Growing up with “Snake.”
Ken Stabler’s daughter shares stories about her Hall of Fame father.
“He lived his life and was who he was - unapologetically.”
Ballpark Tales: Your dad was one of the coolest sports figures, with the best nickname, of all time.
Kendra Stabler-Moyes: He really was, he was so cool - just a badass.
BT: What made him, in your words, such a badass?
KS: He lived his life unapologetically. He was who he was. Wild, crazy, talented, but also kind and caring beyond compare.
Snake won Super Bowl XI with the Raiders, coached by the legend John Madden.
Photo courtesy of the Ken Stabler Commemorative Page on Facebook.
BT: What was it like growing up with your dad in the NFL?
KS: One thing that really sticks out, when I was young, was that my dad was always the last to come out of the locker room. It wasn’t because he was a primadonna or getting himself ready, it was because he just took his time to speak to every single person. He would never not stop for anyone. He would meet everyone, treat everyone so well, and be so kind. He was that way all the time.
BT: He won the Super Bowl, and should have gone to another one if not for the “Immaculate Reception” by Franco Harris of the Pittsburgh Steelers. But Raiders fans know…
KS: You know what’s funny, we had dinner in San Francisco during Super Bowl 50 when we found out my dad was going into the Hall of Fame, finally. We had this amazing dinner at this restaurant. Franco Harris stopped in and came up to us and had the nicest things to say about my dad, sharing some stories. It was a really classy thing for him to take the time to honor him that way. We joked with him and told him “you know, we are still mad at you!” We had a great time.
BT: I imagine the answer is “no”, but did Franco own up to it and say “yeah, that ball actually hit the ground".”
KS: Nope. He sure didn’t. But Raider fans know it, we know the truth!
BT: Right, that’s where his playing in today’s era would have been incredible because we would have about 1,000 camera angles to see for sure.
Marissa Stabler, Raiders owner Mark Davis, Kendra’s son Justin, Franco Harris, and Kendra Stabler-Moyes
Ken Stabler’s family at Raider game, honoring #12.
BT: I had the privilege to meet you and your family at the Hall of Fame ceremony, and I got to meet some really intense Raider fans. Is that a fair characterization of them and the fans of Ken?
KS: Absolutely. Without question, they are just awesome people.
Ken Stabler, Hank Williams Jr., and John Matuszak aka “The Tooz”
“Your dad (Ken Stabler) would call his own plays, and you could hear a pin drop in the huddle. We would do anything for him, we were just waiting and ready to do whatever he said.”
Kendra goes on to tell some great stories of Ken’s early life at Alabama with legendary coach Bear Bryant, his connection with the great John Madden, his friendship and care for all of his teammates, especially Hall of Fame receiver Fred Biletnikoff. We appreciate Kendra’s time and stories so much. You can watch the full interview here: Ballpark Tales Episode 002: Kendra Stabler-Moyes
