Remembering McNair

Over the weekend former NFL Quarterback and League MVP Steve McNair was found shot to death, along with a young woman, in a downtown Nashville condo.

When interviewed McNair's teammates described a tough, loyal person who left everything on the field. Community members in Nashville, where McNair played for the Tennessee Titans, remember his dedication to the community through his charity work.

The recent news of his death and relationship with Sahel Kazemi, his 20 year old girlfriend, has shocked many of his fans. But why?

Steve McNair gained fans by the way he played football. He was a tough quarterback who played injured so often that it forced him to retire at the age of 36. His athletic prowess gained him fans and accolades, not what he did in his personal life. McNair was a football player, not a saint.

The news of his affair with a younger woman shouldnt come as a surprise. We had no idea what McNair did in his personal life, so how can we be shocked when we hear something like this? Sure, we expect our public figures, especially athletes, to be role models but they are often just as flawed as you and I.

Will the news of his affair change the way people view him? Absolutely. People will lose respect for him as a person but that opinion shouldn't tarnish what he accomplished on the football field. McNair was a good quarterback who led a Titans team to the Super Bowl in 2000 and shared the league MVP with Peyton Manning in 2003. Both are accomplishements that most players only dream of but McNair was able to acheive this high level of sucess.

Remember Steve McNair the same way you remembered him before he retired, as a football player.