Babe Parilli, Famed QB, dies at age 87. (arena, draft, coach)

[Mike from back east]

Babe Parilli came from that same hardscrabble western Pennsylvania steel region that produced many great QBs like Johnny Unitas, Joe Namath, Johnny Lujack, Joe Montana, Dan Marino and Jim Kelly.

He mastered Bear Bryant's "T" formation offense so well that he led University Kentucky teams to a 28-8 record and earned himself a place in the College Football Hall of Fame.

He died on Saturday, 15 July 2017 in Parker, CO, from complications of multiple myeloma. He was 87.

He played for a number of teams:
- Green Bay Packers chose Parilli in the first round of the 1952 NFL draft, he played there (1952-53);
- Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League (1954-55);
- Cleveland Browns (1956);
- Green Bay Packers again (1957-58);
- Ottawa Rough Riders again (1959);
- Oakland Raiders (1960);
- Boston Patriots (1961-67);
- NY Jets (1968-69).


Parilli played just one year for Cleveland and of that one year he said he felt like a robot for not being allowed to call his own plays. He learned under Bear Bryant to call his own plays and did so for 15 of his 16 years in football, save for that year with Cleveland. In a 1956 game against my Baltimore Colts, he was sacked so hard by Gino Marchetti that he fumbled away the ball which led to a Baltimore TD and that is the event which Parilli credits for getting him tossed from the team.

Bart Starr was still in high school when he had a chance to study football under Babe Parilli at UKy. Starr said Parilli was generous with his time and "...taught me more about the position than I had ever learned before from anyone else. I had his pictures all over the mirror in my room."

Vito Parilli was born on May 7, 1930, in Rochester, Pa., outside Pittsburgh. After his playing career, he was an assistant coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Denver Broncos and the Jets; head coach of the New York Stars and the Chicago Winds in the short-lived World Football League; and head coach of several teams in the Arena Football League.

[susancruzs]

Packers have an article on Parilli at their website.

Parilli has his place in Packers' lore

[DOUBLE H]

Originally Posted by susancruzs

Packers have an article on Parilli at their website.

Parilli has his place in Packers' lore

Great article!

I love the post from Denver/Pack fan regarding Babe Parilli having dinner with him and his family. Doesn't surprise me at all. I met him a few decades ago as he was an assistant coach under Red Miller in the late 1970's. As good a guy as you'd ever want to meet.

Thanks Susan!

[DOUBLE H]

Babe Parilli came along with a group of quarterbacks who were shown the door by the NFL, such as George Blanda, Jack Kemp, Tom Flores, Frank Tripucka, and Len Dawson. When he got to the Patriot franchise he was 30 years old. With his talent and leadership, he had the Pats in the division mix every year but one (1965). The Oilers and the Bills won the division in those days, and not by very damn much. By 1967 he was 37, saw that Mike Holovack's squad had peaked. Babe was traded straight up to the New York Jets for quarterback Mike Taliaferro.

What Parilli doesn't get credit for is his ball holding for the field goals. He was the best--ask Gino Capelletti, who by the way has been part of the Patriot radio network for the last couple decades until finally retiring a couple years ago. Ask Jim Turner who had been with the New York Jets since 1963. In 1968 Turner set a league record 36 field goals, a pro football record that stood for 15 years until Mark Mosely broke it. Parilli could get that ball from center and set that ball down better than anyone. His nickname from the players? Heh, Goldfinger!

When Parilli started his career he could see playing for Paul Brown was going to be a problem as Brown gave little input for the quarterbacks regarding play calling. His two years with Green Bay? He split time with Bart Starr, when Vince Lombardi came along he cut Parilli in training camp. When he went to the Patriots he finally was able to show what he could do as Holovack made him the starter right off the getgo. His years with the Pats? 50-39.

[2nd trick op]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

Babe Parilli came from that same hardscrabble western Pennsylvania steel region that produced many great QBs like Johnny Unitas, Joe Namath, Johnny Lujack, Joe Montana, Dan Marino and Jim Kelly.

You forgot to add George Blanda, another AFL "transplant".

[DOUBLE H]

Originally Posted by 2nd trick op

You forgot to add George Blanda, another AFL "transplant".

I'm 1000% sure it was just a simple omission. Mike knows about western PA!

Blanda, like Parilli was an old warhorse. I'm going out on a limb by saying this but IIRC he would be the only player in league history to play in four decades,-1949-1975. Blanda gave the early AFL credibility, it was helped along a lot by the Oilers signing of 1959 Heisman Trophy winner Billy Cannon out of LSU.

Back to Parilli, I erred in my previous post regarding one item. He did take the Patriots to the 1963 AFL Championship game against San Diego.