Cappelletti was certainly one of solely three gamers who had been in each certainly one of their workforce’s video games over the lifetime of the A.F.L. — 14 regular-season video games in every of 10 seasons. The others had been George Blanda, the quarterback and kicker for the Houston Oilers and the Oakland Raiders, and Jim Otto, the Raiders’ middle.
Cappelletti retired after 10 seasons within the A.F.L. and one within the N.F.L. with 292 receptions for 4,589 yards and 42 touchdowns, together with 176 discipline objectives, 342 additional factors and 4 two-point conversions.
Survivors embrace his spouse, Sandy; three daughters, Gina, Cara and Christina; and 10 grandchildren.
Of their first three seasons, the Patriots performed their house video games at Boston College, at Nickerson Area. They switched to Fenway Park, house of the Crimson Sox, in 1963.
“We felt like we had been official as a result of it was a serious league venue,” Cappelletti advised The New York Instances in 2012, reflecting on the A.F.L.’s presumed inferiority advanced as a long-shot challenger to the N.F.L.
“However,” he acknowledged, “we nonetheless had a methods to go.”
To keep away from having one workforce blocking spectators’ view within the low-rising seats alongside Fenway’s first-base line, each groups’ benches had been positioned on the identical sideline, in entrance of a brief grandstand adjoining the left-field wall often known as the Inexperienced Monster.
“That led to some loopy issues,” Cappelletti recalled. “We might wander over close to their bench and listen in on their play-calling.”
He advised of a recreation during which the Patriots put that plan into motion in opposition to the coach of the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs:
“I bear in mind Hank Stram calling for display screen passes and us yelling to our protection about what was coming.”
Jordan Allen contributed reporting.
