The New England Patriots lost one of the most recognizable figures in their franchise’s history this week, as Gino Cappelletti died.
The Patriots announced on Thursday that Cappelletti died at age 89. The former wide receiver and placekicker played for the then-Boston Patriots from the franchise’s inaugural season in 1960 through 1970. He was only the second player in the Patriots Hall of Fame when he was inducted in 1992.
Fans in New England both young and old are very familiar with Cappelletti. After he retired from playing, he spent his first stint in broadcasting from 1972-1978. He then served as the Patriots’ special teams coach from 1979-1981 before returning as a radio broadcaster for the team in 1988. Cappelletti announced his retirement from broadcasting in 2012.
Cappelletti called Patriots games on the radio alongside play-by-play announcer Gil Santos for 28 seasons. They worked an NFL record six Super Bowls together. Santos and Cappelletti were considered by many to be the voices of the original Bill Belichick-Tom Brady dynasty.
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