Steve McNair’s football story has been told. Fans know how he went from star quarterback at HBCU Alcorn State to a Heisman Trophy finalist and ultimately the third overall pick in the 1995 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers.
He led the Tennessee Titans to Super Bowl XXXIV. He was the 2003 NFL MVP alongside Peyton Manning and was considered one of the toughest quarterbacks to play due to his physical style during 13 seasons with the Oilers/Titans and Baltimore Ravens. one. His No. 9 jersey was retired by the Titans in 2019 and he was inducted into the Black College Football Hall of Fame (2012) and the College Football Hall of Fame (2020).
But questions surrounding McNair’s death have lingered for more than 15 years.
“Untold: The McNair Murders” is a new documentary from Netflix that tells the story of how he became an NFL star and fan favorite while delving into the circumstances surrounding the July 4, 2009, murders in Nashville. .
However, the documentary doesn’t offer much beyond what’s already been told.
A photo of Steve McNair as a member of the Tennessee Oilers in 1998. (Larry McCormack/The Tennessean via Imagn)
Authorities have the official report: McNair was shot to death by his mistress, 20-year-old Sahel “Jenni” Kazemi, who took her own life next to him, allegedly It was prompted by financial concerns and the realization that the 36-year-old McNair Sr. had had more than one extramarital affair.
Other theories were mentioned, namely one from private detective Vincent Hill. Problems found. The documentary also discusses issues surrounding Adrian Gilliam, a convicted felon who was found to have sold Kazemi the firearm used in the crime.
The bodies were discovered by McNair’s friend Wayne Neely, who is shown on film giving cash to detectives during an interview, without explaining why one of the suspects gave money to police.
Robert Gaddy, McNair’s friend and Alcorn State teammate, discusses a rocky relationship with McNair over a $13,000 dispute involving a business investment, but wonders if it’s preventing him from helping McNair Nair expressed regret. Neely called Gaddy from the crime scene, and Gaddy called the police.
One of the most gripping moments in the film is when Gaddy discusses the stress of living amid conspiracies that implicated him in McNair’s death, but he didn’t want to say more out of respect for McNair’s family, which included His widow, Mechelle, and his four children.
Machel was not interviewed in the film.
In the documentary, McNair’s coach at Tennessee, Jeff Fisher, said some things about McNair’s death didn’t add up to the facts, but he didn’t want to speculate on what led to his death.
The film is just under an hour long and gives us a chance to delve deeper into McNair’s post-football game story. But hearing so much about McNair, the football player sometimes felt out of place. You can’t tell his story without discussing his NFL career, but what Fisher said to McNair after losing the Super Bowl seems less important than the conversations they might have after his career is over.
How does McNair feel about life after football? Are there any lessons worth learning?
Kazemi is believed to have discovered another woman, Leah Ignagni, whom McNair also met in the days before his death. A tape of Ignani’s interview with police was played in the film, in which she said she had only met McNair for a short time and had only had a good time with him. However, knowing more about this tells us nothing about McNair and his life after football.
Machel has admitted in the past that she knew other people related to her husband but not Kazemi.
McNair is clearly well-liked. Even Kazemi’s ex-boyfriend Kisnofleet admitted in the documentary that McNair was his favorite player growing up. He discussed the awkwardness of breaking up with Kazemi, only to see her having sex with his favorite footballer.
But there’s less explanation for why McNair was so well-liked off the field, which may help explain why he stayed connected to Nashville after retiring after the 2007 season. I know Norfleet better than I know McNair or Kazemi.
Perhaps it’s best to let McNair’s football legacy stand on its own rather than revisit the circumstances of his death.
(Above: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
