29 Facts About Gino Cappelletti

Gino Raymond Michael Cappelletti was an American professional football player.

Gino Cappelletti played college football at University of Minnesota and was an All-Star in the American Football League for the Boston Patriots, winning the 1964 AFL Most Valuable Player Award.

Gino Cappelletti served as the Patriots' radio color commentator until July 2012.

Gino Cappelletti was born in Keewatin in northern Minnesota, on March 26,1934.

Gino Cappelletti attended Keewatin High school in his hometown, and was employed on the railroad and in iron ore mines during his teenage years.

Gino Cappelletti went on to play college football at the University of Minnesota, where he was a quarterback, backing up All-American Paul Giel.

Gino Cappelletti kicked extra points, but the Golden Gophers did not kick field goals in those years.

However, as a sophomore in 1952, Gino Cappelletti talked the coach into letting him try a game-winning 43-yard kick against Iowa.

Gino Cappelletti was named to the All-Big Ten second-team, but was not selected in the 1955 NFL draft.

Gino Cappelletti played quarterback for the Sarnia Imperials of the Ontario Rugby Football Union in Canada during 1955.

Gino Cappelletti joined Toronto Balmy Beach in 1956, but was drafted into the US Army in mid-season, returning to Canada in 1958.

Gino Cappelletti signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL, but was traded to the Saskatchewan Roughriders, was later cut, and went back to the ORFU, leading the Sarnia Golden Bears to the league championship.

Gino Cappelletti was out of professional football in 1959, back in Minnesota working as a bartender in his brother's lounge when he asked the Patriots for a tryout in the summer of 1960.

Gino Cappelletti switched to offense late in that season and teamed up with quarterback Babe Parilli to form a tandem nicknamed "Grand Opera Twins", due to their Italian surnames.

Gino Cappelletti won AFL MVP honors in 1964, led the league in scoring five times and was a five-time AFL All-Star.

Gino Cappelletti played with the Patriots all 11 years in Boston, from 1960 through the 1970 NFL merger season, and retired in late August 1971 at age 37; he was the AFL's all-time leading scorer with 1,130 points and among the AFL's top ten all-time receivers in yards and in receptions.

Gino Cappelletti had two of the top five scoring seasons in pro football history, with 155 points in 1964 and 147 points in 1961.

At the time of his death, Gino Cappelletti was the Patriots' 12th all-time leading receiver in receptions with 292 catches and 10th in receiving yards with 4,589 yards.

Gino Cappelletti was 5th in Patriots history in receiving touchdowns with 42, and had the second-most field goal attempts in team history behind Stephen Gostkowski.

Gino Cappelletti was the second AFL player to record three interceptions in a regular-season game, scored 18 points or more in a game ten times and scored 20 or more points in a game eight times.

Gino Cappelletti is the only player in professional football history to run for a two-point conversion, throw for a two-point conversion, catch a pass, intercept a pass, return a punt and return a kickoff in the same season.

In 1984, Gino Cappelletti was inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.

Gino Cappelletti was inducted to the New England Patriots Hall of Fame in 1992.

Gino Cappelletti was part of the inaugural class of the Professional Football Researchers Association Hall of Very Good in 2003.

Gino Cappelletti worked alongside Gil Santos as a color commentator for the Patriots' radio broadcasts on the New England Patriots Radio Network.

Gino Cappelletti served as color commentator for the Boston College Eagles during the famous "Hail Flutie" game in 1984.

On July 20,2012, Gino Cappelletti announced his retirement from broadcasting.

Gino Cappelletti was not related to running back John Cappelletti of Penn State, the Heisman Trophy winner in 1973.

Gino Cappelletti died on May 12,2022, at the age of 88.