It still comes as a surprise to some people that
John Cappelletti is the ONLY Heisman Trophy winner in Penn State University
sports history.
How can that be possible? All those great
teams over all of those many years? Surely somebody else has won a
Heisman in Happy Valley?
Nope; just Cappy.
It's even harder to believe that the 40th
anniversary of his winning the trophy in 1973 is quickly approaching.
I have been very fortunate to have become
close friends with John. He's truly a genuine guy. While Cappy is very proud of his many
accomplishments, he's also a very humble person who is quick to talk about
other players long before talking about himself.
He built his life after football on the west
coast and he now resides a little over an hour north of San Diego. This
has always surprised me a teeny bit because I know how much "FAMILY"
means to him. And in a way, I guess that's why he's still out there.
While his parents and siblings have always
lived outside Philly (his Mom still lives in Upper Darby), John was raising a
family of his own during his playing days in Los Angeles and San
Diego. He told me often times that he "just didn't want to
take the kids away from where they were growing up."
There were a couple of forks in the road that
might have changed all of that and made things very different.
After winning the Heisman in 1973, John was
eligible for the 1974 draft. Before the 1973 season began, the
Philadelphia Eagles had traded their 1974 first round pick to the LA Rams
in a blockbuster trade for quarterback Roman Gabriel. The Eagles also
included other draft picks and players to get the 32 year old QB in hopes that
Gabriel could turn a floundering franchise back into the correct direction.
Ironically, when the 11th selection came up
in the '74 draft, the Rams used it to select John Cappelletti. The
Philadelphia suburb native COULD have been an Eagle had the team not
traded for Roman Gabriel.
Coulda, shoulda, and woulda, I know...but
there's more!
In 1974, the NFL had some competition for fans
and players in the United Football League. Philadelphia had
a franchise called the Philadelphia Bell. The team made a HUGE pitch
to Cappelletti to try and woo him away from the Rams and keep him home in
Philly. Despite offering almost twice
what the Rams put on the table, the Bell lost out and Cappy went to the
NFL. That had to be a very difficult decision for a 21-year old fresh off
the college gridiron.
It turns out that it was probably a wise move as
the UFL folded half way through the 1975 season.
Many people here in Philly aren't aware that
John spent parts of NINE seasons in the NFL between his time with Los
Angeles and San Diego. With the possible exception of his last two years
with San Diego, John was an extremely productive player and filled a role for
his team nicely.
So while his professional history could have
possibly been very different, his college history is something that is clearly
etched in stone among the record books in State College, PA.
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| John Cappelletti (PSU '74) with ASI good friend, Lauren Henderson (PSU '12) at an appearance at Carl's Cards and Collectibles in Havertown, PA |
The greatest college player ever to play at
Penn State? It has to be the ONLY Heisman Trophy winner ever
there. Only one... and just one. John Cappelletti. That makes
the debate pretty short, right?
Penn State Nittany Lions Heisman Trophy Award
Winner and AllStarInc client, John Cappelletti, will be appearing at the TriStar
Houston Show at the Reliant Center on Saturday, June 2nd from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30
p.m. For autograph tickets and
information contact J&T Sports through their email at
hondocollector@yahoo.com or call 210-854-3347.
If you're from the Houston area or will be
in the area, please stop by the show on Saturday and hello!
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If you live in the Philadelphia area, please visit our good friend, Carl Henderson's store, Carl's Cards and Collectibles, for a great selection of sports memorabilia. They are located at 22 West Eagle Road, Havertown, PA 19083. For more information on their store, available collectibles and appearances, contact them at 610-789-4996 or visit their website at www.carlscards.com.
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