What Is Vince Papale's Net Worth?
Vince Papale is a former American football player, author, public speaker and producer who has a net worth of $1.5 million. Vince Papale played for the NFL team the Philadelphia Eagles from 1976 to 1978. Before that, he played football for Interboro High School in Prospect Park, Pennsylvania, the Seaboard Football League team the Aston Green Knights, and the World Football League team the Philadelphia Bell. The 2006 film "Invincible," starring Mark Wahlberg, is based on Vince's life, and he executive produced the 2017 Reelz special "Invincible: The True Story." Papale published the memoir "Invincible: My Journey from Fan to NFL Team Captain" in 2006, and he teamed up with his wife, Janet Cantwell-Papale, for the 2011 book "Be Invincible! A Playbook for Reaching Your Full Potential." Vince was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.
Early Life
Vince Papale was born Vincent Francis Papale on February 9, 1946, in Glenolden, Pennsylvania. He lettered in football, track and field, and basketball at Interboro High School. During the year Papale played varsity football, he received All-Delaware County Honorable Mention honors. Vince joined the track and field team as a senior, and he won the pole vault event at the District I large-schools championship and finished in fourth place in the state meet. His 12 ft 9 in (3.886 m) pole vault made him one of Pennsylvania's top 10 high school vaulters of all time. Papale earned a track scholarship for Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, which didn't have a football team. During his junior year, he competed in a United States Track & Field Federation college development pole vault and won with a vault of 14 ft 6 in (4.42 m). In 1968, Vince graduated with a Marketing/Management Science degree.
Career
After college, Papale played for the Seaboard Football League team the Aston Green Knights while working as a teacher and junior varsity football coach at Interboro High School. He tried out for the World Football League's Philadelphia Bell and made it onto the team as a wide receiver. During his first season with the team, Papale averaged 13.4 yards per catch. He was a special teams standout during both seasons he played for the Philadelphia Bell.
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Eagles
According to Vince's official website, when he was 30 years old, he "decided to act on a whim and a dare and entered the unprecedented public tryouts for his beloved Eagles. He made the team and played for the Eagles from 1976 to 1978. In 1978, Papale's teammates voted him Special Teams Captain, and the Eagles named him "Man of the Year" for his philanthropic activities. In 1979, he injured his shoulder, ending his football career. After his retirement from the NFL, Vince spent eight years as a radio and TV broadcaster, then he began working as a commercial mortgage banker. Papale is the subject of the 2006 film "Invincible," in which he was portrayed by Mark Wahlberg. Vince said of the movie, "Not often can a person see a film made about their own life's journey. What's even rarer is having that movie described as inspirational, motivational, and giving hope. There's a feeling of intense pride and humility that, at times, is overwhelming."
Contracts & NFL Salary
Vince Papale's initial contract with the Eagles was for $21,000 for the 1976 season. This was a base salary and did not include any bonuses or incentives. In his second year, Papale signed a contract for $25,000 for the 1977 season, which again did not include any bonuses or incentives. In his final year with the Eagles, he signed a contract for $30,000 for the 1978 season.
Personal Life
Vince was married to Sandy Bianchini from mid-1977 until 1983. He then wed former USA World Gymnastics team member Janet Cantwell on August 14, 1993, and they have welcomed two children, Vincent Jr. (better known as Vinnie) and Gabriella.
Vinnie Jr. has played football for the University of Delaware and the USFL team the Tampa Bay Bandits.
Papale was previously married to a woman named Sharon, and they divorced in 1971.
In 2001, Vince was diagnosed with colorectal cancer after having a colonoscopy at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. The cancer was caught early, and since his recovery, Papale has appeared in commercials for the hospital to encourage people to get tested for the disease.
Outside of his football career, Vince has worked at Sallie Mae as the regional director of marketing, and he has served as the Secretary/Treasurer of the NFL Alumni Association's Philadelphia Chapter.
