Former Oakland Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame Saturday after losing his battle with cancer last summer at the age of 69. Stabler, one of the most colorful characters in the NFL during his 15-year career, was presented for induction by his former head coach, John Madden.
Ken Stabler Hall of Fame speech: John Madden presents Stabler for posthumous enshrinement
The former Raiders great was inducted into the Hall of Fame posthumously on Saturday.
Jeanna Kelley has been covering the Falcons for The Falcoholic since 2011 and the NFL for SB Nation since 2015.
Speaking to Bill Williamson of Today’s Pigskin, Stabler’s eldest daughter, Kendra Stabler-Moyes, said that if her father would have been able to give his own speech, it would have been “epic,” and Stabler would have given credit where credit was due.
“He always loved talking about his coaches and teammates,” Stabler-Moyes said. “He’d say he could have played wearing a tuxedo, because his great offensive line never allowed him to get dirty. He would have made it about everyone else. He was never one to give himself much credit.”
His former coach, John Madden, presented Stabler for enshrinement, and Stabler’s family and Hall of Fame receiver Ken Biletnikoff represented Stabler on the stage.
“It is my pleasure to present for enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame my friend, Ken Stabler,” Madden said.
Stabler was a three-time All-American at the University of Alabama, and he was drafted by the Raiders in the second round of the 1968 AFL-NFL draft. In his third season with the Raiders, he was promoted to the active roster to back up All-Pro quarterback Daryle Lamonica.
He became a starter in 1973 after the Raiders got off to a 1-2 start, and he led the team to an AFC Championship appearance. It was Stabler’s first of five consecutive AFC Championship bids. The Raiders finished seven consecutive seasons with winning records with Stabler under center.
Stabler’s individual stats perhaps don’t suggest that he was a Hall of Fame-caliber quarterback, but the NFL was different during Stabler’s era. Over his first five seasons with the Raiders, Stabler led the team to a 50-11-1 record. That in and of itself is an incredible feat.
After Stabler’s death last summer, Madden provided the most apt summary of Stabler’s career and ability.
“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,” Madden said.
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