Steve McNair Jr. has had to cope with losing his dad while playing high school football and keeping his grades up. He has chosen a school that would make his father proud.

He had his choice of lots of colleges including; Minnesota, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Nebraska, West Virginia and others. The talented wideout chose Southern Miss as his school to play college football.

He announced the decision two days ago.

“I’m going to Southern Miss,” McNair said. “It’s close to home, and my family and my coaches can all come and see me play every week.”

“He’s had a great year,” said Oak Grove coach Nevil Barr. “When we’ve needed a big play, he’s been there to make it: offense, defense, special teams.”

Although his father played for Alcorn State he grew up in Mississippi and raised his kids there.

There has always been a connection between the McNair family, the community and the hometown school in Mississippi.

McNair Jr. is one of the top prospects in the state, and was named to the prestigious “Dandy Dozen” team earlier this year.

He has helped his Oak Grove team to a 6-2 record on the year. The Warriors finish their regular season Friday night at Jim Hill (Jackson, Miss.) and are likely playoff bound.

In spite of his personal loss, McNair Jr. has been a leader for the Warriors – both on and off the field.

“Everyone loves Steve,” Barr said. “He’s a special kid. He’s always smiling, and that’s not always been easy this year.”

Interesting side note: McNair Jr. got to play catch with Brett Favre at a special camp during high school. Favre played for Southern Miss himself during his college career.

We look forward to seeing McNair Jr. catch passes in college and hopefully the NFL someday.