Ken Stabler: Quarterback
Ken “Snake” Stabler is one of the legends of the Raiders and it is no surprise that he makes the 25-person list. Stabler’s free-wheeling approach to football and life embodied the spirt of the Raiders and his success on the field was magnified by his coolness off it.
Over the course of his Raiders career, Stabler lead the Silver and Black to five consecutive conference championships and their first Super Bowl title. His career accolades include two First-Team All-Pro selections, four Pro Bowl selections, NFL MVP in 1974, and was named to the NFL’s 1970s All-Decade Team.
"“He compiled a .661 winning percentage and became the first quarterback of the AFL-NFL merger to lead a team to the five consecutive conference championships. With his knack for fourth-quarter comebacks, Stabler endeared himself to teammates with his clutch play.” Source: The Athletic"
Snake was the all-time leading passer in Raiders history for 40 years until he was recently surpassed by Derek Carr but he still holds the records for most touchdowns and winning percentage. The former University of Alabama great bounced around the league a bit after being traded to the Houston Oilers but he will always be known as a Raider.
The NFL unfortunately was slow to recognize the greatness of Stabler as he was snubbed for decades from the Pro Football Hall of Fame until he was voted in posthumously in 2016. Surely if this version of the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame existed before Stabler passed he would have been in the inaugural class.