Kenny Stabler, the great Oakland Raiders quarterback known for his exciting style of play on the field and his colorful personality off the field, has died at the age of 69.
“We announce with great sadness that our father, Ken Stabler, passed away Wednesday, July 8 as a result of complications associated with colon cancer,” Stabler’s family said in a statement.
Known as The Snake, Stabler was voted NFL MVP in 1974 and led the Raiders to a victory in Super Bowl XI. But even more than those achievements, Stabler is remembered for some of the great moments that made him a truly unique figure in professional football history: The Holy Roller, in which Stabler fumbled the ball forward toward teammate Dave Casper, who recovered it in the end zone for a game-winning touchdown, was a chaotic play that caused the NFL to change its rules about forward fumbles.