Billy Sullivan, Patriot Founder, Dies at Age 82

Billy Sullivan, who brought the NFL to Boston and then watched the league outgrow him, died in Florida on Monday of cancer. He was 82.

“Billy Sullivan was the father of professional football in New England,” Patriot owner Robert Kraft said. “Everyone connected with the Patriots, and every football fan in New England, owes him a debt of gratitude for his success.”

Sullivan was the president of a fuel delivery company when he was granted the rights to an original franchise in the AFL. He and his fellow AFL owners were dubbed the “Foolish Club” for taking on the NFL.

“They were able to make that a badge of honor as time went on,” said Gino Cappelletti, a member of the original 1960 Patriot team. “They were able to overcome major odds.”

Known as the Boston Patriots, the team played in local university stadiums before settling at its current home in Foxboro in 1971. Sullivan served as AFL president from 1961-64, helping negotiate a TV contract that kept the league afloat before it merged with the NFL in 1970.

Sullivan ran his team like a family business. His son Pat was the general manager; another son, Chuck, was the executive vice president; his wife and daughter were on the board of directors.

Funeral services are scheduled for Thursday at St. Ignatius Church in Newton, Mass.