Filed under: Penn State, Heisman
It was, to put it mildly, a more simple time in college sports.There were no pay-for-play scandals exposed on Twitter, no superstar agents, no talk of conferences crafting media strategies. It was 1973, and the Heisman Trophy wasn't even awarded on live television. That year, college football's most famous statue went to Penn State's John Cappelletti, a hard-charging tailback who had led the Nittany Lions to an undefeated regular season while rushing for over 1,500 yards and 17 touchdowns.
"Cappy," as he was known to teammates, and Penn State went on to complete their perfect season in the '74 Orange Bowl, defeating LSU 16-9 on a rain-slicked field in Miami.
But for all his on-field achievements, in college and during a nine-year NFL career with the Los Angeles Rams and San Diego Chargers, Cappelletti is best remembered for a moment when his words -- and not his running -- captured the country's imagination.
In his Heisman acceptance speech, delivered at the Monday dinner following the Saturday night award announcement, Cappelletti dedicated the trophy to his younger brother Joey, who was gravely ill with leukemia.
Reading from notes he scribbled on the back of an envelope earlier that day, Cappelletti tearfully thanked his sibling, calling him an "inspiration" whose daily fight for survival dwarfed any sports competition. "You get your bumps and bruises and it's a terrific battle out there on the football field," said Cappelletti, who played defensive back during his first two years at Penn State. "But for me it's only on Saturday and it's in the fall. For Joseph, it's all year round and it's a battle that's unending, and he puts up with much more than I'll ever put up with."
"This trophy," Cappelletti continued, "is more of his than it is mine," before walking walking off to thunderous applause from an audience that included his brother, his parents and Vice President Gerald Ford.
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