Ken Stabler, who was one of pro football’s leading quarterbacks of the 1970s and took the Oakland Raiders to the first Super Bowl victory in their history, died Wednesday in Gulfport, Miss. He was 69.
The cause was colon cancer, which had been diagnosed in February, his family said.
Stabler’s family said his brain and spinal cord were being donated to Boston University’s Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center to support research into degenerative brain disease among athletes.
One of football’s uncommon left-handed quarterbacks, Stabler was named to the National Football League’s all-decade team for the 1970s and was a four-time Pro Bowl selection though he missed out on entrance to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.