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Gino Cappelletti
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| Gino Cappelletti | |
|---|---|
 Gino Capplletti in 2009 | |
| Born | March 26, 1934 (age 78) Keewatin, Minnesota, United States |
| Position(s) | Wide Receiver, Placekicker |
| College | Minnesota |
| Jersey #(s) | 20 |
| Career highlights | |
| CFL All-Star | 1958 |
| AFL All-Star | 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966 |
| Awards | 1964 UPI, AP, TSN AFL MVP |
| Honors | Boston Patriots 1960s All-Decade Team |
| Retired #s | New England Patriots #20 |
| Statistics | |
| |
| Teams | |
| 1955 1956 1958 1960-1969 1970 | ORFU Sarnia Imperials ORFU Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers ORFU Sarnia Golden Bears AFL Boston Patriots NFL Boston Patriots |
Gino Cappelletti (born March 26, 1934) is a former American collegiate and Professional Football player. He played at the University of Minnesota, and was a star in the American Football League for the Boston Patriots. He was the 1964American Football League Most Valuable Player, a member of the Patriots Hall of Fame and of their All-1960s Team, the American Football League Hall of Fame, and was an announcer for the radio broadcasts of the Patriots' games. His nickname is "Mr. Patriot".[1]
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[edit]College career
Cappelletti attended the University of Minnesota. At Minnesota, he played back-up quarterback to All-American Paul Giel for three season. Cappelletti kicked extra points, but the team did not kick field goals in those years. They did not even practice the play. But as a sophomore, Cappelletti talked the coach into letting him try a 43-yarder in a tie game with Iowa. He made it, and the Gophers went on to win.[2]
In 1954, as a senior, Cappelletti switched to T-quarterback and led Minnesota to a 7-2 record. He was named to the All Big 10 second team, but was not drafted by any NFL team.
[edit]Professional Football career
Cappelletti played quarterback for the Sarnia Imperials of the ORFU in Canada during 1955. He joined Toronto Balmy Beach in 1956, but was drafted into the U.S. Army in mid-season, returning to Canada in 1958. Cappelletti signed with theWinnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL, but was traded to the Saskatchewan Roughriders, later cut, and went back to the ORFU, leading the Sarnia Golden Bears (the team changed its name in 1956) to the league championship.
Eventually, and most notably, he played for the AFL's Boston Patriots from 1960 through 1970 and was the Patriots' all-time leading scorer with 1,130 points (42 TDs, 176 FGs and 342 PATs), until December 5, 2005, when Adam Vinatierikicked his second field goal of the game against the New York Jets.
Cappelletti led the American Football League in scoring five times and led or tied the NFL in scoring 5 times as well. He had two of the top five scoring seasons in pro football history – 155 points in 1964 and 147 points in 1961 (14-game seasons). Nicknamed the "Duke", he is the all-time leading scorer in the American Football League. Cappelletti is among the AFL's all-time top ten receivers, in yards and in receptions. He is the Patriots' third all-time leading receiver with 292 catches for 4,589 yards, and has attempted more field goals (334) than any other player in team history. During his pro career, he also returned punts and kickoffs, played defensive back, and even had one pass completion, for a touchdown. He holds the Professional Football record for most touchdowns in Saturday games (10).
The Wide Receiver/Quarterback relationship of Gino Cappelletti and Babe Parilli was nicknamed "Grand Opera."
Cappelletti was the American Football League's Most Valuable Player in 1964, and a five-time AFL All-Star. He is one of only twenty players who were in the American Football League for its entire ten-year existence, and one of three who played in every game their teams played in the AFL. He was the 2nd AFL Player to have 3 interceptions (of Tom Flores) i
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