Babe Parilli
A quarterback who bridged eras, winning championships in both the NFL and AFL while mastering the art of the two-point conversion.
1930–2017 (age 87)·American gridiron football player·Birthday: May 7·The Silent Generation
Biography
Vito 'Babe' Parilli carved a distinctive path through American football's mid-century landscape. Emerging from the University of Kentucky, where his pinpoint passing earned him the nickname 'The Kentucky Babe', his professional journey was one of persistence and adaptation. Drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 1952, his early NFL years were nomadic, but he found his true calling in the upstart American Football League. As the field general for the Boston Patriots, Parilli's chemistry with receiver Gino Cappelletti became the league's most potent aerial attack. His cerebral play and deft ball-handling made him a perfect fit for the Oakland Raiders' system later in his career, where he secured a Super Bowl ring as a backup. Parilli's legacy is that of a craftsman whose intelligence and skill helped validate the AFL's competitive fire.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Babe was born in 1930, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Babe Was Born
The biggest hits of 1930
#1 Movie
All Quiet on the Western Front
Best Picture
All Quiet on the Western Front
Babe's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1930Born
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1935Started school
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1943Became a teenager
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1946Could drive
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1948Could vote
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1951Turned 21
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1960Turned 30
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1970Turned 40
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1980Turned 50
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 60
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 70
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 80
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2017Died at 87
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
Key Achievements
- Named AFL All-Star three times during his tenure with the Boston Patriots.
- Led the AFL in touchdown passes in 1964 with 31 for the Patriots.
- Won Super Bowl II as a member of the Oakland Raiders.
- Held the Patriots franchise record for career touchdown passes for over 40 years.
- Played professional football for 18 seasons across four leagues.
Did You Know?
He and kicker/receiver Gino Cappelletti connected for 45 touchdowns, one of the most prolific QB-WR duels in AFL history.
He was a master of the 'two-point conversion play', which was a staple in the AFL before the NFL widely adopted it.
Before his pro career, he was a single-wing tailback at the University of Kentucky, not a traditional T-formation quarterback.
He served as Joe Namath's backup with the New York Jets in 1968, the year before they won Super Bowl III.
His nickname 'Babe' was given to him in childhood because he resembled the baseball star Babe Ruth.
“You throw the ball to the spot where the receiver should be.”
