Yesterday at 10:00 PM, the Tennessean reported that Steve McNair, former QB of the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens, was found dead in his home in an apparent murder-suicide.

McNair was a good QB and by all accounts a good guy. He gave a lot back to the people of Tennessee with charitable work and contributions, and was a well-loved guy in the community.

Rather than talk about what a tragedy this obviously is for McNair's family, friends and former team mates, I'd like to discuss some of the memories I have of Steve McNair as a player. Even though I'm not a Titans or Ravens fan, I feel like this is the best way to honor him.

I'll always remember McNair as a sort of iron man QB. Not in the same way as Brett Favre and his consecutive starts streak; in a totally different way.

McNair always had the ability to get hit, shrug it off and finish the play. Whether it was a scramble or a pass, McNair never gave up on a play. I've always said that Ben Roethlisberger reminds me of a young Steve McNair in this respect: they both have the ability to shrug off the tackler and deliver a big play for their team.

During his later years McNair wore out athletically. He took so many hits that his aging body couldn't take it any more, and the iron man who never fell started to eat turf a lot more often. Despite this, however, he still found ways to be an assett to the team with both his arm and his legs. Even during his last year in Baltimore, when his career was clearly nearing an end, he had a very solid season.

The image of McNair I'll remember won't be in a Ravens uniform, though. The image I'll always have of McNair is of him standing proudly with the Titans wearing the number nine on his chest. With Eddie George in the backfield early in his career, McNair combined with an outstanding running game to set the league on fire.

Steve McNair had a rare combination of athleticism and a QB touch. He was not only able to make all the throws, read the defense and take what they were giving him; if a play broke down he could also bust a long run to pick up a first down or more. In that respect, I always felt that he was an under-valued player.

While Michael Vick got all the hype for being an athletic QB, Steve McNair was the real deal. Vick was a running back or a receiver who had a good arm. McNair was a QB with a good set of legs.

Let's not kid ourselves here. At no point during his career was Steve McNair the best QB in the league. However, he may have been the most well-rounded passer since Warren Moon when it comes to combining athleticism with traditional QB skills.

I'll remember Steve McNair for taking Eddie George and the Titans to Super Bowl XXXIV and coming literally inches away from sending the game into overtime for the first time in Super Bowl history. It was one of the most gut-wrenching losses I've ever seen.

I'll remember the mild QB controversy when McNair sat out with an injury in 1999 onlyt o watch Neil O'Donnel guide the team to a 4-1 record in his stead. When McNair returned, he assumed his starting job once more and the Titans rolled to win seven more and finish with a 13-3 record, and eventually an appearance in the Super Bowl I mentioned earlier.

I'll remember McNair's 2003 season, when he threw for 23 touchdowns and 3215 yards while also scoring four touchdowns with his legs. He ended up sharing the MVP honors with Peyton Manning that year.

I'll remember the way the Titans banned McNair from their practice facility because he was in a contract dispute with the team. This always seemed like a classless move towards somebody who had given his whole career to the team to me, and it eventually led to McNair playing out his final season in Baltimore.

I'll remember the slow decline McNair had as a result of taking hit after hit after hit. His iron man play style won his team a lot of games, but it didn't do wonders for his body. A duel-threat early in his career, later on he had to rely purely on his arm. As he started to age and miss more throws, it became clear that his time in the league was up.

Most of all, I'll remember Steve McNair as a player who had some great years. Though he declined, he never had a really bad year. He was at least a solid starter for his entire career, and when his body couldn't do it anymore he gracefully exited the game.

I wish the best to McNair's family, friends, and former team mates.