Age: 30
5th season in pro football & with Patriots
College: Minnesota
Height: 6’0” Weight: 190
Prelude:
A quarterback in college, Cappelletti was undrafted by the NFL and played semi-pro football in Canada before failing in a preseason tryout with the Detroit Lions. After sitting out all of 1959, he made the Patriots of the new AFL as a defensive back and placekicker. In 1961, Cappelletti moved to split end on offense and led the AFL in scoring (147 points) and field goals (17). Slow but sure-handed, he caught 45 passes for 768 yards and 8 TDs and was named to the AFL All-Star game. He scored 128 points in 1962 and again led the league with 113 in ’63 (and also again in field goals with 22). He was named an AFL All-Star for the second time.
1964 Season Summary
Appeared in all 14 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Pass Receiving
Receptions – 49 [10, tied with Don Norton]
Most receptions, game – 7 (for 147 yds.) at NY Jets 10/31
Yards – 865 [9]
Most yards, game - 147 (on 7 catches) at NY Jets 10/31
Average gain – 17.7 [9]
TDs – 7 [9, tied with four others]
100-yard receiving games - 2
Rushing
Attempts – 1
Yards – 7
Average gain – 7.0
TDs – 0
Kicking
Field goals – 25 [1]
Most field goals, game - 6 at Denver 10/4
Field goal attempts – 39 [1]
Most field goal attempts, game – 7 at San Diego 9/20
Field goal percentage – 64.1 [2]
PATs – 36 [4]
PAT attempts – 36 [4]
Longest field goal – 51 yards vs. Denver 11/20
Scoring
TDs – 7 [13, tied with four others]
Field Goals – 25
PATs – 36
2-point PATs – 1
Points – 155 [1]
Awards & Honors:
AFL Player of the Year: AP, UPI
2nd team All-AFL: NEA, UPI
AFL All-Star Game
Patriots went 10-3-1 to finish second in the AFL Eastern Division and ranked third in the league in points scored (359).
Aftermath:
Cappelletti led the AFL in scoring over the next two seasons (132 points in 1965, 119 in ’66) and had the league’s best field goal percentage in 1965 (63.0). He was named to the league All-Star game after ’65 and ’66. Cappelletti played a total of 11 seasons, all with the Patriots, and scored a total of 1130 points (his 1100 points in the AFL alone were the most in league history), with 42 TDs, 176 field goals, and 342 extra points. One of 20 players who were in the AFL for all ten seasons, he also finished with 292 pass receptions for 4589 yards.
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MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league itself).
[Updated 2/15/14]
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