Background and career
Stephen LaTreal McNair (February 14, 1973 – July 4, 2009), was an American professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. Nicknamed "Air", he spent the majority of his career with the Tennessee Titans franchise. He was the first African American quarterback to win NFL MVP and one of only four to receive the award. McNair played college football for the Alcorn State Braves, winning the Walter Payton Award in 1994. He was selected third overall in the 1995 NFL draft by the Houston Oilers a year before their relocation to Tennessee and became the starter by his third season. In 1999, McNair led the newly rebranded Titans to their first playoff appearance and win since 1993 en route to the franchise's Super Bowl debut in Super Bowl XXXIV. McNair went on to led the Titans to a total of four postseason runs, two division titles, and two AFC Championship Game appearances. He was named MVP in 2003 alongside Peyton Manning after leading the league in passer rating, in addition to receiving three Pro Bowl selections and one second-team All-Pro honor. Following 11 seasons with the Titans franchise, he was a member of the Baltimore Ravens in his last two years, helping the team clinch a division title in 2006. Two years after his retirement, McNair was shot and killed in 2009 by his mistress in a murder–suicide. He was posthumously inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2020.
McNair was born in a small tin-roofed house in Mount Olive, Mississippi, on February 14, 1973. He had four brothers, Fred, Jason, Michael, and Tim. McNair began attending Mount Olive High School in the fall of 1987, where he played football, baseball, and basketball in addition to running track. As a junior in 1989, McNair led the Mount Olive Pirates to the state championship. He also played free safety in high school, and in 1990 alone, McNair intercepted 15 passes, raising his career total to 30, which tied the mark established by Terrell Buckley at Pascagoula High School. An All-State selection (offense), McNair was named an All-American by Super Prep magazine (defense). The Seattle Mariners drafted McNair in the 35th round of the 1991 MLB amateur draft.
McNair was initially offered a full scholarship to the University of Florida to play running back, but wanting to play quarterback, he chose Alcorn State University, a Historically Black University that competes in the NCAA's Division I-AA (now known as the Football Championship Subdivision) Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). In 1992, McNair threw 3,541 yards and 29 touchdowns, and ran in for 10 more scores. The Braves fashioned a record of 7–4, including a last-second victory in their rematch with Grambling. In that game, McNair returned from an injury and helped Alcorn State, trailing late in the final period, move deep into Tigers' territory. Then, despite a leg injury, he tucked the ball under his arm and dove into the end zone for the winning touchdown. The victory over Grambling helped the Braves qualify for the I-AA playoffs where they faced off against then-Northeast Louisiana, falling 78–27 to the Indians on November 21, 1992. McNair helped Alcorn State to another good year in 1993, as the Braves upped their record to 8–3 while he threw for more than 3,000 yards and 30 touchdowns. McNair was also named First-Team All-SWAC for the third year in a row. As a senior, McNair gained 6,281 combined yards rushing (904) and passing (5,377), along with 56 touchdowns. His total offense averages were 571 y/g over 11 games, the all-divisions collegiate per game record. In the process, McNair surpassed more than a dozen records and was named an All-American. He also won the Walter Payton Award as the top I-AA player and finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting behind Rashaan Salaam and Ki-Jana Carter. McNair set career records for the Football Championship Series with 15,010 passing yards, as well as the division record for total offensive yards with 17,305 career yards. His record for career passing, total offensive yards, and total number of plays still stand, but his marks for career passing completions and attempts were eclipsed by Samford quarterback Devlin Hodges in 2018. McNair was a member of the fraternity Omega Psi Phi, highlighting his allegiance by tattooing "Omega Man" on his arm.
With the third overall pick in the 1995 NFL draft, the Houston Oilers and new head coach Jeff Fisher selected McNair in hopes of replacing former starter Warren Moon, making him at the time the highest-drafted African-American quarterback in NFL history and signing him to a seven-year contract. McNair did not see his first action until the last two series of the fourth quarter in a November game against the Cleveland Browns. Late in the season, McNair also appeared briefly against the Detroit Lions and New York Jets. In 1996, McNair remained a backup to Chris Chandler until starting a game in Week 15 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
McNair's first season as the Oilers' starter in 1997 (the team's first year in Tennessee) resulted in an 8–8 record for the team, which played its home games at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee. 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. McNair also led the team in rushing touchdowns with eight and ranked second behind running back Eddie George with 674 yards on the ground, at the time the third-highest total for a quarterback in NFL history.
In 1998, McNair set career passing highs with 492 attempts, 289 completions, 3,228 yards, and 15 touchdowns for the Oilers, now playing in Nashville. He also cut his interceptions to 10, helping his quarterback rating climb to 80.1.
