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University of New Hampshire Athletics
Left to right, Ed Cramer, Paul D'Allesandro and Chief Boston.
Paul D'Allesandro, 1940-2021
10/26/2021 5:17:00 PM | Football, UNH Insider
An Appreciation. 'A Wildcat Through and Through'
DURHAM, N.H. – It's a classic football promotional picture from back in the day: University of New Hampshire football linemen No. 66 and No. 61 are getting off the line with their coach, Chief Boston, keeping a keen eye on their form and their moves.
Both won Yankee Conference honors in 1961 as the best players in the league at their positions and won acclamation in the region and beyond, too.
Paul D'Alessandro, who wore No. 66, passed away at the age of 80 just before this Wildcat football season started. Ed Cramer, No. 61, was his linemate, roommate and a longtime friend.
"When it came to putting on the pads, no matter what sport it was, he was an all-out competitor, all the time," Cramer said. "Paul was a get-it-done guy. He worked on his studies. He encouraged others. He always encouraged me and we encouraged each other."
The 1962 graduates lined up together on the 1960 team that was coached by Chief Boston and captained by Paul Bellavance and Lou D'Allesandro, Paul's big brother and a many-term State Senator in New Hampshire and an enthusiastic supporter of all things UNH.
Lou was thrilled to have the opportunity to play alongside his brother at UNH and later with the Providence Steamrollers of the professional Atlantic Coast Football League.
"Great memories, cherished memories," Lou said. "Both as a teammate and as my dearest friend."
Paul, who lived in Winchester, Mass. and before that East Boston, checked in at 240, 250 pounds, large for a football player in those days and like everyone else, played offense and defense and on special teams.
"He was as good as they get," Lou said. "He had size and speed. He was really, really fast. He was unusually strong, too."
Paul came by his size and strength naturally, Lou added.
"We never had the weight room and those things," he said. "My father was in the oil burner business and we used to install burners and furnaces and break up the ones we were taking out and sell the cast iron for junk. You had to be big and strong."
Paul took his talents to other sports as well. He and Lou also played lacrosse together at UNH.
"He was an outstanding lacrosse player and he just picked it up and tried it," Lou said. "He had no experience in lacrosse. He started from ground zero."
Both D'Allessandros are in the UNH Hall of Fame. Paul was inducted in 1994 and Lou in 2010.
The Wildcats compiled a 4-3 record that 1960 season and the wins were memorable. The first was a 13-6 decision over Rhode Island.
"He made a big tackle and I recovered a fumble and there was a little article in the paper saying the D'Allesandro brothers did well," Lou recalled.
There was a nice win over Connecticut, avenging a loss from the year before.
Ditto for a triumph over Delaware.
"They cleaned our clocks the year before," Cramer said. "They had a big team and they were perennial contenders for the Lambert Trophy as the best small college team in the East."
The Wildcats had played Delaware seven straight years – the first time the teams had ever played – and Delaware had won all seven, including the 50-12 game in 1959.
In 1960, UNH knocked off Delaware, 31-14.
"Paul played a helluva game," Cramer said. "He was pressuring them the whole time and I intercepted a pass and ran it back 55 yards for a touchdown, one of the highlights of my career. Paul and I typically led the team in tackles and played a very aggressive game together."
Cramer played linebacker on defense.
"I'd move into the middle and go off one side or the other of Paul," Cramer said. "He was a master at fooling a center. He was pretty quick for his size. He always got accolades for holding up the middle of that line and he could move well laterally."
UNH coach Sean McDonnell has heard the stories.
"He was a tremendous football player from all the information I got from not only UNH football fans, but Manchester people when I was living there who knew Lou and the family," McDonnell said. "He was a big fellow, a terrific athlete and played a couple of different sports. He could move and had a toughness about him that was D'Allesandro unique. You knew that was a football family."
Later the President and CEO of Crown Engineering in East Boston – a family owned Mechanical Contracting business founded in 1920 – Paul could look the menacing part when he lined up against opposing players. He'd take a wide stance, maybe make a fist with one hand, stare his rival down.
"You knew he was going to come at you," Cramer said. "You knew you were going to have a battle. He was tough to move. Really tough to move."
To be sure, Paul D'Allesandro played with that toughness, practiced with that toughness.
"When it came to playing ball, he put on the helmet and he put on a demeanor that said, 'Nobody beats me,'" Cramer said. "He was as competitive as they come. He put it all out there. Even when we were practicing and went up against each other, there was no mercy. He was a real tough competitor."
But there was another side to Paul, that encouraging, supportive side, as well.
"He could have fun, too," Cramer said. "You had to get to know him a little bit. He had that demeanor and looked tough all the time. But once he smiled, he softened right up. He had a big heart and would do anything for you."
Paul loved his football, Lou said. "He just had a huge heart for the game. And he loved playing at UNH. It was a just great, great experience for all of us."
Cramer talked about how much he has appreciated Lou D'Allesandro and all he has done through the years to organize reunions and encourage players to stay in touch with each other and to meet back at campus when possible.
"Lou might as well have been our mascot in human form," Cramer said.
That always helped keep Paul D'Allesandro and Ed Cramer and many others together through the years, united in large by their shared experience of being UNH football players.
"Paul was a Wildcat through and through," Cramer said.
Both won Yankee Conference honors in 1961 as the best players in the league at their positions and won acclamation in the region and beyond, too.
Paul D'Alessandro, who wore No. 66, passed away at the age of 80 just before this Wildcat football season started. Ed Cramer, No. 61, was his linemate, roommate and a longtime friend.
"When it came to putting on the pads, no matter what sport it was, he was an all-out competitor, all the time," Cramer said. "Paul was a get-it-done guy. He worked on his studies. He encouraged others. He always encouraged me and we encouraged each other."
The 1962 graduates lined up together on the 1960 team that was coached by Chief Boston and captained by Paul Bellavance and Lou D'Allesandro, Paul's big brother and a many-term State Senator in New Hampshire and an enthusiastic supporter of all things UNH.
Lou was thrilled to have the opportunity to play alongside his brother at UNH and later with the Providence Steamrollers of the professional Atlantic Coast Football League.
"Great memories, cherished memories," Lou said. "Both as a teammate and as my dearest friend."
Paul, who lived in Winchester, Mass. and before that East Boston, checked in at 240, 250 pounds, large for a football player in those days and like everyone else, played offense and defense and on special teams.
"He was as good as they get," Lou said. "He had size and speed. He was really, really fast. He was unusually strong, too."
Paul came by his size and strength naturally, Lou added.
"We never had the weight room and those things," he said. "My father was in the oil burner business and we used to install burners and furnaces and break up the ones we were taking out and sell the cast iron for junk. You had to be big and strong."
Paul took his talents to other sports as well. He and Lou also played lacrosse together at UNH.
"He was an outstanding lacrosse player and he just picked it up and tried it," Lou said. "He had no experience in lacrosse. He started from ground zero."
Both D'Allessandros are in the UNH Hall of Fame. Paul was inducted in 1994 and Lou in 2010.
The Wildcats compiled a 4-3 record that 1960 season and the wins were memorable. The first was a 13-6 decision over Rhode Island.
"He made a big tackle and I recovered a fumble and there was a little article in the paper saying the D'Allesandro brothers did well," Lou recalled.
There was a nice win over Connecticut, avenging a loss from the year before.
Ditto for a triumph over Delaware.
"They cleaned our clocks the year before," Cramer said. "They had a big team and they were perennial contenders for the Lambert Trophy as the best small college team in the East."
The Wildcats had played Delaware seven straight years – the first time the teams had ever played – and Delaware had won all seven, including the 50-12 game in 1959.
In 1960, UNH knocked off Delaware, 31-14.
"Paul played a helluva game," Cramer said. "He was pressuring them the whole time and I intercepted a pass and ran it back 55 yards for a touchdown, one of the highlights of my career. Paul and I typically led the team in tackles and played a very aggressive game together."
Cramer played linebacker on defense.
"I'd move into the middle and go off one side or the other of Paul," Cramer said. "He was a master at fooling a center. He was pretty quick for his size. He always got accolades for holding up the middle of that line and he could move well laterally."
UNH coach Sean McDonnell has heard the stories.
"He was a tremendous football player from all the information I got from not only UNH football fans, but Manchester people when I was living there who knew Lou and the family," McDonnell said. "He was a big fellow, a terrific athlete and played a couple of different sports. He could move and had a toughness about him that was D'Allesandro unique. You knew that was a football family."
Later the President and CEO of Crown Engineering in East Boston – a family owned Mechanical Contracting business founded in 1920 – Paul could look the menacing part when he lined up against opposing players. He'd take a wide stance, maybe make a fist with one hand, stare his rival down.
"You knew he was going to come at you," Cramer said. "You knew you were going to have a battle. He was tough to move. Really tough to move."
To be sure, Paul D'Allesandro played with that toughness, practiced with that toughness.
"When it came to playing ball, he put on the helmet and he put on a demeanor that said, 'Nobody beats me,'" Cramer said. "He was as competitive as they come. He put it all out there. Even when we were practicing and went up against each other, there was no mercy. He was a real tough competitor."
But there was another side to Paul, that encouraging, supportive side, as well.
"He could have fun, too," Cramer said. "You had to get to know him a little bit. He had that demeanor and looked tough all the time. But once he smiled, he softened right up. He had a big heart and would do anything for you."
Paul loved his football, Lou said. "He just had a huge heart for the game. And he loved playing at UNH. It was a just great, great experience for all of us."
Cramer talked about how much he has appreciated Lou D'Allesandro and all he has done through the years to organize reunions and encourage players to stay in touch with each other and to meet back at campus when possible.
"Lou might as well have been our mascot in human form," Cramer said.
That always helped keep Paul D'Allesandro and Ed Cramer and many others together through the years, united in large by their shared experience of being UNH football players.
"Paul was a Wildcat through and through," Cramer said.
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