Ken Stabler

Infobox NFLretired


caption=
width=
position=Quarterback
number=12, 16
birthdate=birth date and age|1945|12|25
Foley, Alabama
deathdate=
debutyear=1970
finalyear=1984
draftyear=1968
draftround=2
draftpick=52
college=Alabama
teams=
* Oakland Raiders (1968–1979)
* Houston Oilers (1980–1981)
* New Orleans Saints (1982–1984)
stat1label=TD–INT
stat1value=194–222
stat2label=Yards
stat2value=27,938
stat3label=QB Rating
stat3value=75.3
nfl=STA013616
highlights=
* 4x Pro Bowl selection (1973, 1974, 1976, 1977)
* 3x All-Pro selection (1973, 1974, 1976)
* Super Bowl XI champion
* NFL 1970s All-Decade Team
* 1974 NFL MVP
* 1976 Bert Bell Award
* Led NFL in Passing Touchdowns in 1974 and 1976
HOF=

Ken "Kenny" Michael Stabler (born December 25, 1945 in Foley, Alabama), nicknamed "The Snake", is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders (1970–1979), the Houston Oilers (1980–1981), and the New Orleans Saints (1982–1984). He played college football for the University of Alabama Crimson Tide football program.

Career

High school career

Stabler became a highly touted football player at Foley High School. He led Foley to a won-loss record of 29–1 over his high school career—the only loss coming against rival Fairhope High School. He was an all-around athlete in high school, averaging 29 points a game in basketball and excelling enough as a left-handed pitcher in baseball to receive minor-league contract offers from the Houston Astros and New York Yankees. During his high school career, he earned his nickname "the Snake" [cite web| url=http://www.raidersonline.org/ken-stabler.php| title=Ken Stabler| publisher=Oakland Raiders| accessdate=2008-09-03] from his coach following a long, winding touchdown run.

College career

Stabler was recruited by legendary head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant at the University of Alabama, joining the team in 1964. Due to NCAA regulations at the time, freshmen were ineligible to play; therefore, Stabler would sit out during the 1964 season. In that season, the Crimson Tide won the National Championship with quarterback Joe Namath.

In the 1965 season, Stabler and Steve Sloan both played quarterback for the team following Namath's departure to the NFL. With the two splitting time at the position, the Crimson Tide won their second consecutive National Championship. The team defeated the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Orange Bowl, 39–28.

As a junior in 1966, he took over the quarterback position full-time. He led the team to an undefeated, 11–0 season which ended in 34–7 rout of Nebraska in the Sugar Bowl. Despite the unblemished record, the Tide was snubbed by the polls, finishing in third behind Notre Dame and Michigan State.

Expectations were high in Stabler's senior season, though those expectations would not be completely fulfilled. The offense often struggled, and the defense's performance slipped. During the season, Stabler was kicked off the team for cutting class and partying by Bryant, though was given a second chance. [cite web| url=http://espn.go.com/classic/biography/s/Bryant_Bear.html| title=Bear Bryant 'simply the best there ever was'| publisher=ESPN| accessdate=2008-09-03] The Tide finished with an 8–2–1 record, including a loss to rivals Tennessee. Though the season was lackluster, Stabler would provide a memorable moment in the Iron Bowl. Trailing 3–0 in a game drenched by rain, Stabler scampered through the mud for a 47–yard, game-winning touchdown which gave the Tide a 7–3 victory over rivals Auburn at Legion Field. The play is commonly referred to as the "Run in the Mud" in Alabama football lore.

Overall in his career, Stabler finished his career at Alabama with a 28–3–2 record as a starter.

Career statistics

NFL career

Stabler was drafted in the second round of the 1968 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. Stabler first made his mark in the NFL in a 1972 playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. After entering the game in relief of Daryle Lamonica, he scored the go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter on a 30-yard scramble. The Steelers, however, came back to win on a controversial, deflected pass from Terry Bradshaw to Franco Harris, known in football lore as The Immaculate Reception. Snake got his name in Jr. High School returning a punt and weaving from side to side and his Coach made the comment he looked like a snake running back and forth. The name has stayed with him over the many years.

After suffering severe knee injuries, Stabler became less a scrambling quarterback and more a classic, drop-back passer, known for deadly-accurate passes and an uncanny ability to lead late, come-from-behind drives. During the peak of his career he had an impressive receiving corps consisting of sprinter Cliff Branch, sure-handed Hall of Fame possession receiver Fred Biletnikoff, and a Hall-of-Fame tight end Dave Casper. The Raider philosophy was to pound teams with their running game and then stretch them with their vertical (long passing) game. Although Stabler's arm was not known for great strength, he was a master of the deep ball to Branch, and deadly accurate on intermediate routes to Biletnikoff and Casper. As a starter in Oakland, Stabler was named AFC player of the year in 1974 and 1976, and was the NFL's passing champion in 1976. In January 1977 he guided the Raiders to their first Super Bowl victory, after a narrow playoff victory over the New England Patriots in which he scored the winning touchdown on a quarterback keeper. In the 1977 AFC Playoffs against the Baltimore Colts he threw a crucial 4th quarter pass to Dave Casper that set up a game tying field goal that sent into overtime in which the Raiders eventually won; the 4th quarter pass was dubbed the Ghost to the Post.

Prior to the 1980 season, after a lengthy contract holdout, Stabler was traded to the Houston Oilers for Dan Pastorini. Stabler left the Raiders as their all-time leader in completions (1,486), passing yards (19,078), and touchdown passes (150). The Oilers in turn saw Stabler as the missing ingredient that could finally get them past the rival Steelers and into the Super Bowl. Pastorini lost the starting job in Oakland to Jim Plunkett after an injury, and Plunkett then led the Raiders over Stabler and the Oilers in the playoffs. Stabler played one more season with Houston, but Oiler coach Bum Phillips liked his grit and brought him with him to New Orleans where he finished his NFL career with a three-year stint with the Saints.

Stabler was a care free soul, in the vein of old pros like Bobby Layne and Joe Namath. He was known to study his playbook by the light of a jukebox and for his affinity for female fans. But, as Hall of Fame guard Gene Upshaw said, "When we were behind in the fourth quarter, with our backs to our end zone, no matter how he had played up to that point, we could look in his eyes and you knew, YOU KNEW, he was going to win it for us. That was an amazing feeling."

Of particular note regarding his career, Stabler was the quickest to win 100 games as a starting quarterback having done so in 150 games. This accomplishment was better than Johnny Unitas previous mark of doing it in 153 games. Since then, only Joe Montana and Tom Brady have reached 100 wins quicker. [cite web| url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=280120017| title=Pats put away Chargers for fourth Super Bowl berth in seven years| publisher=ESPN| date=2008-01-20| accessdate=2008-09-02] Stabler is also the only quarterback from the NFL's All-1970's team not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame (the other two being Terry Bradshaw and Roger Staubach). In a recent NFL feature listing the top ten players not in the Hall of Fame, Stabler was listed at number six, partly due to his off-field scandals, [cite web| url=http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d8099968f| title=Top Ten Not in HOF: Ken Stabler| publisher=National Football League| date=2008-07-31| accessdate=2008-09-02] which in the 70's were less prevalent, or it could be that he never emulated the same success after he left Oakland, or simply the NFL had a conspiracy against the Oakland Raiders team at the time.

Broadcasting career

Following his retirement as a player, Stabler worked as a color commentator, first on CBS NFL telecasts, and then on radio with Eli Gold for Alabama football games. Following his third DUI arrest since 1995, [cite web| url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3433432| title=Ex-Raiders star Stabler arrested on third DUI charge| publisher=ESPN| date=2008-06-09| accessdate=2008-09-03] Stabler took a leave of absence for Alabama's 2008 season but intends to return for the 2009 season. [cite web| url=http://myespn.go.com/blogs/hashmarks/0-8-150/Ex-Raiders-star-Stabler-leaves-radio-gig.html| title=Ex-Raiders star Stabler leaves radio gig| publisher=ESPN| date=2008-07-11| accessdate=2008-09-03] cite web| url=http://www.al.com/alabama/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/sports/1215854130308570.xml&coll=1| title=Stabler leaves UA radio job| publisher=AL.com| date=2008-07-12| accessdate=2008-09-03] Following his departure, he was replaced with Tom Roberts.

Popular culture

* Ken Stabler was featured on a "SNL" skit as the spokesman for a fictional product called the "Lung Brush". [cite web| url=http://snltranscripts.jt.org/91/91elungbrush.phtml| title=Lung Brush| accessdate=2008-09-03]
* Professional wrestler Jake "The Snake" Roberts adapted his nickname "The Snake" as a tribute to Stabler. [cite web| url=http://www.prowrestlingdaily.com/2008/03/10/legendsl-jake-the-snake-roberts/| title=LegendsL Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts!| publisher=Pro Wrestling Daily| date=2008-03-10| accessdate=2008-09-03]
* While playing for the Houston Oilers Stabler had his own soft drink known as "Snake Venom" sold in the city. In his autobiography, Stabler stated that the drink "tasted about like its name."

Personal

*Stabler has three daughters, two of which currently attend his alma mater, the University of Alabama. [cite web| url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/06/05/SPGPKD3F5S1.DTL| title=Catching up with Kenny Stabler: Avoiding Snake eyes| publisher="San Francisco Chronicle"| date=2005-06-05| accessdate=2008-09-03]

ee also

*Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame
*Mobile Sports Hall of Fame

Further reading

*cite book| last=Sahadi| first=Lou| authorlink=| coauthors=| title=Ken Stabler and the Oakland Raiders| date=1997| publisher=Scholastic Book Services
*cite book| last=Stabler| first=Ken| coauthors=Berry Stainback| title=Snake: The Candid Autobiography of Football's Most Outrageous Renegade| date=1986| publisher=Doubleday| isbn=0385234503

References

External links

* [http://www.kenstabler.com/ KenStabler.com]
* [http://www.raidersonline.org/ken-stabler.php Ken Stabler bio] at RaidersOnline

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