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NFL players are best known for their performances on the football field. They make a name for themselves based off what they accomplish during their careers, including individual accolades and team success. While it's a relatively short career compared to others, it gives an opportunity to make a major lifelong impact.
The average age of retirement in the NFL is currently just 27 years old, demonstrating just how short most players' careers truly are. The positive side is that it gives them the opportunity to pursue other ventures following football as they still have most of their lives ahead of them. Unfortunately, not all of them have had that luxury.
NFL players are not immune to tragedies. They are human beings that deal with the same difficult situations as anyone else. Like people from all walks of life, there are NFL players who have been murdered, some of them by those closest to them. Here are three players whose lives were tragically taken from them by their significant others.
#1 - Steve McNair
Steve McNair spent the majority of his career with the Tennessee Titans, where he found much success as a starting quarterback. Among his many accomplishments are winning an NFL MVP award as well as making an appearance in the Super Bowl.
According to Nashville police, McNair was shot four times while asleep on the couch. The shooter was his partner outside of marriage Sahel Kazemi, who also shot herself in the head, making it a murder-suicide. McNair was still married at the time to his wife Mechelle McNair.
#2 - Fred Lane
Fred Lane put in three solid seasons as a running back for the Carolina Panthers after being signed as an undrafted free agent following the 1997 NFL Draft. He accumulated 2,276 total yards and 13 touchdowns before being traded to the Indianapolis Colts.
Before ever playing a game for the Colts, Lane was murdered at home by his wife Deidra Lane. She shot him twice with a shotgun, for which she pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to eight years in prison.
#3 - Blenda Gay
Blenda Gay was originally selected by the Oakland Raiders during the 1973 NFL supplemental draft, but was cut during training camp. He later signed with the San Diego Chargers for one season before spending two years with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Blenda Gay was murdered by his wife Roxanne Gay, who slit his throat while he was sleeping. Roxanne claimed self-defense due to domestic violence against Blenda, but it didn't hold up in court. Instead, she was released after a sanity hearing diagnosed her as schizophrenic and all charges were dropped.
