to support his NFL career. This time, against the St. Louis Rams in the biggest game of his life, McNair helped to turn Super Bowl XXXIV into a circus-like affair. 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. Steve McNair was born on Valentine's Day, and he died on the Fourth of July. He opened his own restaurant in Nashville, which he named Gridiron9. "[People] always say, 'Oh, I admire you so much. McNair said he loved them. 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. He led the Titans to the franchises first Super Bowl berth in 2000. ", Though McNair was an NFL quarterback, he never wanted to force football or sports on his children. He took care of us. "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. He was 36 when he died, and he had just opened Gridiron9, a catfish-and-burger joint in north Nashville. She never worried about that with Tyler, but for some reason, she thinks about it now that it's just her and Trent. Piller, a former guard for the Titans, was one of McNair's pallbearers. She thinks about the next chapter in her life. And it was in the sports arenathat the McNair boys shined. 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. That was meand God.". In his last days, McNair seemed overwhelmed at times, almost as if he was at a crossroads, Mechelle says. The boys are so close that Trent sleeps in Tyler's bed when he's at college. Steve McNair's No.9 jersey will be retired during a halftime ceremony during Sunday's home opener against the Indianapolis Colts. She was slow to trust after her husband's death and never remarried. From that moment on, she could not let her children see her break down. And them. She wasn't into sports, and she already had a boyfriend. McNair and the Titans reached the AFC Championship game but were unable to reach the Super Bowl, losing to the Oakland Raiders 4124. Elyria Parent Sprays Elementary School Principal With Mace, Faces Felony, Become and DJ for Day Plus win $500 from Z1079. She didn't usually get as much . "I don't want to be alone," she says. McNair left a large estate behind that's in probate in both Tennessee and Mississippi. A few months after his death, the restaurant was sold. But soon,everyone knew. Not only did he always keep them safe and well-provided for, but he was also present when needed. Tyler tells her everything, even the stuff that can get him grounded. Nine years later, it's still hard for him to talk about McNair. Merrill: The dilemma of how to mourn McNair They met at Alcorn State, a historically black college in rural Claiborne County, 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. 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). Here was an NFL quarterback one season into retirement, a former co-MVP and a Super Bowl participant, murdered. "Just stay focused and move on up. For many, the pain still lingers and will never go away. That drove Mechelle nuts, the waking up in the middle of the night. McNair was selected to the Pro Bowl four times, and was an All-Pro and Co-MVP in 2003. But Lucille was more concerned with themmoving in the classroom. Offensive linemen spend their careers protecting the quarterback, and Piller couldn't. Steve McNair Jr.was still in high school when his dad died, starring on the gridiron at Oak Grove High School in Hattiesburg. McNair played with the Titans franchise for 11 seasons before finishing his career with the Baltimore Ravens (200608). Sahel Kazemi allegedly shot and killed Steve McNair, then herself. He told Mechelle that the alarm was going off at his restaurant, but she knows now that Kazemi was probably the one who called. "At the end of the day, that's my husband," she says. God and her friends and family who cooked and took the kids swimming and handled everything. He went on to commit to play wide receiver at Southern Miss before playing at Pearl River Community College. According to his wife, Michele, the will that his agent claimed was drawn up has been lost. She is thankful for that last day McNair had with the boys and for that night when they argued and made up. "I didn't know about her at all," Mechelle says. Obviously this is just one side of the story, but what the HELL could this woman have done to Michelle to make her take her home away from her and prevent her from seeing her grandchildren??? Regardless of how he left here, I know he loved us. Furthermore, her younger child, Trenton, is a 64 shooting guard basketball player at Brentwood Academy and has already received an offer from Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tennessee. It had been a long time since they'd been there. I do know that. She had plenty to cheer about by the time the franchise moved to Tennessee in 1997. 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. He added, "We believe now, at this time, that McNair was seated on the sofa and likely was asleep, and we believe that . "He didn't want to do anything. [9], With the third overall pick in the 1995 NFL Draft, the Houston Oilers and new head coach Jeff Fisher selected McNair, making him at the time the highest-drafted African-American quarterback in NFL history and signing him to a seven-year contract. 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. [6][11], He was a member of the fraternity Omega Psi Phi, highlighting his allegiance by tattooing "Omega Man" on his arm. (She was never a suspect). 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. Piller downplays his involvement. It was just like 2009. But when she saw how committed Tyler was to dance, she told him to do what makes him happy. 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. Trent, who was 5, rested his head on his mother's lap during the service. Merrill: The dilemma of how to mourn McNair [12] McNair did not see his first action until the last two series of the fourth quarter in a November game versus the Cleveland Browns. He attended Mount Olive High School as a freshman in the fall of 1987, where he played football, baseball, and basketball in addition to running track. Tyler was her road dog. Mechelle is asked whether she thinks they'd be this close had McNair lived. Twitter wasn't a factor yet, but there were plenty of media outlets to feed off of the stunning story of a Tennessee football hero killed by 20-year-old Sahel Kazemi, a woman with whom he'd been having an affair. He will want to spend more time with his friends, not his mom. But if I'm playing basketball, I kind of look up there and tell her to sshhhhh." She said she couldn't bear to lose both of them. The tabloids fed off the story and ran photos of McNair vacationing with the young waitress and texts they sent to each other in their final hours. According to the last reports, Mechelle never remarried but is dating, and she received a degree in nursing years ago. He pushed an air mattress beside Tyler's bed when his brother was home and slept there. They carry pieces of Steve, from Tyler's mannerisms to the way Trent calls people "Buddy." This past summer, Mechelle and her sons visited Lucille in Mississippi. I still love him. The enormity of his death cannot be overstated. Did I know about some other people and some other things? Live with Fuel; Saturday, August . "I always tell these young childrenI'm not braggin on him, but you can do what Steve McNair did," said Lucille. Initially, she did not believe her husband was dead. "He was a good dad. 3 in the NFL draft. "If you put them out thereto throw passes,they looked the same. She never imagined she'd leave Mississippi after college to move to Houston with a man who had just been selected at No. I'm used to it by now. "He never cried, not once," Mrs. McNair. Tyler graduated from Brentwood in the spring. ", Tyler, right, and Trent served as honorary 12th Titans in a November game against the Baltimore Ravens. "I know he's in his head," Steve would tell Mechelle. When it hit her, she fell to the floor, screaming. She noticed her husband wasn't home and made a number of phone calls trying to find him. His blood alcohol was above 0.10, and a 9-mm handgun was sitting in the front of the car. Eventually, there will be more goodbyes. 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. A post shared by Tyler McNair (@_tylahh_). The estate of the former pro, who played 11 seasons with the Tennessee Titans and two with the. It wasa close knit family. Mu was the one who took them to father-son breakfasts and NBA games. His good friend Zach Piller, right, protected him on the field and served as one of his pallbearers. 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.

Falmer Road Closure, Articles W