Tom Hanks is arguably the most successful actor of all time. His films have brought in over $4 billion at the box office, an average of over $100 million per film. But as a boy in northern California before he took Hollywood by storm, Hanks was inspired to use his “God-given talent” by a NorCal transplant from Dixie.

Kenny “The Snake” Stabler is Alabama football royalty. He led Foley High School to a 29-1 record during his high school career before joining Paul “Bear” Bryant at the University of Alabama, where he amassed a 28–3–2 career record as a starter, including an undefeated junior season in 1965. The Oakland Raiders drafted Stabler in the second round of the 1968 NFL Draft and he joined the team for the first time in the 1970 season.

As a teenager growing up in The Bay Area, Hanks cheered Stabler’s on-field exploits; Stabler racked up almost 20,000 yards passing in his ten seasons in Oakland. But it was the pleasure The Snake took in giving the game his all that inspired Hanks the most.

Stabler passed away earlier this year from colon cancer, and Hanks quickly took to social media to pay his respects.

Goodbye Kenny Stabler, QB for the Oakland Raiders, who showed how cool it was to be cool under pressure. Go deep, baby. Hanx.

— Tom Hanks (@tomhanks) July 10, 2015

But not until a heartfelt letter from Hanks to Stabler’s daughters emerged this week did Stabler’s impact on Hanks’s life really become clear.

Kendra Stabler Moyes had sent Hanks a piece of Stabler memorabilia to Hanks when she found out he was a fan of her father’s.

Rather than just sending a form letter in reply, Hanks took the time to write a personal note on his old-fashioned typewriter.

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 Moyes (@KendraSMoyes) December 28, 2015

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