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We had so many good times. I'll never forget when he came back from surgery against Pittsburgh and dove headfirst over the pile, obviously the Super Bowl and the drive that we fell a yard short, but the one thing that I do remember most about Steve was that we would both together before every game inside the tunnel shaking everybody's hand, every player, every coach, every trainer, everybody that was a part of the Titans family and as we were going out and as we finished, we would stop and look at each other and say, 'I love you.' That was kind of the completion, that was it, that we were going out to war. That is the one thing that I always remember, is that we would always be there for each other and for the team and it was always about family first.
The man had ice running through his veins. He was so cool under pressure, so calm. He never raised his voice, never lost his composure. Obviously, he had moments when he was disappointed, but he had such a short memory that you really couldn't tell what Steve was thinking a lot of the time. He was never affected by a bad play. He was just the ultimate leader. He would just go in there and get hit from every angle and get up grimacing and out of breath, limping back, but not once did he ever fold and say that 'I can't go today.' He would spend 90 percent of his time in the training room on the training table through the course of the year and go out and play his heart out on Sundays and that was Steve. He sacrificed himself and it wasn't about the money because if it was he wouldn't have done all that. It was about his willingness to win. It was about his heart. His heart spoke volumes. We rode off of his spirit and that is how it was. He was the heart and soul of our team.
I will remember Steve's smile, his laugh, his ability to cook – the man could cook – and just the human being that he was. We had some great time together. He had a wonderful personality. The football thing was one thing and I remember his playing days, but just the human being. He brought so much joy to so many people. He was a consummate pro and he was a gentleman. He was a great father. He raised his boys very well, they are well-behaved. His legacy will live on.
It is tough and in Nashville, the community here is so small that they lost a hero -- not just myself, but the entire community. They have embraced Steve McNair and his family. We say goodbye to Steve in the human form, but his spirit and his memory will always last forever.
