Steve McNair: The tragic life and career of a murdered NFL superstar

Steve McNair is remembered as a legend of the NFL, playing an incredibly exciting brand of football and regularly leading his teams to the playoffs, in one instance even making the Super Bowl, finishing inches short of being an NFL champion. His murder shocked the football world, with everyone accepting it was his girlfriend who killed him… until recently.

Before we look at McNair’s murder, it’s worth looking over his career and how significant he was to the modern NFL.

McNair was born in Mount Olive, Mississippi, where he starred for Mount Olive high school, playing as a quarterback and safety on the football team while also dominating, baseball, basketball, and running track.

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McNair’s talent was obvious from an early age, leading his high school to a state championship as a junior, per the Steve McNair website. He was also drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 35th round of the 1991 MLB amateur draft, showing his elite skill in multiple sports.

McNair was offered a scholarship to the University of Florida to play running back, but he rejected the offer due to his ambitions to continue at the QB position. Instead, he chose Alcorn State University, a Historically Black University where he would be given the keys to the offense.

“Air” McNair as he became known made an immediate impact at Alcorn, leading his side to a 7-4 record in his first season as starter.

Per ESPN, McNair broke the NCAA total-offense record in 1994, passing for 5,377 yards and 47 touchdowns whilst adding 904 yards and another nine TDs on the ground.

McNair’s impact was so significant, that he became the first player from an HBCU to be invited to the Heisman trophy ceremony, where he finished third in voting. 1995 also saw him get drafted by the Houston Oilers third overall, also breaking a record for a HBCU player, per ESPN.

McNair was slowly introduced to the NFL during his first three years in the league as his franchise moved from Houston to Tennessee and was eventually renamed the Titans. 1997 saw him take over the starting job for the first time, and he recorded 2,665 yards passing with 14 TDs and 13 picks, per Pro Football Reference.

1998 saw McNair flourish, putting up personal best numbers in ever major category, but it was 1999 when the NFL really saw what he could do. Despite missing time with injury, McNair led his team to the Super Bowl, where they lost in heartbreaking fashion to the St. Louis Rams.

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2003 saw McNair win the co-MVP award with Peyton Manning having passed for 3,215 passing yards, 24 touchdown passes, and just seven picks, he also added another four TDs on the ground.

McNair could never quite refind his excellent form again, despite a move to the Baltimore Ravens for his final two seasons in the NFL. 2007 was his last year in the league, with his retirement coming in the Spring of 2008.

McNair was murdered in the Summer of 2009 with police finding two bodies shot to death in his home in Nashville, per The Independent. Until recently, the police believed McNair’s girlfriend Sahel “Jenni” Kazemi had been the shooter, as they discovered gunpowder on her hands.

Kazemi had met McNair during her time as a waitress at a Nashville restaurant frequented by the former Titans QB. The pair would enjoy romantic getaways together despite McNair’s ongoing marriage, per Netflix’s Untold.

With doubts about the official police story, Untold turned their sights on Kazemi’s ex-boyfriend Keith Norfleet after he wrote, “never let anything or anyone come in between you and the one you love because when you do you lose everything,” on his MySpace profile. He was interviewed at the time by police, per The Independent.

Norfleet was eventually ruled out as a suspect, but Vincent Hill, a private investigator, continues to doubt the official story, claiming, the “police made a lot of mistakes.” Hill has reportedly attempted to get the case reopened, per The Independent.

Despite his unfortunate demise, McNair should be remembered first and foremost for his incredible achievements on the football field, where he broke new ground and set records.

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