As the off-season moves along, the Oakland Raiders department of Last Word on Pro Football will be doing a series on great Raiders from history. We’ll revisit Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders that are now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, reminiscing on their careers and impact on the silver and black. This week, Ken Stabler is the topic of discussion.
Great Raiders From History: Ken Stabler
If any player perfectly embodies the Oakland Raiders of the 1970’s, it’s Kenny “The Snake” Stabler. To this day, Snake is Oakland’s all-time leading passer. His 19,078 yards and 150 touchdowns are the most in Raiders history, and he was the starting quarterback of the Raiders when they defeated the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI.
After a long wait, Ken Stabler was finally inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016. It was long, long, long overdue, and sadly, it only came after his death. But the best thing about Ken Stabler is that he probably wouldn’t have cared anyway.
Ken Stabler was the king of games with names. The Run in the Mud, Sea of Hands, Ghost to the Post, the Holy Roller, and yes, even the Immaculate Reception were all historically iconic games that featured the Snake. As long as Kenny Stabler was under center for the silver and black, they were never out of the game.
The Oakland Raiders of the 70’s were the cuckoo’s nest, and Ken Stabler was Randle McMurphy. As exciting as Stabler was on the field, he was even wilder off of it. There are countless stories about players and reporters catching Stabler out late with a girl (or two), the night before a game.
Former Raiders linebacker Monte Johnson tells a story about one time, where he saw Stabler and Fred Biletnikoff drinking at three in the morning, the night before a game against the Denver Broncos. Johnson was worried, but the next day, Stabler threw four touchdowns and the Raiders won. That sums up the organized madness of the Snake.
Don’t miss our other great Raiders from history articles on Ted Hendricks, Tim Brown, or Howie Long!
