Ken Stabler made a career of being the biggest name in the room. From college football in Alabama to NFL MVP honors to a Super Bowl victory, Stabler stood out with long hair, a left-handed throw and the ability to make something out of nothing so many times.



Unfortunately, months after his passing last July due to colon cancer, Stabler once again became a prominent name on the minds of NFL fans. The 15-year NFL quarterback now headlines a list of former stars diagnosed with CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the degenerative brain disease now famously associated with football), according to a report from The New York Times.



Among the over 100 names that have now been diagnosed: Junior Seau, Mike Webster and former Giants great Frank Gifford.



Per The New York Times' report:



He had moderately severe disease," said Dr. Ann McKee, chief of neuropathology at the V.A. Boston Healthcare System and a professor of neurology and pathology at Boston University School of Medicine, who conducted the examination. "Pretty classic. It may be surprising since he was a quarterback, but certainly the lesions were widespread, and they were quite severe, affecting many regions of the brain."

Ex-Giant Tyler Sash had CTE



As the NFL attempts to avoid more negative publicity on CTE and how rampant the spread of it truly was in a past generation, Stabler's position will now add another layer to the story. When offensive lineman and players involved in big collisions (running backs, linebackers) are diagnosed, it can be understood. But now Stabler adds a famous quarterback to the list. According to the report, the former Raiders star is the seventh ex-quarterbacks to be diagnosed with the disease.



Joe Giglio may be reached at jgiglio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports. Find NJ.com on Facebook.