# Vince Papale
**Vince Papale** (Vincent Francis Papale, born 1946 in [Chester, Pennsylvania](https://www.edgepedia.org/chester-pennsylvania)) is a former [American football](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-football) wide receiver who made the [Philadelphia Eagles](https://www.edgepedia.org/philadelphia-eagles)' roster in 1976 at age 30 through an open tryout, after never playing college football, and played three NFL seasons as a special-teams player. His story inspired the 2006 Disney film *Invincible*, starring Mark Wahlberg.[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PapaVi00.htm) • [2](https://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/vince-papale-forty-years-of-invincible-17774810) • [3](https://www.nfl.com/news/son-of-eagles-legend-vince-papale-to-try-out-with-philly-0ap3000001023965)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1946, Chester, PA; 6 ft 2 in, 195 lb (188 cm, 88 kg)[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PapaVi00.htm) |
| College | St. Joseph's (PA), where he ran track; he never played college football[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PapaVi00.htm) • [4](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/05/10/invincible-ii-redskins-invite-vince-papales-son-try-out/) |
| Pro debut | Wide receiver for the Philadelphia Bell of the World Football League; caught the first regular-season pass in WFL history[5](https://www.inquirer.com/eagles/vince-papale-eagles-start-pro-football-philadelphia-bell-20240617.html) |
| NFL career | Philadelphia Eagles, 1976–78; 41 regular-season games, 0 starts[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PapaVi00.htm) |
| NFL statistics | One reception, for 15 yards; used primarily on special teams[4](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/05/10/invincible-ii-redskins-invite-vince-papales-son-try-out/) |
| Honor | Eagles Man of the Year, 1978, for charity work[6](https://www.inquirer.com/eagles/eagles-invincible-vince-papale-saquon-barkley-20241108.html) |
| Film | *Invincible* (2006, Disney), with Mark Wahlberg as Papale and Greg Kinnear as coach Dick Vermeil[3](https://www.nfl.com/news/son-of-eagles-legend-vince-papale-to-try-out-with-philly-0ap3000001023965) • [7](https://movies.radiofree.com/interviews/invincib_vince_papale.shtml) |
## Early life and football outside the NFL
Papale grew up in Glenolden, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, and attended Interboro High School.[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PapaVi00.htm) • [6](https://www.inquirer.com/eagles/eagles-invincible-vince-papale-saquon-barkley-20241108.html) He ran track at St. Joseph's College rather than playing football there, and after college he worked as a teacher and coach at his high school alma mater and as a bartender, playing semi-pro and touch football in his free time.[4](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/05/10/invincible-ii-redskins-invite-vince-papales-son-try-out/) • [8](https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/A-walk-on-role-in-Hollywood-Eagles-hero-in-2513306.php) • [9](https://wwsg.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Vince-Papale-Bio-June-2012.pdf)
**The Philadelphia Bell.** Papale's professional career began in the [World Football League](https://www.edgepedia.org/world-football-league) (WFL), a short-lived major league that folded in 1975. He tried out for and made the [Philadelphia Bell](https://www.edgepedia.org/philadelphia-bell) as a wide receiver, and he caught the first regular-season pass in WFL history. He spent about 17 months with the Bell, an episode omitted from *Invincible*; Papale has said the film's makers likely did not want to diminish the drama of his making the Eagles, and that the Bell experience gave him the confidence to crack [Dick Vermeil](https://www.edgepedia.org/dick-vermeil)'s first Eagles roster in 1976.[5](https://www.inquirer.com/eagles/vince-papale-eagles-start-pro-football-philadelphia-bell-20240617.html) • [4](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/05/10/invincible-ii-redskins-invite-vince-papales-son-try-out/)
## The 1976 Eagles tryout
When Dick Vermeil, hired in 1976 to turn around an Eagles franchise that had not finished with a winning record in a decade, announced open tryouts, Papale, then a 30-year-old season-ticket holder and teacher at Interboro High School, took a leave of absence and tried out.[2](https://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/vince-papale-forty-years-of-invincible-17774810) • [4](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/05/10/invincible-ii-redskins-invite-vince-papales-son-try-out/) Of the many ex-athletes and hopefuls who turned out, Papale was the one player invited to training camp, and he survived the cuts to make the roster.[8](https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/A-walk-on-role-in-Hollywood-Eagles-hero-in-2513306.php)
Papale later described learning he had made the team only indirectly: after the sixth preseason game he found his name on a locker, and Vermeil finally confirmed it on the practice field with, "Hey old man. Congratulations. You're a Philadelphia Eagle. Welcome to the team."[2](https://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/vince-papale-forty-years-of-invincible-17774810)
At 30, he became the oldest rookie in NFL history without college football experience other than kickers; some accounts describe him more broadly as the oldest rookie in league history.[8](https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/A-walk-on-role-in-Hollywood-Eagles-hero-in-2513306.php) Vermeil, recalling the period, said, "He earned every bit of it."[10](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2006/08/25/a-rookie-revived-span-classbankheadphilly-hometown-hero-vince-papale-revels-in-his-invincible-lifespan/778d24f7-3f08-486a-80cb-10a1d595f083/)
## NFL career, 1976–1978
Papale played three seasons with the Eagles, appearing in 41 regular-season games with no starts: 14 games in 1976, 14 in 1977, and 13 in 1978.[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PapaVi00.htm) • [11](https://www.nfl.com/players/vince-papale/stats/) Listed as a wide receiver, he had one reception, for 15 yards, and made his mark on special teams, where his teammates elected him a unit captain.[4](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/05/10/invincible-ii-redskins-invite-vince-papales-son-try-out/) • [9](https://wwsg.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Vince-Papale-Bio-June-2012.pdf) A Philadelphia sportswriter dubbed him "the inVINCEble Papale," and Eagles fans embraced him as a local man who had come, in effect, out of the stands.[10](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2006/08/25/a-rookie-revived-span-classbankheadphilly-hometown-hero-vince-papale-revels-in-his-invincible-lifespan/778d24f7-3f08-486a-80cb-10a1d595f083/)
In 1978 the team named him its Man of the Year for his charitable work, including the Eagles Fly for Leukemia program.[6](https://www.inquirer.com/eagles/eagles-invincible-vince-papale-saquon-barkley-20241108.html) His career ended when he dislocated his shoulder in the Eagles' 1979 preseason opener; he retired and became a sportscaster.[4](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/05/10/invincible-ii-redskins-invite-vince-papales-son-try-out/)
## Invincible and later life
The path to the film began in 2002, when NFL Films and ESPN produced a [Monday Night Football](https://www.edgepedia.org/monday-night-football) feature comparing Papale to the fictional [Rocky Balboa](https://www.edgepedia.org/rocky-balboa) on the 25th anniversary of *Rocky*; Hollywood interest followed, and Disney green-lit the project.[2](https://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/vince-papale-forty-years-of-invincible-17774810) *Invincible* (2006) dramatizes his 1976 tryout and roster battle, with [Mark Wahlberg](https://www.edgepedia.org/mark-wahlberg) as Papale, Elizabeth Banks as his wife Janet, and Greg Kinnear as Vermeil; Papale served as a consultant on the production.[7](https://movies.radiofree.com/interviews/invincib_vince_papale.shtml) Papale has said the film changed his life, bringing speaking invitations from around the world, and he continues to work as a motivational speaker and charity fundraiser, including as an ambassador for the NFL Alumni Association's Tackle Obesity initiative.[6](https://www.inquirer.com/eagles/eagles-invincible-vince-papale-saquon-barkley-20241108.html) • [12](https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/gallen-of-questions-vince-papale-eagles-disney-movie-motivational-speaker/)
His son, Vincent Joseph "Vinny" Papale, followed a parallel path: a wide receiver at the [University of Delaware](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-delaware), he received a tryout with the Eagles at their 2019 local prospect day and later with the Washington Redskins, and his father's story again drew national attention.[3](https://www.nfl.com/news/son-of-eagles-legend-vince-papale-to-try-out-with-philly-0ap3000001023965) • [4](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/05/10/invincible-ii-redskins-invite-vince-papales-son-try-out/)
## Legacy
Papale's on-field statistics are modest, but his roster spot is frequently cited in discussions of non-traditional routes into professional sports and the role of open tryouts in player recruitment, and he remains a defining Philadelphia underdog figure alongside Rocky.[6](https://www.inquirer.com/eagles/eagles-invincible-vince-papale-saquon-barkley-20241108.html) • [13](https://cloud.pnb.org/article/vince-papale-career-from-philadelphia-streets-to-the-nfl-and-wall-street)
## References
1. [Vince Papale Stats, Pro-Football-Reference.com](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PapaVi00.htm)
2. [Vince Papale: Forty Years Of Invincible, PhiladelphiaEagles.com (2016)](https://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/vince-papale-forty-years-of-invincible-17774810)
3. [Son of Eagles legend Vince Papale to try out with Philly, NFL.com (2019)](https://www.nfl.com/news/son-of-eagles-legend-vince-papale-to-try-out-with-philly-0ap3000001023965)
4. [Invincible II? Redskins invite Vince Papale's son to try out, The Washington Post (2019)](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/05/10/invincible-ii-redskins-invite-vince-papales-son-try-out/)
5. [Vince Papale's real 'Invincible' story began with the Philadelphia Bell, The Philadelphia Inquirer (2024)](https://www.inquirer.com/eagles/vince-papale-eagles-start-pro-football-philadelphia-bell-20240617.html)
6. [Vince Papale on his charity work, being dubbed the real-life Rocky, and more, The Philadelphia Inquirer (2024)](https://www.inquirer.com/eagles/eagles-invincible-vince-papale-saquon-barkley-20241108.html)
7. [RadioFree.com Interviews: Vince Papale, Invincible (2006)](https://movies.radiofree.com/interviews/invincib_vince_papale.shtml)
8. [A walk-on role in Hollywood / Eagles hero in spotlight again, SFGate (2006)](https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/A-walk-on-role-in-Hollywood-Eagles-hero-in-2513306.php)
9. [Vince Papale Bio (June 2012), WSG speaker bureau](https://wwsg.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Vince-Papale-Bio-June-2012.pdf)
10. [A Rookie Revived, The Washington Post (2006)](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2006/08/25/a-rookie-revived-span-classbankheadphilly-hometown-hero-vince-papale-revels-in-his-invincible-lifespan/778d24f7-3f08-486a-80cb-10a1d595f083/)
11. [Vince Papale Stats Summary, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/players/vince-papale/stats/)
12. [Eagles legend Vince Papale on why "Invincible" still resonates, CBS Philadelphia (2023)](https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/gallen-of-questions-vince-papale-eagles-disney-movie-motivational-speaker/)
13. [Vince Papale Career: From Philadelphia Streets to the NFL and Wall Street](https://cloud.pnb.org/article/vince-papale-career-from-philadelphia-streets-to-the-nfl-and-wall-street)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › American football players, coaches, and executives › Return specialists*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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