Jake Roberts didn’t create “The Snake” character in a WWE production meeting. The Hall of Famer came up with the idea while drinking a beer, smoking marijuana and driving hundreds of miles between wrestling shows.
During his appearance on the KWC Origin Show, Roberts was asked who first gave him the freedom to develop his character and deliver the quiet, threatening promos that became a major part of his career. Roberts explained that wrestlers weren’t handed scripts or coached through interviews during his early days. Promoters gave them a microphone and expected them to figure everything out themselves.
“Back in the day, brother, they’d just hand you a microphone and say, ‘Hey, your interview. Go do it.’ Nobody guided you. Nobody taught you. So where do you learn? Well, you learn by talking to the other guys.”
Most of those conversations happened while wrestlers traveled together late at night. Roberts said the long drives, alcohol and marijuana gave them time to exchange ideas and develop their characters.
“Most of that was done when you were driving down the highway late at night. You’ve got a few beers in you, maybe you’re smoking a joint. That’s where the ideas come from. That’s where the characters come from.”
That was exactly how Roberts found the character that would eventually define his career. He still had approximately 400 miles left to drive when he started thinking seriously about what he needed to become a wrestling star.
“That’s how I came up with Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts. I was smoking a joint and drinking a beer, and I had 400 miles left and time to think. I knew I wanted to be a star, but I needed to have a gimmick.”
The inspiration came from Kenny “The Snake” Stabler, the legendary left-handed quarterback for the Oakland Raiders. Roberts admired Stabler because he was a hard-partying rebel who broke rules and still delivered when the pressure was on.
“My favorite football player at the time was Kenny Stabler, the left-handed quarterback for the Oakland Raiders—‘The Snake’—who was a hell-raiser, a partying guy and broke all the rules.”
Roberts then recalled a story about Stabler taking his offensive linemen out drinking before the Super Bowl. According to Roberts, the players didn’t return to the team hotel until early the following morning, leaving their coach with a very simple message.
“He went to the Super Bowl, and the night before, he took all of his offensive linemen out and got them drunk all night long. They showed back up at the hotel at 4:00 a.m., and the coach told him the next day, ‘If you win, there’s no problem. But if you lose, don’t call me. Don’t come back.’ Of course, they won.”
Stabler gave Roberts the name and attitude he needed, but the finished wrestling character didn’t appear overnight. Roberts said wrestlers must find something that feels natural and then put in the work to make audiences believe it.
“Getting a character down takes time. You’ve got to find something that you’re comfortable with, and then you’ve got to work at it. You’ve got to work at it. This doesn’t happen overnight. You’ve got to spend some time thinking about it.”
One beer, one joint and 400 miles of empty highway helped create one of wrestling’s most recognizable characters. Roberts took Stabler’s nickname and rebellious reputation, made them his own and turned Jake “The Snake” into a name wrestling fans never forgot.
What do you think about the unusual road trip that created Jake Roberts’ legendary character? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
