FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Gino Cappelletti, a previous AFL Most Precious Participant and authentic member of the Boston Patriots who was component of the franchise for five decades as a player, mentor and broadcaster, has died. He was 89.
Cappelletti died Thursday at his home in Wellesley, Massachusetts. His loss of life was announced by the New England Patriots on Thursday. No bring about of loss of life was offered.
“My coronary heart aches just after studying of Gino Cappelletti’s passing this early morning. For the first 51 many years of this franchise’s background, Gino contributed as an all-star participant, assistant coach and broadcaster. You couldn’t be a Patriots supporter for the duration of that era and not be a supporter of Gino’s,” New England Patriots operator Robert Kraft said in a statement. “As excellent of a player as he was, he was an even improved person and storyteller.”
Identified as “The Duke,” Cappelletti performed receiver and kicker and scored the very first regular-year factors in AFL historical past, a 35-yard industry target in the first quarter of the Patriots’ 13-10 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sept. 9, 1960.
He went on to be the league’s MVP in 1964 and was 1 of three players to participate in in each video game in the AFL’s 10-year background, alongside with Jim Otto and George Blanda.
Cappelletti used his total occupation in Boston from 1960-70, ending it as the AFL’s all-time leader in details (1,100) and field aims (170). He was honored as the next Patriots participant inducted into the team’s corridor of fame in 1992, joining guard John Hannah.
Next his playing times Cappelletti spent seven seasons in the radio booth (1972-78) just before joining Patriots mentor Ron Erhardt’s staff members in 1979, serving as the team’s particular teams coach till 1981. He returned to broadcasting for the Patriots in 1988 as a radio analyst and remained in that job by the 2011 season.
He is survived by his spouse, Sandy, daughters Gina, Cara and Christina, and 10 grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
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