Ken Stabler
Houston Oilers
Ken
Stabler played quarterback at the University of Alabama and led them to
the national championship in 1965. He finished his career with the
Crimson Tide in 1967, having compiled a 28-3-2 record as a starter. He
was drafted in the second round of the NFL draft in 1968.
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 31-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. 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 1977 he guided the Raiders to
their first Super Bowl victory
In 1980 he was traded to the Houston Oilers for Dan Pastorini. Stabler
played one more season with Houston and then finished his NFL career
with a three-year stint with the New Orleans Saints. In 15 NFL seasons,
Stabler completed 2270 of 3793 passes for 27,938 yards and 194
touchdowns.
