Vince Papale Biography
Vince Papale is a former professional American football player. He played three seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League following two seasons with the Philadelphia Bell of the World Football League.
Papale’s story was the inspiration behind the 2006 film Invincible.
Vince Papale Age
Vince Papale was born on February 9, 1946, in Chester, Pennsylvania, United States to Francis J. Papale and Almira Sage Papale. He has a sister named Janice.
Vince Papale Childhood|Early Life
He studied at the Interboro High School in Prospect Park, where he excelled in various sports, including football, basketball, and track and field. For his one-year tenure in varsity football, he was awarded the All-Delaware County Honorable Mention honours.
As a track and field athlete, he participated in the pole vault, triple jump, and long jump competitions. Representing his school, he became the winner of the District I (Philadelphia suburban area) large-schools championship in the pole vault.
Later, he came fourth in the state meet. His best performance in the pole vault was 12 ft 9 in, which secured his position as one of the “Top 10” all-time PA high school vaulters.
Papale got the chance to study at the Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia after he acquired a track and field scholarship. In his junior year, he performed a vault of 14 ft 6 in at a United States Track & Field Federation (USTFF) college development pole vault competition, claiming the first prize.
Vince Papale
While he never got a podium finish at IC4A or Penn Relays, he registered a score in the Middle Atlantic Conference championships (University Division). In 1968, he graduated with an MS degree in marketing/management science.
Vince Papale Career
After finishing college, Vince Papale started playing for the semi-professional Seaboard Football League team Aston Green Knights. He also worked as a middle school business teacher from 1968 to 1974 at Interboro High School and served as the coach for a junior varsity football team.
In the spring of 1974, Papale left teaching to try out for the Philadelphia Bell. He was accepted into their main roster and would go on to play the next two seasons with the team.
That season, he registered a record of catching nine passes for 121 yards, averaging 13.4 yards per catch. In 1975, he managed to catch only one pass, but a forty-nine-yard touchdown was scored with it. He was named a “special teams” standout in his both seasons with the Bell.
Following the end of his tenure with Bell, Papale worked in a bar. He also played the “rough touch” football in the bar leagues. During this period, Philadelphia Eagles’ general manager Jim Murray invited him to a private workout conducted by Dick Vermeil.
Vince Papale With Philadelphia Eagles
Papale debuted for the Eagles at the age of 30, effectively becoming the oldest rookie in the history of NFL without previous experience at the university level.
As a wide receiver and special teams, he played 14 matches each in 1976 and 1977, and 13 in 1978. In his career with the team, he registered two fumble recoveries and one 15-yard reception.
In 1978, his career came to a sudden end due to a shoulder injury. He then worked as a radio and television broadcaster for eight years before opting for a career as a commercial mortgage banker.
Besides currently being the regional director of marketing and senior account executive for higher-education marketing at Sallie Mae, he is the Secretary/Treasurer of the Philadelphia Chapter of the NFL Alumni Association.
Vince Papale Jersey
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1822448/
Vince Papale Stats
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RECEIVING
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| Year | Team | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | Yds/G | Lng | TD | 20+ | 40+ | 1st | FUM |
| 1978 | Philadelphia Eagles | 13 | — | — | — | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1977 | Philadelphia Eagles | 14 | 1 | 15 | 15.0 | 1.1 | 15 | 0 | — | — | — | — |
| 1976 | Philadelphia Eagles | 14 | — | — | — | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| TOTAL | 41 | 1 | 15 | 15.0 | 0.4 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Vince Papale Achievements
Vince Papale’s teammates at Philadelphia Eagles picked him as the Special Teams Captain and as the “Man of the Year” in 1978. The latter was due to his significant charity works.
Both Vince and his wife Janet have been inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.
Vince Papale Personal Life
Wife
He is married to Janet and both have two children together, Gabriella and Vinny. His son Vinny follows his father’s footsteps so he also plays on the same position as his father.
Vinny plays as a wide receiver for the Blue Hens of the University of Delaware.
Vince lives in Cherry Hill, in New Jersey and is currently working as the regional CEO for Student Loan Marketing Association.
Earlier, Papale was in a short marriage with a woman named Sharon, they were both divorced in the year 1971. By 1977, he met Sand Bianchini and goth married until 1984.
10 years later, he met his loving wife, Janet and both are married till present.
Vince Papale Salary|Net worth
When Vince Papale became a Philadelphia Eagle, his first-year salary was $21,000. This was double what he was earning as a school teacher. In his last year, his salary was a whopping $42,000. That smallish salary was only the beginning of this amazing legend.
Vince Papale Twitter
As clean as it gets in the red zone… from the #1 pick Haskins. https://t.co/CWg93ruQIK
— Vince Papale (@83Invincible) May 13, 2019