The No. 1 player in the Top 50 Greatest Football Players in Alcorn history is no other than "Air II" himself, Steve McNair. McNair played for the Braves from 1991 to 1994 and when he arrived the atmosphere at Alcorn State University dramatically changed.
Steve's first season in 1991 was one of the best numbers ever put together by a freshman. Steve completed 189-of-338 passes for 2,895 yards and threw 24 touchdowns. He also rushed for 242 yards on 57 carries and scored six touchdowns to lead the Braves to a 7-2-1 record. He was named SWAC Offensive Player of the Year honors and earned Freshman of the Year honors. He was also selected to the All-SWAC 1st Team Offense.
During his sophomore campaign, Steve led the Braves to their first SWAC Championship since 1984 with a 7-4 overall and 7-0 undefeated SWAC record. Steve completed 231-of-419 passes for 3,541 yards and threw 29 touchdowns. He rushed for 516 yards on 92 carries and scored 10 touchdowns becoming the first quarterback in school history to thrown for 20+ touchdowns and rush for 10+ touchdowns. He was named to the SWAC Offensive Player of the Year and to the All-SWAC 1st team offense. Steve was also named the Sports Illustrated Offensive Player of the Year.
Talks of possibly winning the "Heisman Trophy," grew largely across the nation during his junior season in 1993. Steve completed 204 passes for a total of 3,197 yards and threw 22 touchdowns. He led the Braves in rushing with a total of 633 yards on 107 carries and scored eight touchdowns. He earned SWAC Player of the Week honors five times during the season. For his performance Steve was once again selected the SWAC Offensive Player of the Year and a member of the All-SWAC 1st team offense. He led the Braves to an 8-3 overall and 6-1 SWAC record that season.
Steve's final season in 1994 was the most remarkable season he and the Alcorn family had ever seen. Once again Steve aired the ball out by passing for a career-high 5,377 yards on 356-of-612 passing and threw for a career-high 47 touchdowns. Steve also hit the 1,000 mark in rushing yards garnering 904 yards on 128 carries and scoring nine touchdowns. He set the Division I-AA single-game total offense yardage record by collecting 647 yards and eight passing touchdowns against Tennessee-Chattanooga. With a separated shoulder Steve passed for 225 yards and rushed for 108 yards for a total of three touchdowns to break the NCAA Division I-AA All-Time Career Offense record held by Portland State's Neil Lomax. He became the NCAA All-Time leader in total offensive yards passing BYU's Ty Detmer after he passed for a season-high 587 yards and rushed for 62 yards and five total touchdowns in a 41-37 win over Southern. He also broke the Career Passing Yards record against Samford with a total of 563 passing yards. He helped the Braves capture a share of the SWAC Championship and was named the SWAC Offensive Player of the Year for the fourth consecutive time in his career. He finished 3rd in the Heisman Trophy votes that season and was drafted by the Houston Oilers as the No. 3 pick in the 1995 NFL Draft.
He finished his career with 14,496 passing yards and threw 119 touchdowns. He also finished with 2,327 yards rushing and 33 rushing touchdowns in his career. He is the only player in Alcorn and SWAC history to be named SWAC Offensive Player of the Year and to the 1st Team All-SWAC list every season in his career. To this day Steve's records still stand and no one will ever forget the four amazing years he gave Alcorn State University.
The Department of Athletics thanks you for following us these last 50 days as we honored some of the greatest football players to ever step foot on the "Reservation." Now that the list complete, "Let's Play Some Football." See you tomorrow at Spinks-Casem Stadium.
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