The son of Steve McNair Sr. says neither he nor his older brother Steve McNair Jr. was invited to their father’s jersey retirement in Nashville.
He says they’re being shunned from his legacy.
The Tennessee Titans retired two jerseys Sunday number 27 for Eddie George and number 9 for McNair.
McNair starred for the Titans following a stellar college career at Alcorn State University.
He was murdered on July 4th, 2009.
“Honoring my father for the hero that he was for the incredible athlete that he was,” said Steven O’Bryant McNair.
But, with the pomp and circumstance and overall emotion of the moment, two key figures in the life of Steve McNair were missing.
“We made all kinds of preparations to be there you know my brother has a family you know so it takes time to actually get everything together,” Steven said. “Just to realize that you know hey—we never received a phone call and we never received an invite.”
Steven‘s family reached out to the Titans organization.
They informed them that Mcnair’s widow Mechelle McNair was in charge of invitations.
Mechelle and Steve McNair have two sons together, Tyler and Trenton.
McNair fathered Steve Jr. and Steven from previous relationships.
Mechelle said details were being worked out long before the ceremony.
“The Titans gave them my contact information to reach out to me over a month ago,” she said.
According to Steven’s family, It wasn’t until 9:12 Sunday morning hours before kickoff until Mechelle responded to Steven’s request to be present for the moment.
She says that’s “B-S.”
“There’s no way that I’m not going to invite them to come to something that their daddy’s a part of. The Titans gave me their tickets and I let them know that I had them,” Mechelle said via a telephone call.
Mechelle adds she reached out a few times including Sunday to secure a way for Steven to join in.
But, he said he and his brother have been shut out of the lives of their younger brothers and cut off from their father’s legacy
“Never have I heard a how are you — how’s school, your brothers would love to see you —never received any of that,” he said.
‘Lil Steven’ as his family calls him says it’s time now to speak out for him and his older brother.
“What did we do—what have we done, such hurt that you feel like you just have to place us aside like we don’t matter our opinions don’t matter that you don’t even have the decency to check up on us and see how we’re doing.”
While his younger brothers, his father’s brothers, and family stood in the moment as McNair’s number 9 legacy was placed into the history books.
Steven stood watching, wearing his father’s jersey 400 miles away.
“It was a bit emotional that I wasn’t there but you know things have to continue on and things have go on and I wish I was there but you know time being maybe next time,” he said.
https://www.wjtv.com/news/exclusive...e-wasnt-invited-to-fathers-jersey-retirement/
