Vince Papale

Vincent Francis Papale (born February 9, 1946) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played three seasons with the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles, primarily on special teams, following two seasons with the Philadelphia Bell of the World Football League (WFL). Papale's story was the inspiration behind the 2006 film Invincible.

Early life and education

Papale was born February 9, 1946, in Glenolden, Pennsylvania. He attended Interboro High School in Prospect Park, where he lettered in football, basketball, and track and field.

In his only year of varsity football, Papale won All-Delaware County Honorable Mention honors. In track, he was a standout pole vaulter, triple jumper, and long jumper. He began competing in track during his senior year at Interboro. He won the District I (Philadelphia suburban area) large-schools championship in pole vault, then finished fourth in the Pennsylvania state meet. Papale's best pole vault that year was 12 ft 9 in (3.89 m), which edged him into the top 10 of all-time Pennsylvania high school vaulters.

College

Papale attended Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia on a track scholarship (the university did not have a football team). As a junior, he won a United States Track & Field Federation (USTFF) college development pole vault at Madison Square Garden (February 10) with a vault of 14 ft 6 in (4.42 m). He never placed at IC4A or Penn Relays. Papale did score in the Middle Atlantic Conference championships. He graduated in 1968 with an MS degree in Marketing/Management Science.