Ken Stabler, Alabama Crimson Tide Legend, Ignored by NFL Hall of Fame

Recently the NFL corrected an omission by inducting Crimson Tide legend Derrick Thomas into the Pro Football Hall of fame. Another tide legend, however, continues to be ignored—Kenny Stabler.

Stabler played for Paul “Bear” Bryant from 1964 to 1967. He took over the starting role in 1966 and finished 11-0 with a 34-7 beat down of Nebraska in the Sugar Bowl. Despite the record, the Tide finished third in the polls behind Notre Dame and Michigan State.

The remarkable season became the subject of much debate and a book called “The Missing Ring” by Keith Dunnavant.

Many feel the 1966 squad was one of the most dominant college football teams ever but was snubbed because of Alabama being crowned national champion the two previous seasons and the SEC not being racially integrated.

In 1967 the tide stumbled to an 8-2-1 record, and Stabler was suspended for cutting class and partying. This would not be the last time Stabler would run afoul with authority when it came to the night life.

In the 1967 Ironbowl Stabler pulled off one of the more memorable plays in Tide history, scampering 53 yards through mud and the Auburn defense for a score. The play became known as the “Run in the Mud.”

Stabler would eventually become known for miracle plays.

Stabler was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in 1968 and took over as the full-time starter in 1973. For the next eight seasons Stabler quarterbacked his teams to 79 wins and a winning percentage of 72 percent.

Stabler overall played 17 years in the NFL and in 184 games amassed 27,938 yards passing.

He was the AFC player of the year twice. He was the NFL passing champion in 1976. He guided the Raiders to their first Super Bowl victory, 32-14 over the Minnesota Vikings.

In the pros Stabler continued his penchant for remarkable plays.

In the AFC playoffs in 1977 against the Baltimore Colts Stabler completed the now legendary pass to Dave Casper to set up a game-tying field goal. The play was called “Ghost to the Post.” The Raiders won the game in overtime.

The following year he pulled off another stunt, also involving Dave Casper.

With his team trailing the San Diego Chargers with 10 seconds left, Stabler was about to be sacked at the 24-yard line when he intentionally fumbled the ball forward.

One Raider attempted to recover the ball but batted it forward when he lost his footing.  Dave Casper eventually covered it in the end zone for the game-tying touchdown. The extra point gave the Raiders the win.

The NFL Rule disallowing forward fumbles in the red zone is today nicknamed the “Kenny Stabler rule," and you will often see the famous play re-run during games to demonstrate why they are illegal.

Almost every fan knows the famous play called the "Immaculate Reception," where Pittsburgh Steeler Franco Harris snagged a pass out of the air after a collision and ran for a touchdown. 

The play kick-started the golden era of the Steelers,  Not many remember that it was Kenny Stabler who in that same game scored a touchdown with 1:17 left to pull his team ahead of the Steelers.   My how history changed with that one play.

I recently looked at a list of current Hall of Fame quarterbacks like Joe Montana, Troy Aikman, Dan Marino, Warren Moon, Fran Tarkenton, and THE QB himself Johnny U. With that list I included the stats of future Hall of Famers like Peyton Manning and Brett Favre.

Stabler's career numbers are comparable and fall squarely in the middle of that amazing pack.

His numbers compare equally well if you use completion percentage or yards per attempt. Plus Stabler has a Super Bowl victory, something considered almost a semi-requirement for a quarterback.

The bulk of his career was with the Raiders, and during his time there they did their damage with the running game while throwing the long ball to keep things loose.

Stabler had fewer passing attempts than any of the others did, but he is not far behind Troy Aikman and Johnny Unitas in that regard.

Stabler played well past his prime, and if you take his peak years of 1973 to 1980 his numbers are even better, as he completed over 60 percent of his passes during that span.

Forgetting all the numbers, I know what I saw. I was too young to remember most of his peak years, but in 1983 Stabler was the quarterback of the hapless New Orleans Saints.

This was before the days of salary caps. The league was split between the haves and the have-nots. The New Orleans Saints were the cellar-dwellers of the league, and the Dallas Cowboys were America's team.

The grey-haired and way-too-old-to-be-playing-football Kenny Stabler gave the Cowboys fits all day, throwing for over 200 yards with virtually no talent around him.

The Cowboys won the game in the end 21-20, but the Cowboy defenders had their hands to their knees and were sucking air as time expired. Kenny had run them ragged in the final quarter.

Stabler, with the stoic look of an aged battlefield hero, walked calmly off the field. He was doing something as a greybeard that most couldn't do in their 20's. I will never forget that game as long as I live.

Soon afterwards he stepped away from the game and into football history.

I stated earlier that Kenny had gotten in trouble more than once for partying a little too hard. Those that know about Kenny know the details of his occasional indiscretions, but they pale in comparison to those of the average politician these days.

If he went to my church, I wouldn't elect him pastor. But if I'm electing people to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, I would be failing in my duty if I left him out of the Hall.

Kenny Stabler is a legend of the game and stands unique among the giants of the game. He IS a Hall of Famer; he earned it.

The top of the website for the Pro Football Hall of Fame subtitles itself “To Honor, Preserve, Educate, & Promote.”  It has failed in this regard.