This weekend is a special moment for the Stabler family and his great moments with the Raiders will be recognized all weekend, but it would have been more fitting if his time with the franchise he won a Super Bowl with was more prominently recognized in his exhibit. However, not ever inductee is still with us to take the stage and give a speech defining their careers.
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We have already delved into the careers of DeBartolo, Dungy, Favre, Greene, Harrison and Pace.
On a night of emotional speeches, the most poignant moment of the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony Saturday came after Ken Stabler was introduced and there were no words at all.
FILE – In this Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009, file photo, former Oakland Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler waits before an NFL football game between the New York Jets and the Raiders in Oakland, Calif.
For all the talk about Stabler’s toughness and swagger, it was clear on Saturday that fans had a soft spot for the Raiders renegade passer. You also understand that he played primarily in a different era.
Stabler is the Raiders’ all-time leader in yards passing and TD passes. However, there will be no reminders of Stabler’s time with the Silver and Black in the late Stabler’s Hall of Fame exhibit in Canton. It was the beginning of five consecutive seasons in which the talented signal-caller would lead the team to the AFC Championship Game. Stabler was the NFL MVP in 1974.
In the 1970s, there were fellow Hall of Famers at the position such as Bob Griese, Fran Tarkenton and Terry Bradshaw.
Former Raiders coach John Madden was supposed to present him but was unable to make the trip to Canton.
“The cat was a cool, calm and collected guy”, said his former receiver Cliff Branch.
Stabler died July 8, 2015, at age 69, just a few months before voters decided, at last, to put him in the Hall of Fame. On Thursday evening (courtesy of Raiders.com), his grandson Justin Moyes accepted the commemorative crest given to Hall of Famers elected posthumously. “I’ve often said, If I had one drive to win a game to this day, and I had a quarterback to pick, I would pick Kenny”. He was a ideal quarterback and a flawless Raider.
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“When you think about the Raiders you think about Ken Stabler”.
