Son of Former Titans Star QB Steve McNair Quits Basketball for Dance

Steve McNair was one of the greatest quarterbacks in Tennessee Titans history. His son was a star basketball player now chasing new dreams.

McNair was tragically shot and killed in 2009, just two years after his playing career was over. The former star was a three-time Pro Bowl quarterback and also won the NFL’s MVP Award in 2003.

His son, Tyler, was a basketball starter for state champion Brentwood Academy. The six-foot-four eighteen-year-old was a power forward and his school was ranked No. 2 in the state of Tennessee, according to Max Preps. He is also an aspiring dancer.

Unable to balance the time commitment of both activities, McNair decided not to play basketball for his senior year.

Here’s what Mechelle, mother of Tyler McNair, said of the decision (via The Tennessean)

"“His dad would say if they ever wanted to do something other than sports, let them do it. A lot of people will make them play basketball or football because they’re athletes. It’s not fun if they’re doing something they don’t want to do.”"

McNair has become the first male member of the academy’s dance team. He says that former basketball teammates have cheered him on at performances.

Tyler told reporters that he still thinks his dad would be proud of him. Here’s what he had to say about the tough decision:

" “For almost a year, we tried to work on a schedule where I could do both and it never seemed to work out. Basketball is a big commitment, and dance is such a big commitment. Eventually I just decided to just stick with dance because it was something that I thought about all the time.” "

It’s good to see that Tyler is following his dreams and not following in the footsteps of what his father did.