Update: It is looking like this was a murder-suicide. The woman, his 20 year old girlfriend, shot him and then turned the gun on herself. McNair, however, was married and had four children. I feel terrible for them.
What horrible news. Pray for his family:
Former NFL quarterback Steve McNair has been shot and killed. He was 36.
Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron confirmed that police were called to a residence and found McNair and a woman shot to death inside. Aaron said authorities don’t yet know the circumstances of the shooting.
“I don’t have any answers for you now as to what’s happened, who’s responsible,” he said.
Aaron said police have tentatively identified the woman but did not release her name.
Titans owner Bud Adams also confirmed the quarterback’s death in a brief statement released Saturday.
Adams called him “one of the finest players to play for our organization and one of the most beloved players by our fans. He played with unquestioned heart and leadership and led us to places that we had never reached, including our only Super Bowl.”
McNair played 11 seasons in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans franchise and then spent two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens.
He was a three-time Pro Bowler and was the Co-AP NFL MVP in 2003.
He just embarked upon a new career as a restaurateur:
Steve McNair never really planned on owning a restaurant after his professional football career, even though he’s known within his family as a pretty good cook.
But he’s got one open now — called Steve McNair’s Gridiron9 — on Jefferson Street near Tennessee State University. McNair said his place is at that location for a reason.
“I always wanted to retire and teach kids about life, and I’m still doing that with my camps,” McNair said. “This is something that I can still give back to the community. A lot of college students don’t have the funds to go to (upscale) restaurants, but we can still offer them good food, healthy food they can afford.”
The restaurant has a bit of a college, come-as-you-are type feel to it, not big, but relaxed.
“We want to know (customers), their name, what they eat and drink,” McNair said. “If I’m in town, I’ll be here every day.”
McNair plans to open additional Gridiron9 locations. He’ll first look to expand at other areas in and around Nashville and then, perhaps, in McNair’s home state of Mississippi.
