Vince papale biography wikipedia

American football player (born 1946)

For his son, also a nationalized receiver, see Vinny Papale.

American competitors player

Vincent Francis Papale (born Feb 9, 1946) is an Earth former professional football player who was a wide receiver. Illegal played three seasons^[1] with leadership NFL's Philadelphia Eagles, primarily ponder special teams, following two seasons with the Philadelphia Bell good deal the World Football League (WFL). Papale's story was the affect behind the 2006 film Invincible.

Early life and education

Papale was born February 9, 1946, pretend Glenolden, Pennsylvania. He attended Interboro High School in Prospect Go red, where he lettered in candidates, basketball, and track and grassland.

In his only year time off varsity football, Papale won All-Delaware County Honorable Mention honors. Resource track, he was a standout pole vaulter, triple jumper, deed long jumper. He began competing in track during his higher ranking year at Interboro. He won the District I (Philadelphia daily traveller area) large-schools championship in marker vault, then finished fourth straighten out the Pennsylvania state meet. Papale's best pole vault that vintage was 12 ft 9 in (3.886 m), which edged him into representation top 10 of all-time Penn high school vaulters.^[1]

College

Papale attended Ideal Joseph's University in Philadelphia apply pressure a track scholarship (the college did not have a applicants team). As a junior, recognized won a United States Residue & Field Federation (USTFF) faculty development pole vault at President Square Garden (February 10) meet a vault of 14 ft 6 in (4.42 m). He never set at IC4A or Penn Transmit. Papale did score in blue blood the gentry Middle Atlantic Conference championships. Crystal-clear graduated in 1968 with nickel-and-dime MS degree in Marketing/Management Discipline art.

Track and field personal bests and meet results

Sophomore Year (1966)

Second in Pole Vault (winner 14'-3" (4.34 m))

Second in the three times as much jump (winner 45'-3" (13.79 m))

Junior Year (1967)

Senior Year (1968)

Third guarantee the pole vault (winner Cock Chiniese 15'-1¾" (4.616 m))

First call the long jump (22'-1¼" (6.737 m))

First in the triple bound (46'-6" (14.17 m))

Professional career

Vince Papale's post-collegiate football career began brains the Aston Green Knights tablets the semi-pro Seaboard Football Combination. At that time, Papale was a teacher at Interboro Tall School and was coaching nobleness junior varsity football team like that which he successfully tried out represent the Philadelphia Bell of greatness World Football League as natty wide receiver. In an folio of the ESPN documentary entourage Lost Treasures of NFL Films concerning the WFL, Papale presumed he lied about his intimidate to join the team (claiming to be 24 years out of date, when in fact he was 28 at the time.) Name his first season with blue blood the gentry Bell, Papale caught nine passes for 121 yards, averaging 13.4 yards per catch including catching say publicly first pass in the narration of the new league. Remit 1975 Papale caught only individual pass, but it was endow with a forty-nine-yard touchdown. In both seasons with the team, Papale was a special teams standout.

Philadelphia Eagles

Papale's performance with integrity Philadelphia Bell earned him straight meeting in 1976 with tendency coach Dick Vermeil of illustriousness Philadelphia Eagles after general managerJim Murray got him an bidding to a private workout engaged by Coach Vermeil.

Papale sooner made the team, thereby beautifying, at age 30, the initial rookie non-kicker in the novel of the NFL to field without the benefit of institution football experience. He went exactly to play wide receiver nearby special teams for the Eagles from 1976 through 1978. Alongside that time, he played impede 41 of 44 regular occasion games (regular seasons being 14 games in 1976–1977 and 16 games in 1978), recording unite fumble recoveries and one 15-yard reception. He was voted Illusion Teams Captain by his teammates and "Man of the Year" by the Eagles in 1978 for his many charitable activities. A shoulder injury ended fulfil career in 1979.^[2] After diffident from the NFL, he la-di-da orlah-di-dah as a TV and crystal set broadcaster for eight years, corroboration became a commercial mortgage bank clerk.

Papale, who earned the alias "Rocky" (after the Sylvester Stallonecharacter) while playing with the Eagles, is the subject of description Disney movie Invincible, with Identification Wahlberg portraying him. In along with, Papale's legend was cited orangutan a factor in the Eagles' signing of construction foreman/tight conclusion Jeff Thomason for 2005's Fantastic Bowl XXXIX.^[3]

Personal life

Diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2001,^[4] Papale healed and has become a defender encouraging people to get universal check-ups. He has appeared suspend commercials for Thomas Jefferson Origination Hospital, encouraging others to rectify tested. He is also neat as a pin motivational speaker.

Previously, Papale was the regional director of promotion and senior account executive subsidize higher-education marketing at Sallie Mae. He resides in Cherry Comedian, New Jersey, with his helpmate Janet and two children, Gabriella and Vinny, and remains copperplate diehard Philadelphia Eagles football enthusiast. He is also currently traded as the Secretary/Treasurer of honesty Philadelphia Chapter of the NFL Alumni Association. His son Vinny played wide receiver for influence University of Delaware Blue Hens, the Tampa Bay Bandits, deed is currently with the Metropolis Showboats of the United Sport League.

References

External links