The Day Nashville Died

It's hard to write this. Steve McNair died today.
Steve was everyone's hero. He was a father, a son, a brother, a brother-in-law, a friend, a co-worker. He was an athlete, a superstar, a titan- more than that, a legend, a hero.
I cannot put my feelings and thoughts into words. I am still dazed. I knew Steve. I was planning on pursuing writing a book about him- about his remarkable life and career; how he grew up poor in Mississippi with older brothers (like me) who influenced him; how he grew up in a one-parent family (like me); how he defied the odds and nay-sayers and became a NFL superstar.
Steve was much more than a superstar athlete. He did things for this community and for people in need that no one knows about. I have heard numerous stories from his friends and others that Steve would often do things for people in need- and he did not want the media to know about these things- visiting sick children in the hospital; giving poor people material things, hosting his football camp for inner city children; on and on.
He just did his football camp for kids in Nashville. He just opened a restaurant in north Nashville near TSU, hoping to help improve that area and the revitalization there.
He was helping out all over the place. His foundation was for children, to help them in many different ways. Just two months ago, I was at a fund-raising event in Green Hills for two organizations. Steve was there for several hours, helping them raise money and public support. He was playing with his young 8-year-old boy, having a good time, greeting his many fans and admirers, including me.
He was a great person, a top-notch individual and leader and friend.

I am a native Nashvillian. I have seen how this city has changed. We as a city have grown and improved and evolved. The Titans have been a big part of that growth. And Steve was the heart and soul and leader and hero of our Titans- and he still is.
But he was more than that. He is one of us, a Nashvillian, raising his family here, serving the community, raising his children. He was not perfect, no one is. But he was about as great as you can get.
He was more than just a player and athlete. He was our hero, our titan, our giant, our legend, our friend.
He came to Nashville and made this his home. And someone killed him.
This is the day Nashville died.
This is the day that society died.