STEVE MCNAIR
On The Price IsRight
I watch it allthe time. It's been my favorite game show for a long time. Bob Barker'sgreat--he's outlasted all the others, and he always brings energy. I like thecompetition of the show.
On his extensivesword collection
I startedcollecting about seven or eight years ago. I've got about 150 swords, frommovies or from people who sold me pieces I really liked. The way I playfootball is the way I see guys who fight with swords. They are real people,real men, who battle the guys up front. The collection goes along with who Iam, and what people consider me: a warrior.
On his mostvaluable sword
I got the onefrom Mel Gibson's movie Braveheart. It cost pretty good money; I'm not going tosay how much.
On growing up ona Mount Olive, Miss., farm
We didn't havethe luxuries that other kids had. We got up at four in the morning beforeschool to do chores, whether feeding the pigs or the chickens or going out inthe garden and harvesting food. Normal kids come home, do homework and go outto play. But [my four brothers and I] came in, took our [school] clothes offand went back out in the fields to finish more chores. Then we'd go in, get ussomething to eat, do our homework. When darkness fell, we were in bed. It wasthe same routine [every day].
On the injuriesthat have led to his having six surgeries
Dealing with myright shoulder in 2001 was the worst. I had infected my shoulder, and I had tobear the pain and fight through it. For a whole month I didn't sleep beforethey realized what was really going on in my shoulder.
On whispers thathis arm strength has diminished
Everyone has anopinion. Just because you're 33 doesn't mean you lose arm strength. In theoffense I'm in, I don't have to throw the ball downfield as much. You needaccuracy to be successful. You need a little velocity on it, but at the sametime, you have to throw with touch.
On Ray Lewis,whose locker is next to McNair's
Although we'veplayed against each other for a while [McNair was with the Titans franchisefrom 1995--96 through last season], we've had a great relationship. We are twogood leaders, and since he's been in this organization for a while, he canguide me. The lockers create a corner full of people trying to get in contactwith us. But it's great.
On what headcoach and play-caller Brian Billick brings to the offense
It's going outand putting in [plays] that explore everything about us, in the running gameand the passing game, where we can just be us and not be out there thinking.He's put in plays where I can go out and make the throws with my eyesclosed.
MCNAIR'S 168CAREER TD PASSES RANK THIRD AMONG ACTIVE STARTERS. THE RAVENS (9--3) PLAY ATK.C. (7--5) ON SUNDAY.
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Photograph by Peter Gregoire
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CBS/PHOTOFEST (BARKER)
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SIMON BRUTY (MCNAIR ACTION)