Ken Stabler during a radio braodcast during the first round of the Regions Charity Classic at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Ross Bridge in Hoover, Alabama on May 18, 2007. (credit: Michael Cohen/Getty Images)

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Oakland Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler has died, according to a family statement released through his foundation on Thursday.

Stabler had been battling Stage 4 colon cancer since February.

Stabler played 15 seasons in the NFL, including starting most of the games for the 1970s Oakland Raiders, including a win in Super Bowl XI.

Like many of his games, the Snake kept fans guessing throughout the day how things would end. Earlier reports from the Tuscaloosa News had the quarterback dead, but the newspaper later issued an apology, saying his death wasn’t confirmed, giving fans hope he had slipped death’s grasp. But then his foundation and the University of Alabama confirmed it later that afternoon.