Alabama football: 15 greatest Crimson Tide NFL careers ever
By Joey Loose
Greatest Alabama football career No. 9: Ken Stabler
An Alabama quarterback way back in the 1960s, Ken Stabler had himself quite the life in football. Nicknamed the “Snake”, he won a national championship at Alabama way back in 1965 before finding his own success in the NFL in the years to come.
Stabler head to the Oakland Raiders in the second round of the draft in 1968 and would have his best success with that franchise. He wouldn’t become their starting quarterback until 1973 but played in four Pro Bowls. He led the NFL in passing touchdowns twice, including in 1974 as he was named NFL MVP.
Two years later, Stabler helped lead the Raiders to victory in Super Bowl XI over the Minnesota Vikings, the finest achievement of his career. It was the same season where he threw a career-high 27 passing touchdowns.
Stabler would leave Oakland after the 1979 season, spending two seasons as the starter of the Houston Oilers before ending his career with a 3-year run with the New Orleans Saints. Overall, he won 96 games as a starting quarterback, including a 69-26-1 mark as the leader of the Raiders, clearly the place where he reached his highest heights.
A Pro Football Hall of Famer, Stabler is a Super Bowl-winning quarterback who was a phenomenal passer and leader when he finally got his shot in the mid-70s. His stats don’t look as impressive compared to today’s game, but he was a major presence in the game. Sadly, his election to the Hall of Fame came a year after his death in 2016, though that election means he’ll never be forgotten.