Joe Scarpati
| No. 21 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Safety | ||
| Personal information | |||
| Date of birth: | March 5, 1943 | ||
| Place of birth: | Brooklyn, New York | ||
| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Weight: | 185 lb (84 kg) | ||
| Career information | |||
| College: | North Carolina State | ||
| AFL draft: |
1964 / Round: 13 / Pick: 100 (By the Boston Patriots) | ||
| Career history | |||
| Career NFL statistics | |||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||
Joseph Henry Scarpati, Jr. (born March 5, 1943) is a former professional American football safety in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and the New Orleans Saints. He was the holder to Tom Dempsey's record breaking 63-yard field goal. Scarpati played halfback in college football at North Carolina State University, earning second team All-ACC for football and Academic All-ACC honors in 1962 and 1963. He was selected in the thirteenth round of the 1964 AFL Draft by the Boston Patriots. He came off of a knee operation but was at full speed at the free safety position in 1969. In the 1969 season, he recorded four interceptions and ran a total of 54 yards. His average interception run was 13.5 yards and he scored one touchdown. In an interesting twist, a few weeks after Dempsey's record-setting kick, both Saints quarterback Billy Kilmer (who was widely believed to be holder of Tom Dempsey's record setting kick), was traded to the Washington Redskins, and Scarpati would retire from professional football just days apart. His son was a roommate of Hit's in college.