Titans shocked, but vow to support McNair
NASHVILLE — Teammates, coaches and staff members of the Tennessee Titans expressed surprise Thursday at the news that quarterback Steve McNair was arrested early in the morning and charged with Driving Under the Influence (DUI) and possession of a handgun while under the influence.
No one was more surprised than McNair.
“This is something that I didn’t think that would ever happen, but this is something I just have to deal with, and I will with the support of my teammates, coaches, family and friends,” he said. “… I apologize, especially to my fans, the kids that look up to me. It’s something you don’t usually see out of me, but I put myself in a situation. I got to get out of it. I will bounce back from it.”
The arrest was made at 12:08 a.m. (CDT) after he was observed driving erratically down Broadway through the downtown area in his 1999 Lincoln Navigator. Following a field sobriety test he registered 0.18 on a breath alcohol test. State law mandates that 0.10 is the legal limit. According to reports, he had a permit for the firearm, but state law prohibits possession of a weapon while under the influence.
Roughly four hours after his arrest McNair was released, once he posted bond. He was not with his teammates on the practice field later in the morning as they went through one of the 14 Organized Team Activities (OTA) of this offseason.
“Steve indicated to me that he wanted to practice, he wanted to join the team, but I felt that it was better that he get away so that he could gather his thoughts,” coach Jeff Fisher said following the workout.
Those thoughts lasted roughly 90 seconds. At 3 p.m. he entered a meeting room at the Titans’ training facility accompanied by Fisher, general manager Floyd Reese and team president Jeff Diamond, made a brief statement to the media and left without answering questions. Fisher, Reese and Diamond came and went without comment.
“I realize the seriousness of this matter,” McNair said. “I want to apologize to my teammates, organization and my coaches for putting myself in a situation of this magnitude. This is another hurdle I just have to jump over but I will bounce back.”
As a result of the incident, McNair will be entered in the league’s Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse. It creates the possibility that he could face suspension for future actions outside the law or league guidelines.
He is not the first player the Titans have had in the program. Josh Evans was suspended for four games in 1999 and the entire 2000 season for consistent violations.
Likewise, he is not the first to have encountered legal issues in recent seasons. Cornerback Denard Walker was charged in a domestic violence incident that led to a two-game suspension at the start of the 2000 season, and offensive linemen Zach Piller and Fred Miller were implicated but never charged for their part in an alleged altercation at a local night club.
He was the last one any of his teammates figured would be in such an untidy situation, though.
“He made a mistake, but that’s not Steve McNair,” safety Lance Schulters said. “You never think something like this is going to happen, and I would think of other guys before him — maybe even me.”
McNair is expected on the field today for the Titans’ next OTA, and the whole thing is not expected to have any effect on preparations for the coming season.
“It just shows you how sometimes decisions that we make can put us in difficult situations,” Fisher said. “He’s done that and he will face it, I assure you. He is a stand-up man and he will face this. He made a bad decision and will face this. He will push through this.
“I hurt for Steve because it’s uncharacteristic of Steve. As an organization — and not just us, all the organizations around the league — league-wide we deal with these issues. We deal with the preventative phase of these issues. If it can happen to Steve it can happen to any one of us. We just have to make better decisions.”