21. Ken Stabler

21. Ken Stabler

It's been over four years since Ken Stabler passed away due to complications with colon cancer, but Stabler's legacy as one of the greatest quarterbacks the NFL has ever seen will live on forever. During his occupancy in the NFL, Stabler was known for his cool demeanor but his autobiography, Snake (1986), later revealed how he and the Raiders were the only team to travel with their very own bail bondsman. Not only was Stabler a badass off the field, he was one hell of a football player on the field as well. Stabler attended the University of Alabama from 1964 to 1967 where he wouldn't receive starting quarterback honors until his junior year. That same season, Stabler led the Crimson Tide to an undefeated 11-0 record and defeated Nebraska 34-7 in the 1967 Sugar Bowl. In his senior year, Stabler would make history with his 'Run in the Mud' scramble that helped solidify a Crimson Tide 7-3 victory over Auburn in the 1967 Iron Bowl.

Ken Stabler was selected 52nd overall in the second round of the 1968 NFL Draft by the defending AFL Champion Oakland Raiders. That same year, Stabler was drafted by the Houston Astros as well as the New York Mets and Yankees in previous years for his talent on the baseball field. However, Stabler would go on to play ten years out his fifteen-year NFL career with the Oakland Raiders. Ken who earned the nickname 'Snake' for being an elusive scrambler would lead the Raiders to victory in Super Bowl XI against the Minnesota Vikings. The shifty quarterback would also gain recognition for leading the NFL touchdown passes twice (1974, 1976), getting invited to the Pro Bowl a total of four times, and becoming NFL MVP in 1974. Stabler became a cultural icon in Oakland before closing out his NFL career with short stints with the Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints after the 1984 season.

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Did You Know...

I

They may be beautiful, rich and famous, but celebrities are human too, and that means they're just as prone to getting sick as the rest of us. And just like us, some celebs even live with chronic conditions that can take a toll on their day-to-day lives. But eczema – also referred to as dermatitis – is a common dry skin condition. Symptoms include dry, itchy, red and scaly skin. In more extreme cases, the skin can crust and bleed. According to the National Eczema Association, 1 in 10 individuals will develop eczema in their lifetime. And given these statistics, it’s hardly a surprise there are a few celebrities out there who have eczema too.

II

The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, 37, suffered from eczema in her teens. Kate was bullied heavily whilst attending Downe House girls’ boarding school, according to the Duchess’s friend Jessica Hay. According Hay, Middleton’s bullies made fun of her eczema. ‘It didn’t help that she was so tall and self-conscious about her eczema,’ Hay told CelebNow. Studies have shown children with moderate and extreme atopic dermatitis are more likely to suffer from conditions like anxiety and low self-esteem, which has a knock-on effect on their school work and ability to make friends.

III

Although Brad Pitt, 55, has not spoken about the issue himself, his co-star Cate Blanchett disclosed that Pitt was suffering from eczema during filming of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. In an interview with Scotland’s Daily Record, the actress said, ‘We went through three weeks of make-up tests and he was covered in eczema from it all.’ Blanchett sweetly loaned Pitt her skin cream to deal with the dermatitis, that had developed due to the use of prosthetic makeup worn during filming. Prosthetic make-up isn’t the hugest concern for us non-Hollywood folk, nevertheless, what is a concern, is how makeup can trigger eczema flair up. Unless makeup brushes are constantly washed (let’s be real, they’re not), they become a breeding ground for bacteria. This can lead to clogged pores and irritated sensitive skin.

IV

Adele, 31, stated that her eczema flared up when she became a new mom. During a press conference in 2013 after her Golden Globe win for Best Original Song for the Bond film Sykfall, the singer said: ‘I am exhausted. That’s how [motherhood] changed me. I have eczema from boiling bottles.’ Research carried out by the BMJ (formerly known as the British Medical Journal) has revealed that contact dermatitis has the potential to have ‘detrimental’ impact and in the worst case scenarios can even threaten some sufferers ability to work.

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