Well… it’s happened again.
Another summer has flown by and I don’t even know where it went. I’m sorry for the lapse in time since my last post. Life has been busy, vacations have occurred, and truth be told I love to write but lost the motivation this summer. Isn’t it funny how things happen though? The unexpected and the tragic, or the heartwarming and pleasant surprise? We can run the full range of emotions as humans and often times just take it for granted and chalk it up to “daily life.” Yet we never really know how we’ll respond when death arrives… do we? Finally, nearly a month later, I’ve reflected enough and come to peace with my own thoughts on the passing of Mississippi’s own — Steve ”Air” McNair. So here goes…
Silk was a generous man, always giving back to others. Whether it was the sweet potato pies his mom would cook and he would deliver to the entire team and coaches (whole pies), or the young people of his hometown who he’d purchase equipment for and hold camps (in Mt. Olive), or the athletes trying to follow in his footsteps as young professionals that he would mentor (see Vince Young). When I was 15 years old I saw Air McNair play for the first time on TV. I asked my dad, then an assistant coach with the Denver Broncos, what he thought about the Brave from Alcorn State and he said, “Man, that guy can play, he’s smooth as silk with a football in hand.” Who knew that five years later my old man would be his offensive coordinator in Tennessee with the Titans and nickname him “Silk”, and two years after that we’d come within a yard of winning a Super Bowl? Life is ironic sometimes, isn’t it?
Silk loved his kids. Don’t believe what some in the media might tell you. He was there for them, in fact, the day before he was killed he had his two youngest boys out on the property of a friend with their hooks in the water… fishing with their dad. How come that didn’t make SportsCenter? Or talk radio? Life can be misleading sometimes, can’t it?
And finally, Silk loved the game of football. He worked at it, sure the natural ability came, but I was there when he’d arrive at night to our home to eat dinner and watch film for hours with my dad during the off-season. And I was there at Training Camp, when he was the first one to arrive in the weight room in the morning, and the last one to leave a film session at night. He loved his teammates, and his teammates loved him. He’s a Hall of Famer, no doubt, and the toughest guy to ever play the position of Quarterback. Ever. And yet he was murdered while he slept on a couch he owned. Life can be unfair, can’t it?
Thanks for the highlight reels and the big smiles you gave us all after turning the impossible into routine Silk, and most of all, thanks for representing all of us in here in the great state of Mississippi. You were our hometown hero, and always will be.
Life can make an impact, can’t it?