Air McNair...legendary?

With regards to Steve McNair's confusing and untimely passing, I think that it is best to wait until later on to discuss how his personal life was. The bizarre Chris Benoit saga showed us that we never know public figures as well as we think, and while McNair certainly did a lot of good in his community I don't think now is the time to focus on that, instead I want to discuss where he fits in NFL history.


NOTE: This is particular entry will be dealing with a very touchy, sensitive subject. Race. I certainly do not intend to offend anyone, but this is something that I feel passionate about and I think I must share it with you. In addition, I think what I have to say is something we all can get something out of and grow as people. South Park showed us that being ignorant is bad and I hope that if nothing else, you understand what I am trying to say here.

Steve McNair entered the NFL out of Alcorn State University as one of the most ballyhooed Division 1-AA prospects since Eddie Robinson had Grambling State hitting on all cylinders. Picked 3rd overall by the franchise formerly known as the Houston Oilers, McNair grabbed the reins from Chris Chandler and never looked back, leading the Tennessee Titans (as they were to be known from then on) to a Super Bowl, appearing in 3 Pro Bowls and sharing the 2003 NFL Most Valuable Player award with Peyton Manning. While all of these are no doubt impressive, this is not where I think he made his greatest mark on the NFL.

Up until fairly recently, African Americans were simply not allowed to play quarterback. The National Football League must be given its due for allowed people of all races to enter the NFL, from Native American superstar Jim Thorpe to African American tailback Marion Motley, almost from the start of the league in 1920. However, the one position that was at least unofficially deemed off limits was quarterback. The first African American quarterback to start in the Super Bowl was Doug Williams, an outstanding talent out of the aforementioned powerhouse that was Grambling State. Williams was as talented a signal caller as they come, but for that game and for his whole career he will be known more for his race than for his talents. Other quarterbacks such Randall Cunningham and Warren Moon faced similar obstacles. Moon even had to prove his worth in Canada before getting a real chance in the varsity league. As recently as Donovan McNabb, we have seen these quarterbacks painted with a very broad brush, one that lumps them all together and in my opinion unfairly singles them all out.

McNair was different. I don't really know the reason for this, all I know is that I began following football at a very close level at a time that coincided with a rise in his profile. While McNair was African American just like all of the other quarterbacks, he was never singled out for it, rather, he was praised as well as criticized for his accomplishments as a player and nothing more. Regardless of what was or wasn't happening in his personal life, and at this time as I am hearing more and more it sounds quite strange, I hope people recognize McNair as the Quarterback that made race irrelevant, and instead players from then on would simply be judged the way they should be, on wins and losses. Its nothing like the color barrier that Jackie Robinson or even Doug Williams faced, and I am sure Air McNair faced more ignorant, stupid bigots than anybody should ever have to, but think that he was something of a phenomenon for the reasons listed above.

One of the reasons I love all sports is that it brings out so many things in people. You see the best in one's personality, as well as them at their worst. While it is just a game, learning from adversity after a tough loss or a critical mistake shows just how great a person really is. I think that athletics, particularly a game with as much strategy and skill as football, caters to the most talented people in the world. At this point in time, we as a society have gotten to a point, at least from the collegiate level on up, that the best player plays, regardless of race. I was pleasantly surprised that last year I never heard about a remarkable feat in the PAC-10 conference. Out of the ten football teams in the conference, four of them started quarterbacks of Pacific Island descent. Race is something that shouldn't matter ever, not now or anythime. At least for me, when race becomes a complete non-issue in sports (the sooner the better), I will look to Steve "Air" McNair.


As I have tried to make clear, we will be faced with an interesting picture of Steve McNair the human being. I hope that after reading this, you have a better view of where Steve McNair the QUARTERBACK stands, at least in my opinion, in NFL history