Gino Cappelletti: An Underdog Story
Gino Cappelletti kicks for the Boston Patriots (Image: Patriots.com)
The American Football League (AFL) was a brash, bold, and an innovative league that challenged the established National Football League (NFL) during the 1960s. Founded by Lamar Hunt in 1959, the AFL featured pass-oriented offenses, west coast teams, broadcasting innovations, and offered more opportunities to black players. The AFL successfully merged all their teams with the NFL in 1966, creating the league we know and love today. The following series of weekly articles will shine a light on the AFL’s influential people and critical moments that propelled football into popular culture, making it America’s game.
Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1960, Gino Cappelletti reaches for a bottle of whiskey, pouring two shots. The man across from him is face down, covering the morning's issue of the newspaper. Cappelletti puts the first one down, grimacing. The second one goes down smooth like butter. It's 3:00 am, Cappelletti has to close up shop, but he can not leave the bar with a patron inside. He fills a glass with water, splashing it in the drunk's face, startling him and causing the drunk to hit the ground. "Get outta here!" Cappelletti shouts, "we're closed! Go home!"
The drunk stumbles off the ground, grabs his coat from the rack, and limps out the door. Cappelletti breathes a sigh of relief as his attention is drawn to the drunk's newspaper and sees an article reporting on the Boston Patriots. The American Football League's (AFL) newest franchise and Boston's first professional football team. They were open for tryouts. He ripped the page and gently folded it into his pocket with his eyes open wide.
The story of Gino Cappelletti is an underdog story that perfectly encapsulates the AFL. In 1955, he played blocking-back for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers. Cappelletti had been trying to break into professional football ever since, keeping in shape by playing in a city touch football league. He supported his family earning $80 a week tending bar at his brother's Minneapolis lounge.
Cappelletti retired as the AFL’s All-Time leading scorer with 1,130 points (Image: Patriots.com)
Cappelletti traveled to Boston for tryouts and made himself more marketable, opting to play defensive back and kicker. During the tryout, Cappelletti developed a friendship with one of the placeholders for field goals. Every time Cappelletti did not kick, the holder subtly adjusted the ball, making the kick miss. The 26-year-old started at defensive back his rookie season, intercepting four passes and scoring 54 points with his boot. However, Coach Lou Saban noticed Cappelletti was too slow to play defensive back but had exceptional hands. After Cappelletti's rookie year, he got switched to wide receiver. Cappelletti ran precise routes despite his lack of speed and size, caught everything thrown his way, and never shied away from blocking. There would be no Wes Welker or Julian Edelman if there were no Gino Cappelletti.
The following year, Cappelletti made the AFL-All star game, catching 45 passes for 768 yards and eight touchdowns. Cappelletti's foot also contributed to his All-Star nod and totaled 147 points. The following season, Cappelletti saw a drop in his receiving stats but still made an All-Star appearance making 22 of 38 field goals. Gino made his mark in 1964 when his 49 receptions, 865 yards receiving, seven touchdowns, and 116 points kicking earned him another All-Star appearance and AFL Player of the Year Honors. In 1965, Cappelletti scored nine career-high touchdowns on 37 receptions, averaging 18.7 years per catch. He also leads the AFL in field goal percentage, earning another All-Star nod. In a 1965 game against the Buffalo Bills, Cappelletti found the end-zone twice, kicked four field goals, and four extra points. Cappelletti's 28-point day still stands as the Patriot's all-time single game scoring record. 1966 was Gino's last All-Star year. 1967 was the last time he played wide receiver. In 1970, at 36-year-old, Gino Cappelletti retired as the AFL's all-time leading scorer with 292 receptions for 4,489 yards, 42 touchdowns, and 1,130 points.
Cappelletti Posing with Fans (Image: Patriots.com)
Cappelletti was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 1992 and is a member of the AFL-All time team. He is one of only three players, along with George Blanda and Jim Otto, to play in all 140 AFL games. Cappelletti held the AFL scoring title five times and held two league history's top five scoring seasons. Cappelletti has received every honor except the Golden Jacket. Cappelletti is a notable Hall of Fame snub, and his induction is hotly debated. He is most likely left out because of the Hall's NFL envy. Cappelletti's story is like the AFL's one of perseverance, determination, and guts. Gino Cappelletti's story needs more recognition.
