Steve McNair retires after 13 seasons in the NFL 1995-2007

I have mixed emotions about the retirement of Steve McNair. His career started in 1995 with The Houston Oilers. In 1997 The Oilers moved to Tennessee and in 1999 the franchise became The Tennessee Titans. For seven seasons I watched #9 lead our team to one great victory after another. To me there wasn't a tougher football player in The NFL than Steve McNair. I'll miss him a lot but after listening to his press conference today I knew it was time for Mc9 to hang up his jock strap. Thanks for the memories ole friend I wish you and your family the best. Even though you were a Baltimore Raven the last two seasons of your career to me you will always be a Tennessee Titan. God Bless You Steve McNair you deserve it.

I remember the first time I saw Steve McNair play. I can't recall the exact date of the game but the Oilers were playing the Steelers in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis and my buddy had got a couple tickets to the game. When we got there expecting the place to be as empty as the previous games were but instead found that the place was packed and it was 80% Steeler fans.

You should know that Memphis was on the short list for an NFL expansion team but lost out to Carolina and Jacksonville just before Nashville became the new home of the Oilers and that was the reason that the people of Memphis did not support the team at all. The people of Memphis are still bitter, I know because they call me a traitor to this day for being a Titan fan.

The terrible towels were waving and the crowd booed very loudly when they posted the Cowboys losing to the Eagles. It was my first NFL game that I had ever been to. It was cold and rainy but I was lucky enough to sneak a drink of whiskey with the help of what seemed to be the one Oiler fan in the stadium late in the second quarter. I have always been a fan of the game and always found myself rooting for the underdog rather than a specific team. This day I had decided since there were tens of thousands of steeler fans and just the one Oiler fan who had helped me out earlier that I was going to cheer for the Tennessee Oilers.

If football had a version of "love at first sight", that is what happened to me on that day. McNair and the Oilers destroyed Pittsburgh, again I can't remember the exact score but the game was a blow out from start to finish. McNair was spectacular that day and I will never forget it.

I saw him play many more times and every time was as good as the last. I am still saddened by the way he left Nashville and I feel he should have gotten more respect than they gave him. McNair is a battered and bruised man and the only reason he is not playing this year is because he pushed his body farther than a man should every game for the city of Nashville. McNair never practiced because he was always hurt. ALWAYS HURT! His wife had to care for him as his nurse at home because he was ALWAYS HURT.

I have tremendous respect for Steve McNair as a player and a person. Not because he played the game of football but because he played it the right way. He played it with passion and no regrets. If Steve McNair was on the field, you had no doubt that he was giving everthing he had in the the tank. To me he will always be a Titan.