Overview
Vincent Francis Papale (born February 9, 1946) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver. 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.
High school years
Papale was born in Glenolden, Pennsylvania, attended Interboro High School in Prospect Park and 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 state meet. Papale's best pole vault that year was 12 ft 9 in (3.886 m), which edged him into the top 10 all-time PA high school vaulters.
College
Papale attended Philadelphia's Saint Joseph's University 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.
Track and field personal bests and meet results
Sophomore Year (1966)
Second in Pole Vault (winner 14'-3" (4.34 m))
Second in the triple jump (winner 45'-3" (13.79 m))
Junior Year (1967)
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