Steve McNair was the latest, and quite possible the last for a while, in a long line of black pro-football stars who played college ball at predominately black schools. He put up gaudy numbers at Alcorn State where he was nicknamed Air McNair and like so many black QBs before went to Alcorn State because major colleges wanted him to play defensive back.

He was a quarterback. The one quality any football fan remembers about McNair was that he played hurt, all the time. Bruised sternum, fracture in his hands, and sprains: if McNair could stand up, he would suit up. His 2003 Co-MVP season was a prime example as was his 13-3 playoff season in 2006.

Today, McNair was found, shot to death ,in a condo in downtown Nashville along with a currently unidentified woman in what police believe is a double homicide.

Steve leaves behind his wife Mechelle, four sons, the eldest, Steve Jr, who is a wide receiver and is scheduled to graduate from high school in spring of 2010 and attend college to play this fall. It will most likely be bittersweet without his father.

Update: As initially feared, the woman found with McNair was his 20 year old girlfriend Sahel Kamezi. Sure to get more ridiculous “Why do athletes cheat?” stories