He is Mr. Patriot. He has been a part of the franchise for 45 of its 52 years and now as we approach the 2012 NFL season Gino Cappelletti has decided it’s time to walk away and retire at age 78.
Cappelletti, a member of the Patriots Hall of Fame, is the 2nd leading scorer in Patriots franchise history and one of only 20 players to play in all 10 seasons of the AFL. He was also named the 1964 AFL MVP.
After his playing days were over he joined the Patriots broadcast booth were he provided the color commentary for 32 NFL seasons (1972-78; 1988-present), 28 of them with long time broadcast partner Gil Santos.
Although nothing has been made official it is expected that former Patriots QB Scott Zolak will move from the sidelines to the booth to replace Cappelletti. Zolak joined the broadcast team last season in an effort to help ease the pace of the game on Cappelletti, who had a tough time keeping up with the pace of the game the last several seasons.
It is expected at this time that Santos will return to call the Patriots play-by-play for his 22nd consecutive season and his 36th year overall (1966-79; 1991-present).
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photo credit: boston globe
