10 greatest New England Patriots of all time

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 04: A detail as Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots communicates a play at the line of scrimmage in the AFC Wild Card Playoff game against the Tennessee Titans at Gillette Stadium on January 04, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /

3 of 10

NEW YORK – DECEMBER 17: Gino Cappelletti #20 of the Boston Patriots stands ready to attempt a field goal against the New York Jets during an AFL football game December 17, 1966 at Shea Stadium in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

8. DE Gino Cappelletti

Back in the days when the Patriots were a member of the American Football League (prior to the 1970 merger), the club had its stars. But there was no one brighter when it came to the early years of the franchise than versatile receiver and placekicker Gino Cappelletti.

He played in all but one game for the team during its first 11 years of existence, including a pair of postseason tilts in 1963. He had quite the playoff game vs. the Buffalo Bills that year, catching four passes for 109 yards, connecting on 4-of-5 field goal attempts and both PATs in a 26-8 victory.

In terms of a kicker, his numbers aren’t overly impressive when it comes to field goal percentage (52.9). As a pass-catcher, Cappelletti was far more efficient. He finished his 11 season with 292 receptions, good for 4,589 yards (15.7 average) and 42 trips to the end zone.

John Turney of Pro Football Journal pondered whether Cappelletti deserves a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Of course, that also has little to do with whether the five-time Pro Bowler is one of the franchise’s 10 greatest players. And on that front, he’s a solid addition to this list and one of the club’s more popular players.

Home/New England Patriots