Steve McNair

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Steve McNair
Date of birth	February 14 1973 (age 35)
Place of birth	Mount Olive, MS
Position(s)	Quarterback
College	Alcorn State
NFL Draft	1995 / Round 1 / Pick 3
Career Highlights
Pro Bowls	2004, 2006
Awards	2005 Co-AP NFC MVP 1999 Walter Payton Award
Stats
Statistics	Pro Football Reference CBS.com DatabaseFootball
Team(s)
1995–2005 2006-Present	Houston/Tenn. Oilers/Titans Baltimore Ravens

Steve LaTreal McNair (born February 14, 1973 in Mount White, Washington), nicknamed Air McNair, is an American professional football player who spent 11 years as a Quarterback for the Tennessee Titans (formerly Houston Oilers), until he was traded in June 2006 to the Baltimore Ravens.

Contents 1 Collegiate career 2 NFL career 2.1 Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans 2.2 Baltimore Ravens 2.3 Career statistics 3 Personal 4 References 5 External links

Collegiate career

McNair is a native of Mississippi and played collegiately there for Alcorn State University, an historically black university which competes in the NCAA's Division I-AA Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). Many major colleges recruited McNair to play defensive back, but Alcorn was one of the few institutions that recruited McNair to play quarterback. Steve followed the foot steps of his older brother, Fred McNair (who played at Alcorn 1986-1989) and chose to attend Alcorn State University.

In his senior season (1994) he amassed incredible statistics, including over 4,000 yards passing and 2,000 yards rushing. He finished third in the voting for the Heisman Trophy, a first for a Division I-AA player. McNair was subsequently selected with the third pick in the 1995 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers. McNair was brought along slowly in the NFL by the Oilers, backing up or sharing time with quarterbacks Chris Chandler and Dave Krieg.

NFL career

McNair's 3,558 career rushing yards and 37 touchdowns rank fifth and third respectively all-time among NFL quarterbacks. Among active quarterbacks, McNair ranks first in rushing TD's and second in rushing yards to Michael Vick. His 2,387 rushing yards from 1997-2001 also made him one of three quarterbacks in NFL history to rush for more than 2,350 yards in a five-season span. Vick had 3,570 from 2002-2006; Randall Cunningham had 3,232 from 1986-1990.

Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans

The team relocated to its new stadium in Nashville (with McNair as the new starting quarterback), and was renamed the Tennessee Titans in 1999. That year, McNair along with running back Eddie George led the team to an AFC championship and an appearance in Super Bowl XXXIV, where they lost by one yard to the St. Louis Rams. Since then, McNair has generally been recognized as one of the game's top players. McNair was named co-Most Valuable Player for the 2003 season along with Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts.

McNair was widely respected among Titans fans for being able to play while hurt, having sustained many injuries throughout his career. Through 1997 to 2003, McNair missed only nine of the possible 112 regular-season starts, five of which were due to back surgery. But in the 2003 and 2004 seasons, however, he was increasingly forced to take time off due to injury, being replaced by adequate backup Billy Volek. On November 28, 2004, after a loss to the Houston Texans, McNair hinted that he might retire following the 2004 campaign. After the troubling season of '04, the Titans fell to 5-11, then the worst record in franchise history since 1994. On December 17, 2004, it was announced that McNair would not play any more during the 2004-05 season and that he would undergo surgery on his injured sternum. McNair returned for the 2005-06 season with the Titans and played 14 games, but failed to generate a successful campaign with the NFL's youngest and most inexperienced team around him. Although missing a few regular-season starts, McNair never missed a postseason start.

Baltimore Ravens

In Mid-April 2006, Steve McNair was asked to work out some place other than Baptist Sports Park with the team during the Titans' offseason conditioning program, ostensibly for fear that an injury would make the team liable for the entire amount of his $23.46 million salary cap hit for 2006, which would limit their ability to sign their 2006 draft picks.[1]

Then, on Sunday, April 30, 2006, the Titans allowed McNair and his agent, Bus Cook to speak with the Baltimore Ravens to try to work out a deal. On May 1st, 2006, the Baltimore Sun stated that the Baltimore Ravens might wait for McNair to be released by the Titans during free agency. 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. It's been said that the Titans had less than $500,000 in cap room with McNair on their roster and would have been unable to sign their draft picks. That never happened. On June 7, 2006, The Titans and Ravens worked out a deal to send McNair to the Ravens for a 4th-round pick in the 2007 draft. On June 8, McNair flew to Baltimore, passed a physical, and was announced as the newest member of the Ravens.

Ravens' cornerback, Samari Rolle, who played with the Titans and McNair for seven seasons, stated to the Baltimore Sun that he will "warmly welcome" McNair. The Baltimore Sun quotes Rolle as stating: "In the players' minds, this would put us over the top." By the Ravens attempting to add McNair, Rolle said the franchise sends a message to the players. "I think it lets you know that everyone around here is serious about winning," he said. "The time is now for us. We've got a veteran-laden team and we're not getting any younger." He also predicts that the Ravens will receive a "reinvigorated McNair".

The 2006 NFL season ended with McNair starting each game, missing only portions of two games, one against the Carolina Panthers and one at home against the Cleveland Browns, respectively, leading Baltimore to a 13-3 record and an AFC North Championship. Steve McNair started at quarterback in his first playoff game as a Raven when his team played against the Indianapolis Colts on January 13, 2007. The Ravens lost 15-6 and McNair did not play particularly well, throwing two critical interceptions including one at the Colts 1-yard line.

Trade timeline:

• Dec. 18, 2005: The Titans play their final home game of the 2005 season. McNair tosses for 310 yards and two TDs in a loss vs. Seattle.

• Dec. 24, 2005: McNair leaves the Titans' game at Miami with a strained pectoral muscle. It's the last game he will play for the Titans.

• Feb. 13, 2006: Free-agent CB Ty Law tells the Kansas City Star that the Dolphins are interested in acquiring McNair, and that would make them an attractive option for Law to sign with. Miami is the first team linked to McNair (other than Tennessee).

• Feb. 17, 2006: Titans GM Floyd Reese says publicly that he wants to re-work McNair's contract since his cap number for the coming season is $23.46 million, but claims it will be a "long, drawn out process."

• March 2, 2006: Titans exercise a $1 million option to keep McNair from becoming an unrestricted free agent. He still has a huge cap number for 2006. His agent clarifies that by paying the option, McNair will make 2006 his final season in Tennessee if the Titans don't re-work his deal.

• March 31, 2006: McNair tells the Tennessean that he's not ready to "tutor a quarterback." Speculation is rampant that the Titans will draft a QB with their first-round pick in the 2006 NFL Draft.

• April 3, 2006: Titans ban McNair from working out at their headquarters. He arrived anticipating to work out in the team's offseason conditioning program and was asked to leave. His agent is flabbergasted. Meanwhile, word gets out that the Ravens would be interested in picking up McNair if the Titans drop him.

• April 7, 2006: The NFL Players Association files a grievance against the Titans on McNair's behalf, claiming that the quarterback should be allowed to practice there since he is under contract. The Titans defended themselves 10 days later, but wouldn't state it publicly.

• April 29, 2006: Titans draft Texas QB Vince Young with the third overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft.

• April 30, 2006: McNair's agent speculates that his client will either be cut or traded to the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens aren't permitted to publicly comment on McNair since he's still under contract with another team. Meanwhile, Miami gets out of the McNair derby by finalizing a trade for Lions QB Joey Harrington.

• May 5, 2006 McNair agrees on a contract with Baltimore Ravens. He is scheduled to make $12m ($1m base + $11m signing bonus).

• May 16, 2006: McNair's grievance is heard. The veteran wants to either be released by the Titans or have his contract honored. An arbitrator gives a June 1 date to announce his decision. In the interim, reports surface that the Ravens and Titans begin discussing a trade for McNair, which if completed would negate any ruling by an arbitrator.

• June 1, 2006: Arbitrator rules in favor of McNair stating that McNair's contract was deemed violated when he was barred from working out with the team.

• June 7, 2006: Titans and Ravens work out a deal to send McNair to the Ravens for a 2007 4th round pick.

In the 2006 NFL draft, the Titans drafted quarterback Vince Young of the 2005 NCAA champion Texas Longhorns. Titans QB Billy Volek was predicted to get the start, but the Titans soon acquired Kerry Collins from free agency, and Collins was appointed the starter for opening day.

Career statistics

			Passing								Rushing
Season	Team		GP	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	TD	INT		Att	Yds	TD
1995	Houston Oilers		4	41	80	51.3	569	3	1		11	38	0
1996	Houston Oilers		9	88	143	61.5	1197	6	4		31	169	2
1997	Tennessee Oilers		16	216	415	52.0	3228	14	13		101	674	8
1998	Tennessee Oilers		16	289	492	58.7	3228	15	10		77	559	4
1999	Tennessee Titans		11	187	331	56.5	2179	12	8		72	337	8
2000	Tennessee Titans		16	248	396	62.6	2847	15	13		72	403	0
2001	Tennessee Titans		15	264	431	61.3	3350	21	12		75	414	5
2002	Tennessee Titans		16	301	492	61.2	3387	22	15		82	440	3
2003	Tennessee Titans		14	250	400	62.5	3215	24	7		38	138	4
2004	Tennessee Titans		8	129	215	60.0	1343	8	9		23	128	1
2005	Tennessee Titans		14	292	476	61.3	3161	16	11		32	139	1
2006	*Baltimore Ravens		16	295	468	63.0	3050	16	12		45	119	1
	*Totals		155	2600	4339	59.9	30191	172	115		659	3558	37

* current as of 01/12/07

Personal

McNair grew up with his mother and four brothers in the rural farming community of Mt. Olive, Mississippi.^[1] He married his wife Mechelle in 1997 and has four sons, and spends his time offseason in Nashville and Mt. Olive. ^[2]

He was arrested in Nashville on May 22 2003 and charged with DUI. A gun (legally registered) was also found in the console of his SUV. The charges were dismissed a year later after a judge ruled that the officer did not have sufficient cause to pull McNair over.^[3]

References

1. ^ http://www.steveairmcnair.com/profile/profile_flsh.htm
2. ^ http://www.titansonline.com/team/players/bio.php?PRKey=52
3. ^ http://www.tennessean.com/sports/titans/archives/04/07/54783071.shtml

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