HENDERSON, Nev. – Raiders Legend Ken Stabler will be honored prior to kickoff of Sunday night's Las Vegas Raiders regular season home opener versus the Pittsburgh Steelers at Allegiant Stadium.
Stabler, who passed away in July 2015, was inducted posthumously into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August 2016, with another late Raiders Legend, John Madden, serving as his presenter. Stabler's then 17-year-old twin grandsons, Jack and Justin, joined his Raiders teammate and yet another Raiders Legend Fred Biletnikoff on stage to accept his Hall of Fame bust during the 2015 induction ceremony in Canton, Ohio.
Last year, through the efforts of Raiders Owner Mark Davis and others, the Hall of Fame revised its policy regarding the presentation of a Ring of Excellence to enshrinees elected posthumously. Before 2022, only individuals alive at the time of their enshrinement would receive a ring – one of three iconic symbols of membership for the Hall of Fame – with their incoming class. The Raiders are proud to present the Stabler family with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Ring of Excellence on Sunday.
Stabler joined the Raiders as a second-round pick in the 1968 AFL-NFL Draft. A three-time All-America at Alabama, Stabler spent his first two pro seasons on the Raiders inactive/reserve squad, before joining the team in 1970 as a backup to All-Pro quarterback Daryle Lamonica.
Although his playing time steadily increased each of the next three seasons, it wasn't until 1973 and after the Raiders lost two of their first three games, that Stabler became a starter. That year he went on to lead the Raiders to the AFC Championship Game. It was the first of a string of five consecutive years that the Stabler-led Raiders advanced to the AFC title game, and the first of seven consecutive winning seasons with the "Snake" at the helm.
In 1976, Stabler led the league in passing, finishing the season with a remarkable 103.4 passer rating while leading the Raiders to the AFC title and a Super Bowl XI berth. In the Super Bowl, Stabler completed 12 of 19 passes for 180 yards as the Raiders defeated the Minnesota Vikings 32-14.
During his 10 seasons in Oakland, Stabler was named All-Pro twice, All-AFC three times, and selected to play in the Pro Bowl four times. He was named the AFC Player of the Year in 1974 and again in 1976. Following the 1979 season the Raiders traded Stabler to Houston and, in his first season as the Oilers field general, he passed for 3,202 yards. It was the second time in his career that he passed for more than 3,000 yards in a single season.
When Stabler retired early in the 1984 season while with New Orleans, his 59.85 career pass completion percentage was second only to Joe Montana, who at the time had played just six seasons. Stabler's 10 consecutive postseason games with a touchdown pass was also an NFL record. During his 15 NFL playing seasons, Stabler completed 2,270 passes for 27,938 yards and 194 touchdowns.
