(STATS) – The Tennessee Titans announced Wednesday they will retire the late Steve McNair’s No. 9 jersey at their home opener against the Indianapolis Colts on Sept. 15.
The Colts also will retire running back Eddie George’s No. 27, making them the seventh and eighth players to earn the distinction in the history of the Titans/Houston Oilers franchise.
“Steve and Eddie will be forever linked as two of the driving forces for our team in the late 90s and early 2000s,” Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk said. “They were the heart and soul of the team and each made the other a better player and ultimately led to a great deal of team success. Their statistics will forever live in our record books, but their play and sacrifice are what our fans will always remember. For that and all that they have done for our team, the number 9 and 27 will be retired with the all-time franchise greats.”
The Oilers selected McNair out of Alcorn State with the third overall pick in the 1995 NFL Draft. Nicknamed “Air,” McNair is the only player in Southwestern Athletic Conference history to be a four-time offensive player of the year (1991-94). During his senior season, he won the 1994 STATS FCS Walter Payton Award as the national player of the year.
McNair holds the FCS all-time total yardage record (16,823) and held the all-time passing yardage mark (14,496) until he was passed by Samford’s Devlin Hodges last year.
In a 13-year NFL career, McNair passed for 31,304 yards and 174 touchdowns with a 60.1 completion percentage in 161 games. He was named the NFL’s co-MVP in 2003 with Peyton Manning, earned three Pro Bowl nods and in 1999 led the Titans to their only Super Bowl appearance.
McNair spent the final two seasons of his NFL career with the Baltimore Ravens. He was tragically killed in Nashville on July 4, 2009.
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