On June 4th, 2009, the NFL and football world was shocked when former Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Steve McNair was reported murdered.

Despite the tragedy, there is some solace in the fact that McNair left a lasting legacy in the NFL that no football fan will ever forget. From his humble beginnings playing the game with his brother, to set foot in the biggest stage football has to offer, Steve McNair had an astonishing NFL ride.

A Mississippi native, Steve McNair was standout high school football star playing both as a quarterback and as a defensive back. While receiving scholarship offers from big college programs, McNair decided to attend a Division 1-AA school in Alcorn State, as it is the only program that is offering to play him at quarterback. The move paid off as McNair become one of the most highly touted signal-callers in the nation.

Before McNair threw a single pass, he already broke an NFL record by being the highest African-American quarterback to be taken in the draft (at the time) when the Houston Oilers selected him 3rd overall. Under then-head coach Jeff Fisher, McNair had to wait his turn to be the Oilers’ man under center. During the 1995 and 1996 seasons, McNair only logged in a total of 13 games while starting 6 of them, being the understudy of then starter Chris Chandler after moving on from Hall of Famer Warren Moon.

Steve McNair, Eddie George, Titans

It took until 1997, when the Houston Oilers moved to Nashville and became the Tennessee Oilers for Steve McNair to be named the full-fledged starter. In Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals, McNair and the Titans were booed off by their new home fans for what was a disappointing start to their home opener. Not affected by the pressure, McNair and the Titans rallied in the 4th quarter, and despite coming way short, the Tennessee fans changed their tune.

It’s during this season “Air” McNair will showcase why he is worthy of being the third overall selection. McNair blended an impressive amount of skill, versatility, and a bruising, country-strong toughness. He has shown his promise of being an accurate passer as well as an ability to elude tacklers and withstand hard hits and keep plays alive.

The Oilers will finish with an 8-8 record in both the 1997 and 1998 seasons.

The Tennessee Oilers officially changed their name to the Tennessee Titans in 1999, and with a new name and a new stadium comes a new start for the team and Steve McNair. After being injured early in the year, McNair came back in Week 5 and defeated the then St. Louis Rams. The Titans with McNair under center will then proceed to win seven of their last nine games, en route to a 13-3 record. In the AFC Wildcard Round game, McNair will rush for one touchdown against the Buffalo Bills. The Titans beat the Bills 22-16 after wide receiver Kevin Dyson returned a kick off for a touchdown with 16 seconds left in the clock, resulting in a victory that will now be known as the Music City Miracle. The Titans with McNair under center will march through the AFC playoff picture by defeating the Indianapolis Colts, and then taking down the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Championship and earning a spot at Super Bowl XXXIV.

Being down 7 points with 1:48 seconds left in the championship game, Steve McNair will engineer an impressive drive that brings the Tennesse Titans to the Rams 10-yard line. With having only enough time for one more play, McNair completed a pass to Kevin Dyson as the clock expired.

The Titans and McNair were one yard short of the endzone, and was defeated by the Rams.

Shaking off the Super Bowl loss and entering the 2000s, Steve McNair will transform into a very good quarterback to being one of the best in the league. After finishing 13-3 once again in 2000 but losing in the Divisional Round against the Baltimore Ravens, McNair will have a career in 2001 year, as he sets his career highs in passing yards, completions, and touchdowns and will be named to his very first Pro-Bowl selection. McNair will then follow it up in 2002 by leading the Titans to an 11-5 record, and will set a career playoff-high of 338 yards and two touchdowns in a Divisional Round win against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The 2003 season will arguably be the best year of Steve McNair’s career. For the season, McNair will finish with 3,215 passing yards with 24 touchdowns and led the NFL in quarterback rating while leading the Titans to a 12-4 mark. McNair, alongside Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, will be named as the Co-MVPs of the 2003 season. McNair will end the year becoming the youngest in league history to pass for 20,000 yards and rush for 3,000.

Perhaps due to his style of play, the 2004 and 2005 seasons will be tough for McNair, as he will suffer season-ending surgeries during those respective seasons. Around those years, the Titans will also fail to reach the playoffs and will suffer two consecutive ten-loss seasons, with McNair having a combined 7-15 record as a starter.

Not wanting to pay what could be another injury-riddled year, the Tennessee Titans traded McNair to the Baltimore Ravens. They then drafted Texas quarterback Vince Young, who as a kid attended McNair’s football camps, to be his replacement.

McNair will have one last good NFL year. In the 2006 season with Baltimore, McNair will pass for 3,050 yards and scoring 16 touchdowns leading the Ravens to a 13-3 record. The hits will eventually take its toll the following year as McNair will only suit up for the Ravens six times.

In April 2008, Steve McNair hung up his boots and retired from the NFL.

Throughout a 13 year NFL career, Steve McNair will be named to three Pro-Bowl games and will make second-team All-Pro honors. At his peak, McNair is one of the most exciting quarterbacks in the league and has carried a starved Tennessee Titans to its only Super Bowl appearance. He will also be named as the 35th best quarterback in the post-merger NFL ear by Football Nation in 2012.

When Steve McNair died, he left along his wife and four children. He also left a lasting NFL legacy that hopefully will be remembered and celebrated more than the tragic events that took his otherwise successful and illustrious life.