A timeline of events in the tragic death of former NFL MVP QB Steve McNair.
Created by MyFoxMemphis on Jul 9, 2009
Last updated: 03/11/10 at 01:35 PM
Tags: steve mcnair
Fans lined up outside a funeral home before work Thursday to pay their respects to ex-NFL quarterback Steve McNair.
http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/sports/local_sports/070909_Fans_Line_Up_to_Honor_McNair
An associate said Wednesday that the wife of ex-NFL quarterback Steve McNair didn't know about Sahel Kazemi before the 20-year-old woman was found dead alongside her husband on the Fourth of July.
http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/news/local/070809_Wife_Didnt_Know_of_McNairs_Affair
Police confirmed Wednesday that ex-NFL star Steve McNair's 20-year-old girlfriend killed him before turning the gun on herself.
http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/news/local/070809_McNair_Girlfriend_Behind_Murder_Suicide
The 911 tape made after Steve McNair and Sahel Kazemi were found dead was released by the Metro Nashville Police Department Wednesday. Steve's friend -- Robert Gaddy -- made the call and was hysterical as the dispatcher desperately tried to get information from him. Steve's roommate Wayne Neely initially discovered the bodies and then notified Gaddy to call 911. Cops announced today they believe Sahel murdered Steve and then killed herself.
Tennessee's state medical examiner said Tuesday that investigators have been hesitant to conclude that Steve McNair's girlfriend killed the NFL star and herself because she didn't appear to have a motive, but that murder-suicide is the most likely scenario.
http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/sports/nfl/dpg_No_Motive_Slows_Ruling_in_McNair_Killing_mb_07072009_2646055
Nashville police say the shooting death of former NFL quarterback Steve McNair is a homicide. However, authorities have stopped short of saying it was a murder-suicide committed by the 20-year-old girlfriend found dead by his side.
http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/sports/Police_Call_McNair_Shooting_Homicide_dpg_20090706_2642343
The star quarterback and the waitress met six months ago, at a restaurant where she worked and his family often ate. He was married and 16 years older, but she seemed happy and eager to build a life with him.
http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/sports/nfl/070609_McNairs_Last_Days
Ever since the news of his death raced through the streets of Nashville this July 4th weekend, the parking lot of Steve McNair's Gridiron-9 restaurant has been jammed....not with those looking for an economical meal...but by near speechless fans stunned by the brutal murder of the former Tennessee Titans' All-Pro quarterback who had touched their hearts.
http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/sports/nfl/070509_Hundreds_Mourn_McNair
On July 4, 2009, McNair was found dead of multiple gunshot wounds along with his girlfriend Sahel Kazemi in a condominium rented by McNair at 105 Lea Avenue in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. McNair was shot twice in the body and twice in the head, while Kazemi had a single gunshot wound to the head. McNair was asleep on a couch when the shooting occurred. The bodies were discovered by McNair's friends Wayne Neely and Robert Gaddy, who called 911.
http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/news/tennessee/070409_Steve_McNair_Found_Dead
Thursday night, Kazemi purchased a semi-automatic pistol. Farzin Abdi said police told him about the gun purchase by his aunt Kazemi, who was raised with him like a sister.
http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/news/070609_Woman_With_McNair_Recently_Bought_Gun
Kazemi was pulled over for DUI Thursday morning between 1-1:30 AM. McNair was a passenger but was allowed to leave the scene via taxi with another person. Kazemi admitted to being high.
(Date approximate) McNair met Kazemi at the Dave & Buster's restaurant where she worked as a server and where his family ate often. The two began dating a few months ago in a relationship that included a vacation with parasailing. Photos posted on TMZ.com showed McNair gazing and smiling at the young Kazemi.
After 13 seasons in the NFL, McNair announced his retirement in April 2008.
On May 9, 2007 McNair was a passenger in a car that was pulled over for suspicion of drunk driving. Both the driver of the vehicle, which was his brother-in-law, and McNair were arrested for driving under the influence. Under Tennessee law, one can still be arrested for DUI even if you are a passenger in your own car and the driver is found to be under the influence. McNair owned the pick-up truck involved and was charged with DUI by consent. The charges were dropped on July 10, 2007.
Following the 2005 season, on April 30, 2006, the Titans allowed McNair and his agent, Bus Cook, to speak with the Ravens to try to work out a deal. On May 1, 2006, the Baltimore Sun reported 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. However, on June 7, 2006, the two teams worked out a deal to send McNair to the Ravens for a 4th-round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. On June 8, McNair flew to Baltimore, passed a physical, and was announced as the newest member of the Ravens.
McNair was arrested for DUI and illegal gun possession in May 2003. His blood alcohol was above 0.10, and a 9-mm handgun had been sitting in the front of the car. All charges related to the incident were later dropped.
The Oilers officially changed their name to Tennesee Titans for the 1999 season as they debuted a new stadium, Adelphia Coliseum. Early in the 1999 season, McNair was diagnosed with an inflamed disk following Tennessee's 36–35 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, and needed surgery. In his stead entered Neil O'Donnell, a veteran who had guided the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Super Bowl four years earlier. During the next five games, O'Donnell led the Titans to a 4–1 record. McNair returned against the St. Louis Rams, and with McNair starting, Tennessee won seven of its last nine games, good for a record of 13–3 and second place in the AFC Central. Tennessee 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 re-match with the Rams. On the final play of the game, a McNair pass to Kevin Dyson was complete, but Dyson was unable to break the plane of the goal line, giving the Rams the win. McNair signed a new six-year contract after the season worth $47 million. Following a 13–3 season in 2000 that ended in a playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the 28-year-old McNair put together his most productive year as a pro. McNair registered career passing highs in yards (3,350), completions (264), touchdowns (21) and quarterback rating (90.2). He was also the team's most effective rusher, tying George for the club lead with five scores. Named to the Pro Bowl for the first time, McNair sat out the game due to a shoulder injury. In 2002, Tennessee finished the regular season 11-5 and reached the playoffs. In the Divisional playoff contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers, McNair threw for a career postseason high 338 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 2 interceptions, while rushing for 29 yards and another score on the ground. The game have 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. Steelers coach Bill Cowher said that he called a timeout before the winning kick took place. McNair and the Titans reached the AFC Championship game but were unable to reach the Super Bowl, losing to the Oakland Raiders 41-24.
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 since Warren Moon in 1993, and his 13 interceptions were the fewest for a single season in franchise history. He also led the team in rushing touchdowns with eight and ranked second behind running back Eddie George with 674 yards on the ground, 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 competing in Nashville. He also cut his interceptions to 10, helping his quarterback rating climb to 80.1.
Steve McNair marries his wife, Mechelle.
With the third pick in the 1995 NFL Draft, the Oilers and new head coach Jeff Fisher selected McNair, who signed a seven-year contract.
McNair played college football for Alcorn State University, a historically black university which competes in the NCAA's Division I-AA (now known as the Football Championship Subdivision) Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). In 1992, McNair threw for 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 contest, 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. McNair helped Alcorn State to another good year in 1993, as the Braves upped their record to 8–3 while McNair threw for more than 3,000 yards and 30 touchdowns. He was also named First-Team All-SWAC for the third year in a row. In his senior season, McNair gained nearly 6,000 yards rushing and passing, along with 53 touchdowns. In the process, he surpassed more than a dozen records and was named an All-American. In addition, McNair 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 14,496 passing yards, as well as the division record for total offensive yards with 16,283 career yards. The records still stand. He was a member of the college fraternity Omega Psi Phi, highlighting his allegiance by tattooing “Omega Man” on his arm.
McNair attended Mount Olive High School in Mississippi as a freshman in the fall of 1987, where he played football, baseball, and basketball in addition to running track. As a junior, McNair led Mount Olive to the state championship. McNair also played free safety in high school, and in 1990 alone, he intercepted 15 passes, raising his career total to 30, which tied the mark established by Terrell Buckley at Pascagoula High School.
Steve LaTreal McNair was born in Mount Olive, Mississippi
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