Tom Hanks Writes Heartfelt Letter To His Late Hero’s Daughter

The idea of someone who is rich and famous having their own personal heroes may seem silly to some. To us, it makes perfect sense.

At the end of the day, they are people just like you and me. They have people that they look up to as well. NFL legend Ken Stabler was Tom Hanks’ childhood hero and he has gone above and beyond to pay homage to “The Snake.”

When Stabler passed away, his daughter Kendra reached out to the legendary actor. She knew that they were old friends and she provided him with some game-worn memorabilia. Although Ken had already passed on, Tom still felt compelled to reach out. He even typed the note out himself on an old-school typewriter. This is a man who still believes in a more personal touch.

He could have easily had an assistant jot something down and that still would have been nearly as touching.

As Kendra shared on Twitter, the letter reads as follows:

“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 capital 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 found in playing the game, of using one’s God-given talent, of taking pleasure in the effort.”

It's not every day you get a letter from Tom Hanks. What a stud! So cool of him to reach out. #respect #throwdeep pic.twitter.com/o9E3r0TJjw

— Kendra Stabler (@StablerKendra) December 28, 2015

The note continued:

“That Ken Stabler came from the likes of Alabama yet played right there in my hometown helped me understand the variety found in the USA. Using a pair of pliers 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.”