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No one plays through pain like QB Steve McNair.
By MARC TOPKIN, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published January 18, 2003
OAKLAND, Calif. -- The sprained toe that made it difficult to walk did not stop him. Neither did the injured ribs that keep him from sleeping through the night. Nor the chronically sore back that keeps him from picking up his 4-year-old son, Tyler, or sitting for more than a few minutes at a time. When he mangled his right thumb on an opponent's helmet last weekend, he ordered doctors to cut off the bloody, damaged flap of skin and returned to the game.
Tennessee's Steve McNair is not the most touted quarterback in the NFL. He did not win the MVP award or -- somehow -- get picked for the Pro Bowl. He's not the fastest runner, or the prettiest thrower, or the most precise technician.
But just try to find one tougher.
"He's a warrior," running back Eddie George said. "He's been our leader all year. Whether his back or his thumb or his knee is hurting, he's going to go out and give you maximum effort. And that's what he expects from everybody else."
Despite head-to-toe injuries, McNair leads -- and that's definitely the right word -- the Titans into Sunday's AFC Championship Game against Oakland.
And there's something fitting about that, since he seems to have adopted one of the core Raiders philosophies: Just win, baby.
Presented with obstacles that surely would be issues for others, McNair, 29, repeatedly has the will to find a way. In eight seasons, he is an impressive 60-36 as a starter and has been in the playoffs three times the last four years.
After the Titans opened this season 1-4, he called a players-only meeting, challenged teammates to do better, then led them to a 10-1 finish. And he did it by example, compiling the best numbers of his career -- 3,387 yards passing (301-of-492), 440 yards rushing (on 82 carries) and 25 touchdowns.
Three times he rallied the Titans from double-digit second-half deficits, including a Dec. 1 game at the Giants when he hurt so badly he had called his wife, Mechelle, that morning to say he would not be able to play.
"There's something unique about him," Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher said. "I haven't been able to put my finger on it, but there's something inside of him that turns on when it needs to in a ballgame.
"He's passionate about winning, he hates losing, he despises failure. He's a very quiet motivating factor for this club. We feel as long as he's in a ballgame, he has a chance to really do something. And he's won a lot of games."
Titans players revel in trading McNair stories, but most impressive may be this: He did not practice once during the final five weeks of the regular season because of an assortment of aches and pains, and the Titans won all five games.
"He's been broken up, hurting and he pulls out those outstanding performances you don't think could happen unless you're 100 percent healthy, and he does it 50 percent healthy," defensive end Kevin Carter said recently. "That's nerves of steel. That's guts. There's no way I could do what he's doing. He's hands-down the toughest player in the NFL."
"Our Superman," safety Lance Schulters said.
McNair credits his toughness to an upbringing in rural Mississippi, to a country work ethic he has never abandoned. His mother -- she was the one in the stands last week holding the "Blood, Guts and Glory" sign -- still tells of how 8-year-old Steve burned his right hand so badly while pouring gas on a pile of leaves that he had to go to the hospital but never shed a tear. His wife -- who conveniently completed a nursing degree -- routinely shakes her head in disbelief.
McNair grew up a star athlete -- good enough to be drafted by the Mariners -- and his accomplishments soon became legend throughout the delta state. He went on to star at Alcorn State -- earning the nickname "Air McNair" -- and the then-Oilers made him the third player chosen in the 1995 draft.
But there was plenty of ground to be plowed, as he had to learn to deal with the issues of being a black quarterback, with criticism from fickle pro fans, with the frustration of playing in an offense that featured a bullish running back (George) rather than his own skills. He also learned how to play with pain.
"I'm not out to prove anything," McNair said. "All I'm trying to do is go out there and help my team win any way that I can."
McNair, who is 6-2 and 229 pounds, has matured, and his role has evolved. The offense is built around him, the Titans relying on his arm, his feet and his sharp mind. So far, it has worked pretty well.
"To me, the man is a legend," George said. "I'm so glad we're able to advance so people can really appreciate Steve's performance and what he's done this year."