Mechelle told him she didn't know. Eventually, he grew on her. He told them to find something they loved and do it well. Mechelle could handle algebra and first crushes, but sometimes, a boy needs a male figure in his life. According to his wife, Michele, the will that his agent claimed was drawn up has been lost. Maybe they would have been anyway, had Steve McNair not been killed. You are appreciated beyond measure.". "He was the first one saying how proud he was of me and how proud my dad would be. He never forced his sons to play sports. And them. On the morning of July 4, 2009, Mechelle McNair woke up with a crushing headache. They got married in Vicksburg, Mississippi, in 1997, and a year later, Tyler came along. And I don't feel like that's how God wants us to be.". Her children had never seen her like that. But any will prior to the marriage would have been null and void under Tennessee law anyway, Cook said. "Honestly, the most I've ever felt like a child is this year," Tyler says. Yes. Tyler graduated from Brentwood in the spring. The old home had too many memories. The vision of a 10-year-old boy holding a knife was like a cold bucket of water in the face. Cook said reporters looking at Mechelle McNair's emergency petition may have been confused by the routine filing, but that she followed a judge's direction and Tennessee law when filling out the paperwork. The enormity of his death cannot be overstated. Mechelle says she could hear Steve's footsteps in the house sometimes. He made a mistake. He was a tenacious defender who helped his team win two state championships. They hug, and Tyler wants to tell her something before she goes back home to Tennessee. But this moment in front of the school is a good one. ", Though McNair was an NFL quarterback, he never wanted to force football or sports on his children. Time, if you handle it right, has a way of filtering out the bad memories but leaving the good. Mechelle had just found out. Freshman year, she had a human anatomy class with McNair, and he spent most of it staring at her. As a junior, McNair led Mount Olive to the state championship. He's going to kick the world's ass. From that moment on, she could not let her children see her break down. As they enter new stages of their lives, they wonder what their father would think. Aside from kid functions and dinners out, she lived the life of a homebody. He split his time between this location and his 14,000+ sq ft main residence in Nashville (TN). And that I still don't sometimes. Piller downplays his involvement. Trent, pictured right, was 5. At the time, it was considered one of the biggest funerals in the state. Initially, she did not believe her husband was dead. I'm not going to do it.". Mechelle appreciates the little things, such as the neighbor who used to replace the boys' basketball net whenever it looked worn, or the random texts Piller sends to the boys to ask how it's going. When McNair was alive, if one of the boys was struggling with a batting stance or a shot, he could go outside, spend 30 minutes with him and get it figured out. "I didn't know about her at all," Mechelle says. Nearly 5,000 people mourned McNair at Reed Green Coliseum on the campus of Southern Miss. He said he couldn't live without his daddy and wanted to kill himself. Bought cars in his name and furnished it lavishly. He was living with a new woman in their old house. Well, that’s when the drama started between his wife and mom. He was a tenacious defender who helped his team win two state championships. Their normal. Piller downplays his involvement. You're so strong,'" Mechelle says. "I feel like I'm just living. Police spokesman Don Aaron said Monday McNair wasn't with Kazemi when she bought the semiautomatic pistol that was found at … She would lean on her friends, who dropped everything to be with her in Nashville, or cry to her aunts and uncles. Conspiracy theorists flooded the internet and airwaves. He sat behind her in class and constantly flirted. She was slow to trust after her husband's death and never remarried. That same show aired as a rerun last week, on the night of the Super Bowl. Her husband would have done things differently. I still love him. Mechelle McNair , The widow of Steve McNair has won a request to get $2.5 million from the late NFL quarterback’s estate. As a junior, McNair led the Mount Olive Pirates to the state championship. The old home had too many memories. McNair was born in a small tin-roofed house in Mount Olive, Mississippi on February 14, 1973. Former NFL star Steve McNair was shot dead in his sleep last week by a 20-year-old girlfriend distraught about mounting financial problems and … Packed house The funeral service for Steve McNair at Reed Green Coliseum at The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Miss., Saturday, July 11. That drove Mechelle nuts, the waking up in the middle of the night. Advertisement. He loved us. Merrill: The dilemma of how to mourn McNair She is dating someone, but meeting people has been a struggle. Tyler, who was 10, started crying. She always worried where he was. Tyler, who is majoring in biology at NYU while continuing to pursue his dancing dreams, forged a path so different from his father's. He pushed an air mattress beside Tyler's bed when his brother was home and slept there. His good friend Zach Piller, right, protected him on the field and served as one of his pallbearers. Nine years after Mechelle McNair's world caved in, her oldest son, Tyler, is going to NYU on an academic scholarship. Local Mississippi Breaking News Story from CBS 12 New WJTV, your Jackson, MS news leader. Time, if you handle it right, has a way of filtering out the bad memories but leaving the good. They carry pieces of Steve, from Tyler's mannerisms to the way Trent calls people "Buddy." God and her friends and family who cooked and took the kids swimming and handled everything. You may remember, on July 4, 2009, NFL star Steve McNair was fatally shot by his mistress, Sahel Kazemi (seen below), in a murder–suicide. Did I know about some other people and some other things? A few months after his death, the restaurant was sold. He was quiet until you knew him, and he waited a while to talk to her. From that moment on, she could not let her children see her break down. She wanted to see him so she could help him. She had hoped to go to Southern Miss. But he could be there for McNair's boys. Video shows #9 off the football field along with some classic McNair moments.Godspeed Steve McNair. McNair, nicknamed Air II (Fred was original Air McNair), McNair was drafted by the then-Houston Oilers with the third pick of the 1995 NFL Draft. He'd say, 'I just need some rest.'" She would not lose it in front of them. "I don't want him to look at me and say, 'Oh, my mom is just kind of relaxed,'" she says. They got married in Vicksburg, Mississippi, in 1997, and a year later, Tyler came along. He tried to do both at first, but soon it was too much. Mu was the one who took them to father-son breakfasts and NBA games. I've gotta keep going.". She already had two men in her in life: Tyler, 19, and Trent, who just turned 14. I do know that. Mechelle found strength and independence she never thought she had. Mechelle knows life will change again soon, when Trent gets his driver's license. Azam Alsadi Coach Robinson 01/13/2021 Steve Mcnair On February 14, 1973, McNair was born in a small, tin-roofed house in Mount Olive, Mississippi. He had four brothers, Fred, Jason, Michael, and Tim.He attended Mount Olive High School as a freshman in the fall of 1987, where he played football, baseball, and basketball in addition to running track. He probably wouldn't have spent most of the summer dreading this moment, standing in front of a college dorm, trying not to cry. When it hit her, she fell to the floor, screaming. The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department ruled it a murder-suicide, concluding that Kazemi shot McNair four times -- twice in the head -- in the early morning hours of July 4, most likely while he was sleeping on the couch of his rented condo. She made faces at him to try to get him to stop. Early life. McNair was known as one of the toughest players in the NFL. Yes. I've been there." The fact that he was the quarterback everyone on campus was talking about held no currency with Mechelle. Tyler believes it's the same thing his dad would have said. Times when McNair would take the boys out on his motorcycle and they didn't even need to talk. I feel like I'm the weakest person sometimes. Copyright © 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. "He was a good dad. Nine years later, it's still hard for him to talk about McNair. But she put off doing the paperwork, and Alcorn was the school that offered her a scholarship. Pat Boone, a singer from the 1950s, eventually bought the home. Things around the McNair family have been tense, to say the least, since Steve passed in 2009. "I'll be back in a little while," he said. "[People] always say, 'Oh, I admire you so much. But I'm not going to hell blaming somebody or having the hate and animosity in my heart. She says she protects her heart and her kids. Just 24 hours earlier, McNair had taken his sons fishing. Sometimes on the Fourth of July, he picked up the kids and bought fireworks and did anything that took their minds off the anniversary. He felt pressure from fans, students and coaches to stay on the basketball team. Dance was his release, a way of working through his emotions. It would not go away. That proof, a well-documented legal history in Mississippi, has been supplied, Cook said. "May you be richly blessed for all that you have done and continued to do. He says that McNair would do the same thing for him, and that what he does isn't much. She is dating someone, but meeting people has been a struggle. "He was the first one saying how proud he was of me and how proud my dad would be." "Honestly, the most I've ever felt like a child is this year," Tyler says. Ex-linemen tell stories about how she used to sit in the stands and yell at them to protect her husband. He was still trying to figure out his world outside of football. Steve McNair Jr. just graduated from Oak Grove High School in Mississippi this past weekend. She is thankful for that last day McNair had with the boys and for that night when they argued and made up. Tyler, who is majoring in biology at NYU while continuing to pursue his dancing dreams, forged a path so different from his father's. "You're going to have people who say, 'Oh, she knew.' Steve McNair was buried on a Saturday in his home state of Mississippi. He will want to spend more time with his friends, not his mom. "I didn't know about her at all," Mechelle says. He sees flashes of his friend, and it helps him stay close to him. More on Steve McNair But he could be there for McNair's boys. The vision of a 10-year-old boy holding a knife was like a cold bucket of water in the face. Initially, she did not believe her husband was dead. July 30, 2009 / 10:37 AM Tyler graduated from Brentwood in the spring. Everyone changed. Steve McNair was buried on a Saturday in his home state of Mississippi. Aside from kid functions and dinners out, she lived the life of a homebody. The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department ruled it a murder-suicide, concluding that Kazemi shot McNair four times -- twice in the head -- in the early morning hours of July 4, most likely while he was sleeping on the couch of his rented condo. The well-known footballer, Steve, died on 4 July 2009 at the age of 46. He told them to find something they loved and to do it well. She thinks he shows his emotions too much. Tyler came home for about a month, but he wasn't really there. If I'm playing football and I hear her, I kind of just ignore it. She thinks he shows his emotions too much. Trent, who was 5, rested his head on his mother's lap during the service. "I think it was important for [Lucille] because you see a part of your son you lost," Mechelle says. He didn't just turn out all right. Ex-Tennessee tight end Bo Scaife filled Tyler's closet with sneakers. Christmas break is over, and the house is quiet. A "True Crimes with Aphrodite Jones" episode filmed in 2013 even pointed suspicion at her. She was slow to trust after her husband's death and never remarried. Eventually, he grew on her. He said he had to go, and kissed the boys goodbye. She wanted to be a doctor and wanted one child, but she didn't think much about a partner. He could see McNair smiling and telling his boy, "Good job, Buddy." To Mechelle, he was sort of a gentle giant, romantic enough to hide an engagement ring in a piece of strawberry cake, country enough to skin a deer and cook it up for his teammates. According to Piller, Trent hit five 3-pointers. No, I did not.". But she has released a statement in which she expressed thanks for the outpouring of support and sympathy her family has received. Her mother, Melzena Cartwright, saw the news on TV. Trent will put his hands on his hips and walk to the bench, and it reminds Piller of Steve heading to the huddle. He made at least $90 million in salary over his 13-year career with the Houston Oilers, Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens, plus any marketing deals he had. She would wonder, later, about signs. He had both business dealings and real estate holdings that must be divided. Mechelle had just found out. He will want to spend more time with his friends, not his mom. She made faces at him to try to get him to stop. She once took him on a girlfriends-only trip to the Bahamas, and if anyone took issue with it, well, tough. Kazemi then lay down beside him and fired a bullet into her head. 3 in the NFL draft. Mechelle appreciates the little things, such as the neighbor who used to replace the boys' basketball net whenever it looked worn, or the random texts Piller sends to the boys to ask how it's going. Thus, all of Steve's assets were left to her. They met at Alcorn State, a historically black college in rural Claiborne County, Mississippi. She never played. Mechelle is asked whether she thinks they'd be this close had McNair lived. Time unknown:Kazemi's manager at Dave & Buster's, Tony Farahani, notices Kazemi spends almost an hour talking to an unidentified man at the restaurant. She doesn't want to go through any more pain. The man who had taken epidurals and basically crawled around in pain six days a week but somehow played football on Sundays couldn't be gone. Steve McNair, in full Steve LaTreal McNair, byname Air McNair, (born February 14, 1973, Mount Olive, Mississippi, U.S.—died July 4, 2009, Nashville, Tennessee), American gridiron football player who threw 174 touchdown passes during his 13 National Football League (NFL) seasons (1995–2008), primarily while playing for the Tennessee Titans.. McNair grew up in Mississippi and … She knew how much potential he had. She never worried about that with Tyler, but for some reason, she thinks about it now that it's just her and Trent. The boys are so close that Trent sleeps in Tyler's bed when he's at college. Did I know about some other people and some other things? On a recent winter afternoon, Mechelle is sitting in the dining room of their house in the hills of Nashville, waiting to pick Trent up from school. They met at Alcorn State, a historically black college in rural Claiborne County, Mississippi. He says that McNair would do the same thing for him, and that what he does isn't much. "I don't think he's doing that, but I want him to see me doing something where he feels like he has a drive." 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He cleaned the fish when they got home that night, washed his truck and began to doze off on the couch. His good friend Zach Piller, right, protected him on the field and served as one of his pallbearers. Tyler, who was 10, started crying. He was quiet until you knew him, and he waited a while to talk to her. But when she saw how committed Tyler was to dance, she told him to do what makes him happy. He felt comfortable in the country, near his siblings and his mother, Lucille. So everybody's going to be fine, everything's going to be good, and there's no disagreements between anybody.". She never played. The enormity of his death cannot be overstated. McNair threw for 3,228 yards and 15 touchdowns in '98, and he led the Titans to the Super Bowl a year later. Trent, … (AP) Even though he left no will, Steve McNair's entire immediate family has been provided for under instructions the slain former NFL quarterback left before his death, his agent said Wednesday. E:60's John Minton III and Ryan Smith contributed to this report. Mechelle sits in the stands and yells at him to "keep your face straight." I still love him. I can't wallow in it. She never worried about that with Tyler, but for some reason, she thinks about it now that it's just her and Trent. She once took him on a girlfriends-only trip to the Bahamas, and if anyone took issue with it, well, tough. The boys are constantly chasing a ghost, a man who, in death, is still the biggest sports legend in Nashville. How do you think she was feeling? Years ago, after Cartwright lost her own husband, Steve had told her to pack her bags and come live with them. He finished his career with 16,233 offensive yards, a record that still stands. The house actually had been on the market before McNair died, but then the housing crisis hit, and it bounced on and off the listings for four years. It's the most I've felt like a regular person, like nothing has happened.". He died. George Gojkovich/Getty Images. "He has taken very good care of all of the children, his wife and his mother," Cook said in a phone interview from Hattiesburg, Miss. "I know he's in his head," Steve would tell Mechelle. There were good times, too. He could see McNair smiling and telling his boy, "Good job, Buddy. "I don't want him to look at me and say, 'Oh, my mom is just kind of relaxed,'" she says. She thinks about the next chapter in her life. Publicly, McNair was a happily married man and proud father of four sons who split his time between his Mississippi farm and a home in Music City, … Mechelle sold the family’s 13,700 square-foot-home for $1.7 million. "Mechelle's the only one that can contest it and she's not contesting it," Cook said. She noticed her husband wasn't home and made a number of phone calls trying to find him. In happy times, they belted out SWV songs in Mechelle's little, red, two-seater Mercedes, his tiny head bobbing to the music. The two-story estate-sized home includes a wrought iron fenced in-ground pool and a … Mechelle had always considered herself a private person. What's my passion?" It was just like 2009. I've gotta keep going." When he headed back east after winter break, Trent refused to go to the airport because he didn't want to cry. Her mother, Melzena Cartwright, saw the news on TV. I don't want to be here by myself. He took care of us. He told Mechelle that the alarm was going off at his restaurant, but she knows now that Kazemi was probably the one who called. "I'm finally doing something I love, and I was happy year-round. God and her friends and family who cooked and took the kids swimming and handled everything. Tyler disagrees. She already had two men in her in life: Tyler, 19, and Trent, who just turned 14. In his last days, McNair seemed overwhelmed at times, almost as if he was at a crossroads, Mechelle says. How was she feeling? But now one of them is leaving, and Mechelle is just trying not to lose it. Mechelle told him she didn't know. To Mechelle, he was sort of a gentle giant, romantic enough to hide an engagement ring in a piece of strawberry cake, country enough to skin a deer and cook it up for his teammates. Right now, my mom's here with me, but like when Trent's gone off to school and meets somebody, and then my mom, who knows how long -- I'm not saying who's going to go before who because that's not necessarily true -- but she's older. But after Steve's death, the most intimate details of her life were fodder for public consumption. I'm used to it by now. He doesn't believe anyone can play quarterback as well as his father did, so why even try? It was a good day for two little boys who saw their dad as a superhero. 5yrs ago today, #probowl QB #stevemcnair was murdered allegedly by his mistress #sahelkazemi. He ran to the kitchen and got a knife. Maybe they would have been anyway, had Steve McNair not been killed. For more, watch E:60's story, "Heir McNair," on Sunday at 9 a.m. on ESPN, or stream it on WatchESPN. Offensive linemen spend their careers protecting the quarterback, and Piller couldn't. But now one of them is leaving, and Mechelle is just trying not to lose it. She doesn't want to be a hindrance to him. Death of Mechelle's Husband, Steve McNair. "He would just come home and be, like, dead," Tyler says. "She's very vocal," Trent says. Mechelle McNair had asked a … Piller, a former guard for the Titans, was one of McNair's pallbearers. She had plans. Because I hurt like everybody else. "Most of the time I really don't hear it that much, but when I do, it's a little bit embarrassing. When news of his death flashed on the TV screen, Cartwright rushed through the house to Mechelle's room. At the time, it was considered one of the biggest funerals in the state. But if I'm playing basketball, I kind of look up there and tell her to sshhhhh." She is a spiritual woman who thanks God every morning for waking up and for allowing the rest of her family to wake up, too. McNair said he loved them. "What's my purpose? He sees flashes of his friend, and it helps him stay close to him. In the winter of 2016, Tyler was one of the best basketball players at Brentwood Academy, a Christian school with a powerhouse basketball program. Maybe she could do that. Nobody knew where he was. I do know that. In 2011, a legal spat between Mechelle and Lucille over property in Mississippi played out in the local news media. He told Mechelle that the alarm was going off at his restaurant, but she knows now that Kazemi was probably the one who called. So this week I sat down with Steve McNair… But did I know about her? Steve McNair’s Estate. "[People] always say, 'Oh, I admire you so much. "Mama," Mechelle asked, "do you think it's true?". McNair, a former NFL quarterback with the Houston Oilers, Tennessee Titans, and Baltimore Ravens, was shot to death in Nashville on July 4. Former Titans Chris Johnson and Vince Young took the boys to the locker room, just as their dad had done. She never imagined she'd leave Mississippi after college to move to Houston with a man who had just been selected at No. He ran his finger through the print and sounded out the words he knew. The pressure to be Steve McNair's son weighs heavily. Trent shows flashes of great talent at quarterback, but he won't play the position. She never imagined she'd leave Mississippi after college to move to Houston with a man who had just been selected at No. She would go to her room, door closed, and sob. When McNair was alive, if one of the boys was struggling with a batting stance or a shot, he could go outside, spend 30 minutes with him and get it figured out. Piller, a former guard for the Titans, was one of McNair's pallbearers. The last full conversation he had with Mechelle centered on the restaurant's nightly receipts constantly being off and her desire to help. I don't want to be here by myself. It's his way of being around his brother still. Trent is headstrong and stubborn and has a bit of a temper. There were many people at McNair's funeral who vowed to be there for Tyler and Trent. Her children had never seen her like that. In happy times, they belted out SWV songs in Mechelle's little, red, two-seater Mercedes, his tiny head bobbing to the music. It would not go away. Photo: Steve McNair playing with Tennessee Titans in 2000. A handful of them delivered. She received her degree in nursing years ago. She noticed her husband wasn't home and made a number of phone calls trying to find him. In 2013, she sold their 13,000-square-foot house and moved to a smaller home. But I'm not going to hell blaming somebody or having the hate and animosity in my heart. "I don't think he's doing that, but I want him to see me doing something where he feels like he has a drive.". Kazemi then lay down beside him and fired a bullet into her head. "At the end of the day, that's my husband," she says. McNair's wife, Mechelle, is not trying to exclude McNair's mother and two children he had with other women, his agent, James "Bus" Cook, told The Associated Press. But his phone kept ringing. He was catching up with friends and hanging out at Waffle House at 2 in the morning. The house actually had been on the market before McNair died, but then the housing crisis hit, and it bounced on and off the listings for four years. He pushed an air mattress beside Tyler's bed when his brother was home and slept there. "I can't say that I didn't have my bitter moments. He was catching up with friends and hanging out at Waffle House at 2 in the morning. NFL home Steve McNair has been legally responsible for the children since he left college at Alcorn State and has far exceeded the court's instructions for support, Cook said. I feel like I'm the weakest person sometimes. He told them to find something they loved and to do it well. McNair had dreams of his restaurant becoming a chain. Freshman year, she had a human anatomy class with McNair, and he spent most of it staring at her. When he's at school, he FaceTimes with her at least once a day, so it's almost as if she sees him more when he's in New York. He made a mistake. "I don't want to be alone," she says. They are best friends. Elizabeth MerrillMerrill is a senior writer for ESPN. Mechelle could handle algebra and first crushes, but sometimes, a boy needs a male figure in his life. Steven McNair Estate property including 653 acres of recreational and investment timberland as well as pasture area. Here was an NFL quarterback one season into retirement, a former co-MVP and a Super Bowl participant, murdered. "I mean, I'm here by myself. "I think it was important for [Lucille] because you see a part of your son you lost," Mechelle says. It's his way of being around his brother still. Times when the family would pair up in teams and wrestle, Mechelle and Tyler on one side; Trent and Steve on the other. The fact that he was the quarterback everyone on campus was talking about held no currency with Mechelle.

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