Babe Parilli facts for kids
1952 Bowman football card
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| No. 15, 18, 10 | |||||||||||||||
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| Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born: | May 7, 1930 Rochester, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Died: | July 15, 2017 (aged 87) Parker, Colorado, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 196 lb (89 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school: | Rochester (PA) | ||||||||||||||
| College: | Kentucky | ||||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1952 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4 | ||||||||||||||
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College Football Hall of Fame
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Vito "Babe" Parilli (May 7, 1930 – July 15, 2017) was an American football quarterback and coach. He played professionally for 18 seasons. Parilli spent time in the National Football League (NFL), the Canadian Football League (CFL), and the American Football League (AFL).
He played college football at the University of Kentucky. There, he was named an All-American twice. He also helped his team win two bowl games in a row. Parilli had his best professional years in the AFL. He was the starting quarterback for the Boston Patriots from 1961 to 1967. He was chosen for three All-Star Games. He led the Patriots to their only AFL championship game in 1963. Parilli played in the AFL for its entire history. He finished his career with the New York Jets. He was part of the team that won Super Bowl III. After playing, he coached in different football leagues until 1997. He was put into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1982.
Contents
Early Life
Babe Parilli was born and grew up in Rochester, Pennsylvania. This is an industrial town near Pittsburgh. He finished high school at Rochester High School in 1948.
College Football Days
Parilli played college football at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. He was a quarterback for the Kentucky Wildcats. Their coach was Paul "Bear" Bryant. Parilli was recognized as an All-American in 1950 and 1951. This means he was considered one of the best college players in the country. He also finished high in the Heisman Trophy voting. This award goes to the most outstanding college football player. He led the Wildcats to wins in the 1951 Sugar Bowl and the 1952 Cotton Bowl. These were big games played on New Year's Day.
College Stats
Here are Parilli's college passing statistics:
| Season | Passing | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comp | Att | Yards | Comp% | TD | INT | |
| 1949 | 81 | 150 | 1081 | 54.0 | 8 | 13 |
| 1950 | 114 | 203 | 1627 | 56.2 | 23 | 12 |
| 1951 | 136 | 239 | 1643 | 56.9 | 19 | 12 |
| Career Total | 331 | 592 | 4351 | 55.9 | 50 | 37 |
Professional Football Career
Starting Out
In the 1952 NFL draft, Parilli was the fourth player chosen overall. He was picked by the Green Bay Packers. He played two seasons with the Packers. Then, he played two seasons with the Ottawa Rough Riders in Canada. He also played one season with the Cleveland Browns. After that, he returned to the Packers for two more seasons. He played one more year with Ottawa in 1959.
AFL Success
In 1960, at age 30, Parilli joined the Oakland Raiders. This team was part of the new American Football League (AFL). He threw for over 1,000 yards that season. In 1961, he was traded to the Boston Patriots. He became one of the AFL's best and most exciting players.
Parilli played for the Patriots from 1961 to 1967. He ended his career with over 25,000 total yards and 200 touchdowns. He was among the top five quarterbacks in many stats. These included passing yards, passing touchdowns, and rushing yards. Parilli was chosen for three All-Star Games. In 1964, he threw to Gino Cappelletti a lot. He gained almost 3,500 passing yards and 31 touchdowns. This was a Patriots record until Tom Brady broke it in 2007. In a game against the Oakland Raiders in 1964, he threw for 422 yards and four touchdowns. The game ended in a 43–43 tie. Parilli is a member of the Patriots All-1960s (AFL) Team.
Super Bowl Win
Parilli finished his playing career with the New York Jets. He was the backup quarterback to Joe Namath. He earned a Super Bowl ring when the Jets won Super Bowl III. They beat the Baltimore Colts 16–7. It was interesting that both Jets quarterbacks were from Beaver County, Pennsylvania. Parilli was from Rochester, and Namath was from nearby Beaver Falls. Both also played for "Bear" Bryant in college.
Besides being a great quarterback, Parilli was also excellent at holding the ball for kicks. He was nicknamed "gold-finger." This was because kicker Jim Turner scored a lot of points in 1968. Parilli is one of only 20 players who played in the American Football League for all ten years it existed. He is also in the University of Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame. In 1982, Parilli was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Because of their Italian last names, Parilli and wide receiver Gino Cappelletti were called "Grand Opera" by fans. Parilli retired as a player in August 1970, when he was 40 years old.
Coaching After Playing
In 1974, Parilli became the head coach of the New York Stars. This team was in the World Football League (WFL). The team later moved to Charlotte during the season. The next year, he coached the WFL's Chicago Winds. He later coached in the Arena Football League. He led teams like the New England Steamrollers, Denver Dynamite, Charlotte Rage, Las Vegas Sting, Anaheim Piranhas, and Florida Bobcats.
Later Life and Honors
Babe Parilli passed away on July 15, 2017, in Parker, Colorado. He was 87 years old. He died from multiple myeloma, a type of cancer.
Parilli was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1982. On November 15, 2014, he was also inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.
See also
- List of NCAA major college football yearly passing leaders
- Other American Football League players
