If you’ve tuned into TSN, ESPN, or any number of sports related websites, you already know what happened.  Details remain sketchy at this point, but what we know is that Steve McNair has passed away after being shot four times this weekend.  His girlfriend (he was also married) was found dead as well, with only one gunshot wound to the head, leading some to believe that it may have been a murder suicide committed by the girlfriend, who had apparently expected McNair to divorce his wife in order to be with her.  Another theory is that McNair’s girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend,  a gentleman by the name of Keith Norfleet, may have some explaining to do. 

Regardless of the circumstances, this is, as all death is, a tragic situation.  Some of the talk about the incident has focused on McNair’s infidelity, as he was married with children, yet apparently had been spending significant amounts of time with his 20 year old girlfriend.  That’s a shame, and I am of course in no way supporting his infidelity, but I think we should be focusing on the overwhelming amount of positive things McNair has done in his life, not the few negative ones.  Everyone has their personal issues.  Hell, we’ve spent the last week listening to breathless tributes from everyone under the sun honouring one of the weirdest celebrities ever to walk the earth.  The fact that Steve McNair was unfaithful to his wife (something, I might add, that is allegedly rampant in professional athlete circles) shouldn’t overshadow the immense tragedy that is his untimely death or the many wonderful things he did in his life.

On a personal note, Steve McNair meant a lot to me as an athlete.  Today, I’m a die hard Titans fan, and it was Steve McNair and the rest of that 1999/2000 Titans team that turned me onto NFL football when I was still young.  There was no reason for an 11 year old kid from Winnipeg to be a Tennessee fan.  Most people from the area tend to gravitate towards the Vikings due to proximity, or one of the classic power franchises like Dallas, Pittsburgh, or Washington.  But here I am, a fanatical Titans supporter to this very day, because I was just so damned impressed with the way Steve McNair played the game, as well as the way he carried himself off the field.  Every time he got a pass off before taking a huge hit, every time he delivered a blow to a defender on one of his great runs, every time he ran out onto that field on Sunday after not practicing all week, and every time he willed an undermanned, overmatched Titans team to victory, I gained respect for Steve McNair.  And if you were a fan of the Titans in the early 2000s, you know all of those things happened a lot.  It’s hard for me to think of a single athlete that has meant more to me over the course of his career than Steve McNair.  Steve McNair (and Eddie George, who go hand in hand for me) not only turned me into a Steve McNair fan, he also turned me into a fan of his team, and his sport.  That is a rare occurence, one that had never happened to me before, and given my appreciation of most sports these days, one that could never happen to me again.

So, whether you were a fan of Steve McNair or not, I urge you to look past the details of this tragic event and focus on the ultimate result.  The football community has lost one of its great players, one of its great competitors, and one of its great ambassadors.  The same can be said for the city of Nashville and the Titans organization, both of which benefitted tremendously from the presence of Steve McNair, even following his departure from the team and his retirement.

In order to give those of you who may not have fully experienced McNair’s career an impression of what type of player and person he was, I’m going to leave you with a collection of quotes gathered from two articles written about him.  One is from Jason Cole of Yahoo, and the other from ESPN.

“Literally, I didn’t see him at all in the locker room or at practice. We were playing the Steelers that week, so it was a huge game … he doesn’t practice the whole week and throws for three touchdowns, has one of his best games.” – Drew Bennet (Former Titans WR)

“There were times that Steve could barely walk through the locker room on Wednesday and Thursday and he’d get out on the field Sunday.  “And he wasn’t faking it like some of those pretty-boy quarterbacks do sometimes. We’d watch him take shot after shot. You’d really wonder sometimes if he was going to get up.” – Kevin Carter (Former Titans DE)

“Hitting him was like trying to tackle a defensive tackle. … He wasn’t one of the toughest quarterbacks in the league, he was one of the toughest players in the league.” – Tim Bowens (Former Dolphins DT)

“He was extremely intelligent. Whatever game plan you had coming into a game against him, you’d better be ready to change it right away because he could figure it out quickly.” – Marvin Lewis (Bengals coach and former Ravens defensive coordinator)

“He was always smiling and was always willing to lend a hand to anyone who needed it. I’ve known him for 13 years, and he was the most selfless, happiest and friendliest person I have known. His family and my family are close, and it is a blow to us all. It is a devastating day. Steve will always have a place in my heart. My family and I are hurting for his family.  On the field, there isn’t a player that was as tough as him, especially at the quarterback position. What I have seen him play through on the field, and what he dealt with during the week to get ready for a game, I have never known a better teammate.” (Derrick Mason – Former Titans WR)

“He was one of the great warriors to ever put on a football uniform at any position.  His competitiveness and toughness were unparalleled. He was always a gentleman, and very giving off the field. One of the great people in our league was taken from us way to soon.” – Warren Moon (Former Houston Oiler QB)

“Steve was an absolute warrior as a player and brought that mind-set to the team. Whether he was hurt or not, he was going to give us everything he had. He was the toughest player that I ever played with …The thing I will always remember about him was whether it was a good or bad on the field, the whole team — both offense and defense — believed he would lead us to victory if we could just get the ball in his hands at the end of the game.” – Blaine Bishop (Former Titans S)

“From the time he was a heralded college quarterback and throughout his playing career he set the standard for excellence, toughness and professionalism.  In doing so, he was not only a trailblazer for hundreds of players and future quarterbacks, but he was the hero for kids in many neighborhoods. He was their player. He was their quarterback. He will remain all of those things forever and I along with thousands of fans will miss him.” – DeMaurice Smith (NFLPA Executive Director)