Happy Friday! We are officially 22 days away from Penn State football!
We have spent the last few days talking about current players on the roster. Today, we will talk about one of the most historic Penn State football players to wear the number 22. His name is John Cappelletti.
Cappelletti was an exciting player to watch on both sides of the ball. The versatility of these players continue to flourish in State College. Cappelletti played both defensive back and running back for the Nittany Lions. He is the only player in Penn State history to ever win the most prestigious award in college football in 1973. The Heisman Trophy.
Cappelletti’s birthday was actually earlier this week, on August 9. So it’s actually fitting that with 22 days away from Penn State football, we are talking about one of the most coveted players to ever put on this number at State College.
Even though Cappelletti only played two years at Penn State, they were one of the most prolific years in Penn State history as a running back. In his two seasons, Cappelletti rushed for over 2,600 yards and 29 touchdowns.
Cappelletti was recruited during the Joe Paterno era. He praised his head coach and talked about how Paterno helped him grow both as a player and as a man. One quote Cappelletti mentioned from Paterno was that “You can take care of the little things, the big things take care of themselves”. Cappelletti also mentioned how Paterno had a certain way to get things done as a coach, which was a thing that helped Cappelletti grow both on and off the field.
Cappelletti went on to get drafted 11th overall in the 1974 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. He spent five seasons with the Rams before finishing off the last four years of his career in San Diego with the Chargers. Cappelletti ended up switching to a fallback during his time in the NFL.
John Cappelletti will go down as one of the greatest Penn State football players to ever wear the number 22. From being productive on both sides of the ball to winning multiple awards, including the only player to ever win the Heisman Trophy in Nittany Lions history, Cappelletti will always be remembered for his success at Penn State.
[lawrence-related id=4607,5518,5483,5479]
Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.
[vertical-gallery id=5331]
[listicle id=4087]