July 4th Holds A Different Meaning For Titans' Fans
Shock and sadness.
These were the feelings on July 4, 2009, when the news started to spread of the death of former Titans quarterback Steve "Air" McNair. The face of the Titans died from multiple gunshot wounds. While many still have questions about his passing and the surrounding circumstances to this day, one thing is certain: July 4th holds a slightly different meaning for Titans fans.
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Each July 4th, you see Titans fans remembering the player that Steve McNair was. He was the unquestioned leader of the Tennessee Titans. Additionally, he possessed specific attributes that teammates, such as wide receiver Chris Sanders, admired.
"He is one of the toughest football players I have ever met," Sanders told Athlon Sports when he was asked about McNair.
Former Tennessee Titans QB Steve McNair.George Walker IV / The Tennessean via Imagn Content Services, LLC
And there was no doubt he was very tough. Back in the 1999 season, the year the Titans went to the Super Bowl, McNair underwent surgery for a ruptured disk in his back. In contact sports, such injuries typically keep players out for four to six months. For McNair, he made it back in five weeks and was there to lead Tennessee to an improbable Super Bowl run. This is just one example of the toughness he displayed on the field, as he battled through more than this injury to be there for his team.
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Along with his toughness, there was also his development over his career. At the beginning of his career, there were people who questioned whether he would ever be able to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. He not only showed that he could be, but he even had a season where he shared the Associated Press MVP Award with NFL Hall of Famer Peyton Manning.
Throughout his entire tenure as a member of the Titans, he consistently demonstrated toughness, grit, and a desire to lead his team to victory, cementing himself as one of the greatest Tennessee Titans of all time. And for that, McNair will always be remembered. So while his death was painful for the city of Nashville and Titans fans alike, the memories he created will never go away.
Related: The Key Ingredient To The Titans' Offense
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
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