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Ken "Snake" Stabler, a Raider Legend

May 29th, 2023

With 108 days until the Raiders 2023-24 NFL season kicks off, let's look back at one of the Raiders' all-time best quarterbacks, Ken Stabler.

Ken "Snake" Stabler was selected in the second round of the 1968 NFL Draft out of the University of Alabama. However, he got no playing time until the 1970 NFL Season. Ken Stabler is the Raiders' all-time passing leader.

"Snake" played in 130 games during his nine-season career. He started a total of 96 games, where he completed 1,486 of 2,481 pass attempts for a total of 19,078 yards. He also finished his career with 150 touchdowns and 143 interceptions. Stabler was named NFL MVP and AP First-Team All-Pro in 1974. Ken Stabler was a part of many memorable games as a Raider.

Ken Stabler will forever have one of the coolest nicknames in all professional sports. How he got his nickname is very unique.

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Brenda Hollis was the first to see how Ken Stabler got his nickname. The story comes from Al.com.

"Kenny was zig-zagging down the field for a touchdown run one night," Brenda told AL.com Friday morning. "Denzil told Kenny's father that he was running like a snake. So when Kenny came back to the sideline, Denzil said, 'Good job, Snake.' It just kind of took off from there."

Ken Stabler was selected to five NFL Pro Bowls during his career. He also led the Raiders to five straight AFC title game appearances and a Super Bowl title. He and the Raiders won Super Bowl XI after the 1976 season, beating the Minnesota Vikings 32-14.

After spending time with the Raiders, he was traded to the Houston Oilers in 1980. He finished his career with the New Orleans Saints. Ken Stabler was inducted into the 2016 Pro Football Hall of Fame and will forever be a memorable Raider for years to come.

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Curated By

Maya Gupta
Investigative Journalist | Grassroots Movement Organizer | Economy Consultant/Speaker
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Maya Gupta writes from the fault lines of a world that refuses to stay quiet. Focused on the collisions between culture, power, and accountability, her work cuts past polished narratives to expose what’s really moving beneath the surface. From the rise of creator-driven influence to athlete activism and grassroots resistance, she tracks the momentum shaping a generation unwilling to wait its turn. Her reporting doesn’t cater to comfort, it confronts it, challenging institutions that lean on legacy instead of legitimacy. With a voice rooted in urgency and a lens tuned to those often ignored, Maya delivers coverage that reflects the stakes as they are, not as they’re packaged. This is journalism that doesn’t just observe change, it stands in the middle of it, documenting the push, the backlash, and the undeniable shift underway.

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