John Cappelletti

Last updated

John Cappelletti
1986 Jeno's Pizza - 18 - John Cappelletti (Jeff Siemon crop).jpg
Cappelletti (22) playing for the Rams in 1977
No. 22, 25
Position: Running back
Personal information
Born: (1952-08-09) August 9, 1952 (age 71)
Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High school: Monsignor Bonner
(Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania)
College: Penn State (1971–1973)
NFL draft: 1974  / Round: 1 / Pick: 11
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Rushing attempts:824
Rushing yards:2,951
Rushing TDs:24
Receptions:135
Receiving yards:1,233
Receiving TDs:4
Player stats at PFR

John Cappelletti (born August 9, 1952) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) with the Los Angeles Rams and the San Diego Chargers.

Contents

He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions, where he won the Heisman Trophy in 1973. [1] [2] [3] [4] He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1993. Coach Joe Paterno said that Cappelletti was "the best football player I ever coached." Cappelletti's relationship with his younger brother Joey, who was stricken with leukemia, was chronicled into a book and television movie, Something for Joey .

Early years

Born in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania, Cappelletti attended St. Laurence School in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania prior to Monsignor Bonner High School in Drexel Hill, a suburb west of Philadelphia. He played quarterback [4] and graduated in 1970.

College career

In the era before freshman eligibility, Cappelletti was a running back on the freshman team at Penn State in 1970. During his sophomore season in 1971, he played as a defensive back, [2] [5] as the Nittany Lions had two senior running backs who were taken early in the 1972 NFL Draft: Franco Harris (13th overall) and Lydell Mitchell (48th).

As a senior tailback at Penn State in 1973, Cappelletti gained 1,522 yards on 286 carries scoring 17 touchdowns as the Nittany Lions rolled to an undefeated 12–0 season. He was awarded the 1973 Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, the UPI College Football Player of the Year, the Walter Camp Award, the Chic Harley Award, as well as receiving All-America honors. In his two-year running-back career, Cappelletti gained over 100 yards in thirteen games and had a career total of 2,639 yards and twenty-nine touchdowns for an average of 120 yards per game and 5.1 yards per carry. His Heisman acceptance speech, where he dedicated his award to his dying brother Joey, [6] [7] is one of the most memorable in the history of college sports.

He was also a member of the Gamma Phi chapter of Phi Gamma Delta at Penn State.

The relationship between Cappelletti and his younger brother, who died of childhood leukemia on April 8, 1976, [8] was made into a television movie in 1977 called Something for Joey ; Cappelletti was played by Marc Singer. The movie was based on the book of the same name written by Richard E. Peck and chronicled the bond between the two brothers as Cappelletti supported his young brother, ill with cancer.

During Cappelletti's senior season, Penn State played West Virginia in late October. The morning of the game, Cappelletti asked Joey what he wanted for his upcoming 11th birthday. Joey replied "I want you to score three touchdowns for me. No, four." In Something for Joey, a shocked Cappelletti is seen confiding to a teammate: "How am I going to score four touchdowns?" At the end of the first half, Cappelletti had scored 3 touchdowns, well on his way to four. But head coach Joe Paterno did not like to run up the score against opponents, so when the game resumed after halftime, Paterno told Cappelletti he would be on the bench. Cappelletti quietly took his seat on the bench, without telling Paterno of Joey's wish. Late in the third quarter, one of Cappelletti's teammates told Paterno of Joey's wish. On Penn State's next possession, Paterno shouted "22" and Cappelletti took the field; he scored his fourth touchdown on the same possession, [9] and pointed to Joey as he ran off the field. The Lions scored three more touchdowns in the fourth quarter and won 62–14. [9]

Later honors

Cappelletti was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1993, and is also a member of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame as a member of the 2009 Inductee Class.

The undefeated 1973 team was honored at Beaver Stadium during halftime of the 2013 home opener on September 7, and Cappelletti received special recognition – his No. 22 was retired by the program, the first and only number to be retired by any sport at the university.

On December 11, 2014, the Big Ten Network included Cappelletti on "The Mount Rushmore of Penn State Football," as chosen by online fan voting. He was joined in the honor by linebackers Jack Ham, LaVar Arrington, and Shane Conlan.

Professional career

Cappelletti was the eleventh overall pick of the 1974 NFL Draft, taken by the Los Angeles Rams. He played nine seasons in the league, five with the Rams (1974–1978), and four with the San Diego Chargers (1980−1983). He missed the entire 1979 season due to a groin injury. [10]

NFL career statistics

Legend
BoldCareer high

Regular season

YearTeamGamesRushingReceiving
GPGSAttYdsAvgLngTDRecYdsAvgLngTD
1974 RAM 141551983.62006355.890
1975 RAM 130481583.3306000.000
1976 RAM 14141776883.93813030210.1321
1977 RAM 14141785983.4155282288.1251
1978 RAM 14141746043.5263413829.3371
1980 SDG 1081013643.6465131128.6120
1981 SDG 166682543.73041012612.6251
1982 SDG 9622823.71707486.9220
1983 SDG 10155.050000.000
105638242,9513.646241351,2339.1374

Playoffs

YearTeamGamesRushingReceiving
GPGSAttYdsAvgLngTDRecYdsAvgLngTD
1974 RAM 204133.350155.050
1975 RAM 20111.011000.000
1976 RAM 22351133.21603289.3130
1977 RAM 117111.660144.040
1978 RAM 2213634.814022110.5150
1980 SDG 10000.000000.000
1981 SDG 21155.050000.000
1982 SDG 21252.5501-2-2.000
147632113.31618567.0150

Personal life

Cappelletti is married with four sons and resides in Laguna Niguel, California [11] with his wife Betty (née Berry). His sister-in-law is the daughter of Heisman Trophy winner Alan Ameche. [12] He is not related to former Boston Patriots star and 1964 AFL MVP Gino Cappelletti. [13]

Cappelletti also is a classic car enthusiast. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LaVar Arrington</span> American football player (born 1978)

LaVar RaShad Arrington is an American former football linebacker who played for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions and was selected with the second overall pick by the Washington Redskins of the 2000 NFL draft. He was also a member of the New York Giants.

Charles Anthony Fusina is an American former football quarterback who played for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL) and United States Football League (USFL) from 1979 to 1986. He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions, and was recognized as an All-American. Fusina played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Green Bay Packers of the NFL, and the Philadelphia / Baltimore Stars of the USFL.

Kenneth Leonard "Ki-Jana" Carter is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons. He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions, where he earned consensus All-American honors and was MVP of the 1995 Rose Bowl. Carter was selected first overall in the 1995 NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, but after suffering a knee tear during his first preseason game, he struggled with injuries for the remainder of his career. Missing most of his five seasons with the Bengals due to injury, Carter played his final three seasons in a limited role for the Washington Redskins and New Orleans Saints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lydell Mitchell</span> American football player (born 1949)

Lydell Douglas Mitchell is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) from 1972 to 1980. During his nine-season NFL career, Mitchell played for the Baltimore Colts, San Diego Chargers and Los Angeles Rams. He played college football at Penn State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penn State Nittany Lions football</span> American football team

The Penn State Nittany Lions team represents the Pennsylvania State University in college football. The Nittany Lions compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference, which they joined in 1993 after playing as an Independent from 1892 to 1992.

The 2006 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head coach was Joe Paterno. It played its home games at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.

John Coleman Hufnagel is a special advisor for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He has previously served as the Stampeders' President, General Manager, Head Coach, and Offensive Coordinator. He played quarterback for fifteen professional seasons in the CFL and National Football League (NFL). Prior to his hiring to the Stampeders on December 3, 2007, he was the offensive coordinator of the New York Giants of the NFL.

The 2005 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team's head coach was Joe Paterno. It played its home games at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.

The 2003 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team's head coach was Joe Paterno. It played its home games at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.

The 2002 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team's head coach was Joe Paterno. It played its home games at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.

The 1973 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented Pennsylvania State University in the 1973 NCAA Division I football season. Penn State's third undefeated season under Joe Paterno was led by John Cappelletti who would become the first Penn State player to win the Heisman Trophy.

Charles Vernon Pittman is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football as a halfback for the Penn State Nittany Lions, earning All-American honors in 1969. He and played in the NFL for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Baltimore Colts.

The 2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Joe Paterno and played its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.

The 2009 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2009 college football season. The team was coached by Joe Paterno and played its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. Penn State had the highest graduation rate among all of the teams on the Associated Press Top 25 poll with 89% of its 2002 enrollees graduating. Miami and Alabama tied for second place with a graduation rate of 75%. The Nittany Lions finished the season with an 11–2 record and won the Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy award to the best team in the ECAC for the 28th time and the second consecutive year.

The 2010 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Joe Paterno and played its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. They were members of the Big Ten Conference. Team captains for the season were wide receiver Brett Brackett and defensive tackle Ollie Ogbu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt McGloin</span> American football player (born 1989)

Matthew James McGloin is a former American football quarterback. He was the starting quarterback for the Penn State Nittany Lions football team from 2010 to 2012. McGloin was the first walk-on quarterback to start at Penn State since scholarships were reinstated in 1949.

The 2011 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Joe Paterno for the first nine games until he was fired in the wake of the Penn State sex abuse scandal, with defensive coordinator Tom Bradley taking over as interim head coach for the remainder of the season. The team played its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania, US. They were members of the Big Ten Conference in the newly formed Leaders Division. They finished the season 9–4, 6–2 in the Leaders Division to be co–division champions with Wisconsin. Due to their head-to-head loss to Wisconsin, they did not represent the division in the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game. They were invited to the TicketCity Bowl where they lost to Houston 14–30.

The 1982 Nebraska vs. Penn State football game was an NCAA college football game held on September 25, 1982, during the 1982 NCAA Division I-A football season at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania, between the then-#2 Nebraska Cornhuskers and then-#8 Penn State Nittany Lions.

The 1993 Blockbuster Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game between the Stanford Cardinal and the Penn State Nittany Lions played on January 1, 1993, at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It was the third edition of the bowl game, and a Bowl Coalition game.

The 1974 Orange Bowl was the fortieth edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, on Tuesday, January 1. The final game of the 1973–74 bowl season, it matched the sixth-ranked independent Penn State Nittany Lions and the #13 LSU Tigers of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

References

  1. ↑ "Cappelletti wins Heisman Trophy". Chicago Tribune. UPI. December 5, 1973. p. 1, sec. 3.
  2. 1 2 "John Cappelletti wins Heisman Trophy". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). Associated Press. December 4, 1973. p. 20.
  3. ↑ Parascenzo, Marino (December 5, 1973). "Heisman Trophy cometh to the Iceman - Cappelletti". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 30.
  4. 1 2 "Cappelletti had doubts Heisman Trophy". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). Associated Press. December 5, 1973. p. 68.
  5. ↑ "Cappelletti talks about football..." Daily Collegian. (University Park, Pennsylvania). September 21, 1985. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  6. ↑ Lyon, Bill (December 15, 1973). "Sports hero dedicates prize to dying brother". Chicago Tribune. Knight Newspapers. p. 1, sports final.
  7. ↑ Cappelletti, John; Bradley, Ken (December 12, 2009). "I remember..." Sporting News. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  8. ↑ "::Biography - John Cappelletti::". Archived from the original on 2009-03-05. Retrieved 2009-02-16.
  9. 1 2 "Cappelletti scores four". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). Associated Press. October 28, 1973. p. 67.
  10. ↑ "Cappelletti to miss 1979 season". Gettysburg Times. (Pennsylvania). Associated Press. August 21, 1979. p. 9.
  11. 1 2 Fernandez, Bernard (2009-12-21). "Cappelletti recalls poor conditions at first PSU-LSU bowl". Philadelphia Daily News .
  12. ↑ Peck, Richard E. (March 1, 1983). Something for Joey. Laurel Leaf. ISBN   0-553-27199-7.
  13. ↑ "Cappelletti '73 Heisman Winner". Spartanburg Herald. South Carolina. Associated Press. December 5, 1973. p. B2.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.