His professional football career ended in 1960 when he was drafted into the United States Air Force for a three-year term of service.

[6][7] He was the starting quarterback for the 1957 Michigan Wolverines football team that opened the season 4–1, including a victory over USC, but finished with a 5–3–1 record.

[6] Prior to the 1957 Northwestern game, Van Pelt was bed-ridden with the flu, but despite the illness, he led the Wolverines to a 34–14 win.

He played in the North–South Shrine Game at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, throwing a touchdown pass for the winning North team.

[19] In its game coverage, The Montreal Gazette reported: Jimmy Van Pelt, a freshman import quarterback from the University of Michigan was the producer, director and principal actor in Winnipeg's unexpected decision over the defending champions.

... Van Pelt took over as the stream-lined Grey Cup hero ... the country's national football pin-up boy.

[23] Despite the injury, Van Pelt was the starting quarterback in Winnipeg's season opener against the British Columbia Lions.

[24][25] Van Pelt led the Winnipeg team to another western division championship in 1959, but he suffered a shoulder separation late in the season.

[28][29] Winnipeg coach Bud Grant noted, "Until Van Pelt was injured, I was pretty sure we had a better team than the 1958 champions.

Van Pelt's football career was cut short when he was drafted into the United States Air Force in the summer of 1960 for a three-year period of service.

[31][32] In November 1962, Van Pelt, then a lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, watched the Blue Bombers defend their Grey Cup championship as the guest of the club.

In an interview with the Winnipeg Tribune, he explained, "My wife and I talked it over for a long time and decided the job in Chicago was the best move.