Tom Hanks’ Letter To Former QB Ken Stabler’s Daughter Is Your Classy Bro Move Of The Day

There are bros and then there is Tom Hanks, who, once again, proved that he might just be the coolest celebrity on the planet after the classy move he pulled on former NFL quarterback Ken Stabler’s daughter.

After Stabler’s daughter, Kendra, got word that the Academy Award-winning actor was a fan of “The Snake,” she sent Hanks some memorabilia this summer following the death of the quarterback.

Rather than just saying thanks, Hanks wrote a letter on a typewriter and sent it to her, with his memories of Kendra’s dad pouring out. For those who don’t have a magnifying glass handy, here’s how Hanks’ letter read:

Dear Kendra and Alexa,

Beyond the heroics on the field, and, say, a Super Bowl victory, why a young fan takes to any one football player is a mystery. A personal attraction.

In Oakland, the capitol of Raider Nation, the years I was a kid there we had everyone from the Black Panthers, the Hell’s Angels, the Zodiac Killer, and Charley O. Finley. And, we had the Raiders …

Your father, with his left-handedness and those two bad knees, displayed a permanent smile of bemusement that said — win or lose — “ain’t this fun?” I really did see in him the honor to be be found in playing the game, of using one’s God given talent, of taking pleasure in the effort.

That Ken Stabler came from the likes of Alabama yet played right there in my home town helped me understand the variety found in the USA. Using a pair of pliars [sic] to change the channel on my busted up kids TV (it had a few knobs missing) I would tune in San Diego to see your Dad play, or Shea Stadium to see him take on the Jets — learning that if you were good enough you could do your thing wherever you wanted.

I’m honored to wear the fine bit of Stablerwear you sent along and will continue to offer up to anyone who comes my way, and maybe just asks how I ended up where I am, that you just have to throw deep, baby …

Tom Hanks

Hanks has had his name chanted during sporting events and has always been a total dude, so this letter to Ken Stabler’s daughters is another example of why he’s the bro we all wish to be one day.

[H/T SB Nation]

Nick Dimengo avatar
Nick's a Sr. Editor for BroBible, mainly relying on his Sports Encyclopedia-like mind to write about things. He's also the co-host of the BroBible podcast "We Run This," and can be seen sweating his ass off while frequently running 10+ miles around Seattle.