Air Mcnair Dead at 36
I’ll admit, this one actually registered for me. This guy was one of the most resilient athletes I’ve ever seen. He would routinely put his team on his shoulders, taking over the entire offense, and would absorb endless beatings to do it.
As a draftee in 1995, McNair was known as a wildly talented athlete. Over the next 13 years of pro-ball we learned that he was, more importantly, a determined and courageous individual.
Here’s a great bio written near the end of Mcnair’s playing days. It chronicles his ascension through a division AA school (after refusing to be drafted as a defensive back by more prestigious programs), to one of the best pro-players of his day.