![]() Uneven Senior Year and the “Run in the Mud”Īlabama had just completed three years of dominant football that saw the program only lose two games total.Įntering 1967, Tide fans expected Stabler to deliver another national title. However, he used his legs to pick up yardage and added 397 yards and three touchdowns in ‘66.Īlabama went 11-0 that year and defeated Nebraska 34-7.ĭespite being undefeated, the Tide was not awarded a third national title.Ĭuriously, Alabama ended the year as the nation’s third-ranked team behind Notre Dame and Michigan State. Ken Stabler with Bear Bryant… #RollTide… /asY0FHA0lc He had 956 passing yards, nine touchdowns, five interceptions, and a 152.7 quarterback rating.īryant’s teams were notoriously run-heavy, which meant that Stabler wasn’t able to throw the pigskin that often. In 1965, Stabler was stuck behind Steve Sloan who took Alabama to a second straight national title.įinally, in 1966, Stabler was named the starter. When Stabler arrived on campus for his freshman year in 1964, he watched as senior Joe Namath led the Crimson Tide to a 10-1 record and a national title. The University of Alabama and their head coach, Paul “Bear” Bryant recruited Stabler.Īs he graduated from high school, Stabler accepted a scholarship to play for the Crimson Tide.īear Bryant’s steady leadership meant Alabama was consistently good and consistently loaded. If it hadn’t been for sports, I wouldn’t have gone to college.” But by then, I’d gotten to like football. “When I was 17,” Stabler said, “the Pittsburgh Pirates offered me $50,000 to sign. His athletic ability eventually earned Stabler an All-American designation.Īs a senior, Stabler won nine games as a left-handed pitcher for the Lions and had 125 strikeouts and five shutouts by primarily throwing fastballs.īaseball could have been Stabler’s early ticket to the pros, but the Snake enjoyed football too much to give it up. Plus, he pitched well enough on the baseball diamond the Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros, and New York Yankees all offered him minor league contracts. While in high school, Stabler averaged 29 points per game in basketball. He’d run 200 yards to score from 20 yards out.” “That was when I gave him the nickname ‘Snake,'” said Denzil Hollis, Stabler’s high school coach, in 1977. He was also named to the All-State Team and received a moniker from his high school coach that would stick for the rest of his life. Stabler started at quarterback for Foley High for three years and led the Lions to a 29-1 record and three state titles during that time. He played sports from an early age and excelled in football, baseball, and basketball at Foley High School. Waylon Jennings Songs December 25, 2020 The great Ken Stabler was born on this date 75 years ago. Kenneth Michael Stabler was born on December 25, 1945, in Foley, Alabama. This is the off-the-wall story of Kenny “The Snake” Stabler. He wasn’t shy about sharing his vices with teammates or the general public, either. Throughout his life and NFL career, Stabler’s personality was evident in everything he did. ![]() Stabler had a hard-living, rabble-rousing, never-say-die attitude that propelled the Raiders to their first-ever Super Bowl title in 1977. “The Snake” was a perfect fit to lead a renegade band of misfits known as the Oakland Raiders in the 1970s. Never bet against a team that has Ken Stabler and Jim Rockford.
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