Bama in the NFL: 'When you think about the Raiders you think about Ken Stabler'

Legendary former Alabama quarterback remains the player most associated with the franchise now in Las Vegas.

Author:
Christopher Walsh
Publish date:
Aug 9, 2023 2:00 PM EDT

In this story:

When people talk about the quintessential Raiders player, especially from the franchise's years in Oakland, Kenny Stabler's name comes up a lot. The quarterback who guided its first Super Bowl win was named the National Football League's MVP in 1974, and he was posthumously inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Moreover, the former Alabama Crimson Tide standout was one of the Silver and Black's biggest characters, in an organization that's been known for them. From "Ghost to the Post" to the "Sea of Hands," and even the "Holy Roller" (plus on the losing side of the "Immaculate Reception," nothing about Stabler, or even anything around him, was boring.

Actually, it was during that 1972 playoff game against the Steelers that Stabler really made his first mark as a professional after being selected in the second round of the 1968 NFL Draft. After relieving Daryle Lamonica, he scored the go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter on a 31-yard scramble, only to get topped by the controversial, deflected pass from Terry Bradshaw to Franco Harris.

During his 10 seasons with the Raiders, all in Oakland (1970-79), Stabler was the league’s offensive player of the year in 1974, and both the player of the year and passing champion in 1976. Named All-Pro (and twice a second-team selection), he became the Raiders’ all-time leader in pass attempts, completions, completion percentage, yards and touchdowns. It all culminated with his leading Oakland to the 32-14 victory against Minnesota in Super Bowl XI.

“The worst thing I could do would be to let my guys see me with a worried look,” Stabler said before the game. “I’m not a worrier anyway. I’m really relaxed and loose on the field, no matter how tense things are. Sometimes I think of all the things that could go wrong if I screw up. But then I know that I’m not going to, so it ain’t no big deal.”

Stabler had a 69-26-1 record for the silver and black while passing for 19,078 yards and 150 touchdowns, before finishing his career with the Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints. But there's no doubt which organization he's been known for.

Said his former coach John Madden after Stabler died in 2015: “I’ve often said, if I had one drive to win a game and I had one quarterback to pick, I would pick Kenny. The Snake was a lot cooler than I was. He was a perfect quarterback and a perfect Raider. When you think about the Raiders you think about Ken Stabler.”

Bama in the NFL: Las Vegas Raiders

The Franchise

American Football Conference

West Division

Team Colors: Silver and Black

Founded: 1960 as a charter member of the AFL. The Raiders stayed in Oakland through 1981, moved to Los Angeles (1982-94), back to Oakland (1995-2019), and then Las Vegas in 2020.

Stadium: Allegiant Stadium (capacity: 65,000 )

Playing Surface: Natural Bermuda

Training Camp: Intermountain Health Performance Center and Raiders Headquarters

All-Time Alabama Players

Anthony Averett, CB, 2022
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, S, 2021
Amari Cooper, WR, 2015 - 2018
Lester Cotton Sr., OG, 2019, 2021 - 2022
Kenyan Drake, RB, 2021
Charley Hannah, OG, 1983 - 1988
Josh Jacobs, RB, 2019 - 2022
Emanuel King, LB, 1989
Alex Leatherwood, OT, 2021
A.J. McCarron, QB, 2018
Rolando McClain, LB, 2010 - 2012
Charlie Rieves, LB, 1962 - 1963
Mike Rodriguez, LB, 1987
Henry Ruggs III, WR, 2020 - 2021
Anthony Smith, DT, 1991 - 1997
Damion Square, DE, 2021
Ken Stabler, QB, 1970 - 1979
Carson Tinker, LS, 2021

Crimson Tide Draft Picks


Year	Player	Pos.	Round	Pick	Overall
1963 (AFL)	Butch Wilson	B	6	1	41
1965 (AFL)	Frank McClendon	T	19	3	147
1966 (AFL)	Steve Bowman	B	20	7	179
1968	Ken Stabler	QB	2	25	52
1969	William Davis	LB	16	22	412
1973	Jim Krapf	G	12	23	309
1994	Roosevelt Patterson	G	5	28	159
2010	Rolando McClain	LB	1	8	8
2015	Amari Cooper	WR	1	4	4
2019	Josh Jacobs	RB	1	24	24
2020	Henry Ruggs III	WR	1	12	12
2021	Alex Leatherwood	OT	1	17	17
2023	Byron Young	DT	3	7	70

Super Bowl Appearances

Kenny Stabler, Super Bowl XI (Jan. 9, 1977)

Stabler was 12-for-19, with 190 passing yards and a touchdown as Oakland Raiders tallied a Super Bowl record 429 offensive yards en route to the 32-14 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

Kenny Stabler and Fred Biletnikoff — Sports Illustrated

Charley Hannah, Super Bowl XVIII (Jan. 22, 1984)

Hannah started at left guard for the Los Angeles Raiders, and had a fumble recovery during the 38-9 blowout of the Redskins. They also ran for 231 yards on 33 carries, including two touchdowns.

Major Awards/Honors

All-Pro

Josh Jacobs (1): 2022

Kenny Stabler (1): 1974

Pro Bowl

Kenny Stabler (4): 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977

Amari Cooper (3): 2015, 2016, 2018

Josh Jacobs (2): 2020, 2022

Pro Football Hall of Fame

Kenny Stabler

NFL Most Valuable Player

Kenny Stabler, 1974

Other Kenny Stabler honors

NFL Offensive Player of the Year, 1974
NFL passing touchdowns leader (1974, 1976)
NFL completion percentage leader (1973, 1976)
NFL passer rating leader, 1976
Bert Bell Award, Maxwell Football Club to the player of the year, 1976
NFL 1970s All-Decade Team

Other Josh Jacobs honors

NFL rushing yards leader (2022)
NFL's first Jim Brown Award (2022) at the NFL Honors
PFWA All-Rookie Team (2019)

Crimson Tide NFL Team Rundown: The Las Vegas Raiders

In conjunction with our revamped Bama in the NFL Database, this is the 17th story in a series examining the team-by-team history of Alabama's former players in the NFL.

AFC