Kraft, Belichick honor, mourn Parilli

Credit: Associated PressCalling Babe Parilli a “fan favorite” of the early days of the AFL, Patriots owner Robert Kraft expressed his sympathies for the death of the team’s former quarterback.

Parilli died Saturday at the age of 87. He played for the then-Boston Patriots from 1961-67 and made three AFL All-Star teams. He is a member of the Patriots Hall of Fame.

“For those old enough to have watched the Boston Patriots, Babe Parilli was a fan favorite,” Kraft said in a statement released yesterday. “The AFL was an exciting, wide open offense that was in stark contrast to the ground and pound ways of the NFL during that era. Parilli and Gino Cappelletti became two of the most popular players…