Las Vegas Raiders

The NFL's best Veteran's Day story belongs to the late Ken Stabler

Published Nov. 11, 2015 10:47 a.m. ET

foxsports

By Steve DelVecchio

With Wednesday being Veterans Day, we feel that this is a great time to do something most of us don’t do enough of, and that’s thank the men and women who risk their lives every day to protect our freedom and keep us safe.

It’s also a perfect time to remind everyone about one of the funniest Ken Stabler stories out there.

Stabler, a former Oakland Raiders quarterback who died of colon cancer over the summer, was known for his quirky antics and “bleep you” attitude. So when he took a random day off from practice in 1980 when he was with the Houston Oilers, we’re guessing very few people were shocked.

“It was Veterans Day, and I’m a veteran, so I took the day off,” Stabler later explained.

Longtime Houston Chronicle beat writer John McClain told The MMQB that Stabler delivered the classic line while smoking a cigarette at his locker. If that doesn’t sound like The Snake, I don’t know what does.

You can go through some more awesome Stabler stories and photos here. Happy Veterans Day to all who have served or are currently serving.

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