{"id":40505,"date":"2018-03-22T12:17:22","date_gmt":"2018-03-22T16:17:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=40505"},"modified":"2021-03-17T20:54:13","modified_gmt":"2021-03-18T00:54:13","slug":"pats-of-the-past-gino-cappelletti","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2018\/03\/22\/pats-of-the-past-gino-cappelletti\/","title":{"rendered":"New England Patriots of the Past: Gino Cappelletti"},"content":{"rendered":"

The New England Patriots<\/a> have a storied history. As one of original teams in the NFL merger from 1970, the franchise has had its share of legends and stars throughout their history. However, their first big star burst onto the scene before the Patriots were even part of the National Football League. From 1960 to 1970, the Patriots franchise was a part of the American Football League, and there was no bigger star of that league than former Patriot Gino Cappelletti<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Gino Cappelletti: The First Patriot<\/h1>\n

Gino Cappelletti\u00a0was one of the members of the original 1960 Boston Patriots, and he immediately gave fans a reason to show up to the games. Cappelletti was a true do-it-all player, as he served as the teams best wide receiver, defensive back, and placekicker.<\/p>\n

Not only could Cappelletti do everything, he could do\u00a0it all\u00a0well. The University of Minnesota product won All-Star honors five times, was named Second-Team All-AFL four times, and won AFL MVP in 1964. Gino accounted for an astonishing 34% of the Patriots points from 1961-1969, a record that still stands to this day. Cappelletti led the AFL in scoring in five separate years, and was easily the best player on those early Patriot teams.<\/p>\n

Cappelletti retired from football after the 1970 season after 10 historic seasons.\u00a0He ended his career as the all-time leading scorer in the AFL with 1,310 points. His most memorable season came in his 1964 MVP season, when he accounted for 155 points.\u00a0Cappelletti’s franchise record 155 points in a season would last all the way until 2005, when Adam Vinatieri<\/a><\/strong> broke it.<\/p>\n

Cappelletti wasn\u2019t just good at finding the endzone (and hitting the ensuing kick), as\u00a0he also finished his career in the top-ten in the AFL in both receptions and yards. Despite the passing boom that\u2019s taken off since the 1960\u2019s, Gino\u2019s stats are still among the best in Patriots history. As of this posting, Cappelletti ranks tenth in receptions, eighth in receptions yards, and fifth in touchdowns in team history.<\/p>\n

As if that wasn\u2019t enough, Cappelletti was also\u00a0the teams punt and kickoff returner, along with a starting defensive back. While his work in those positions wasn\u2019t as prolific as his work as a receiver, he was still very good for his time. His phenomenal career accomplishments landed him in the New England Patriots Hall of Fame in 1992.<\/p>\n

Life After Football<\/h2>\n

While Cappelletti may have left the football field in 1970, he remained a large part of the football culture.\u00a0He was the voice of the Patriots Radio Network from 1988 until his retirement in 2012. Working alongside Gill Santos<\/strong>, the two became one of the most renowned and beloved broadcasting duos in sports.<\/p>\n

Gill Santos and Gino Cappelletti\u00a0broadcasted games together for 28 seasons, which remains the longest tandem in NFL radio history. Together, the duo called several famous Patriots moments, including the first three Patriots Super Bowl victories.<\/p>\n

Additionally, Gino also called the now-famous \u201cHail Flutie\u201d game for the Boston College Eagles. Cappelletti can be heard yelling \u201cHe got it! He got it! I don\u2019t believe it!\u201d Both on the field and in the\u00a0broadcast booth, Cappelletti has been one of the most influential players in the history of New England football.<\/p>\n

Main Photo<\/p>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a>