When former Ravens quarterback Steve McNair came to Baltimore in 2006, he was near the end of his career but at the beginning of something special for the Ravens. Not only did McNair lead the Ravens to the playoffs that season, but he eventually became the model for a franchise that had been hurt by poor quarterback decisions.
As news of McNair's death in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday traveled through Baltimore, the minds of many Ravens fans had to drift back to 2006 when we all hitched a ride on McNair. And we hoped he had enough stamina and magic left to take the Ravens deep into the NFL playoffs.
The dream ended with a 15-6 loss to Indianapolis in the second round, but McNair created the mold that the Ravens used in April 2008 to draft a quarterback in the first round out of the University of Delaware named Joe Flacco.
And as long as Flacco plays in Baltimore, the Ravens owe a lot of his success to McNair. It's a debt they can't repay.
"Two things we learned from Steve were about his accuracy and poise," said Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome, vacationing with his family in Muscle Shoals, Ala. "The bigger the game, the more poise Steve showed, and that led us to Joe. We had quarterbacks before with bigger arms and great intelligence, but not the combination that Steve had.
"Once we had the prototype, we saw the same qualities in Joe, that coolness under fire," Newsome said. "I'm saddened by all of this, sad for Steve's family. I'm speechless, but Steve made a major impact on this franchise for the short time he played here."
Before the arrival of McNair, the Ravens had been through numerous quarterbacks. We all know the names. Vinny Testaverde, Scott Mitchell, Jeff Blake, Tony Banks, Jim Harbaugh, Chris Redman and Kyle Boller, just to name a few.
Some were too young and others were too old. McNair was past his prime in 2006, but he had other intangibles that made him a great leader. McNair was tough, and he often took beatings because he held onto the ball too long.
After each game in 2006, his body was always battered and he walked awkwardly with an S-shape in his back. He was often taped up from neck to shoulder, and wore so much padding, he looked like he was wearing a life jacket.
Free agent Matt Stover, the longtime Ravens kicker, says he never saw a tougher guy in his 19 seasons in the NFL.
