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 (3.886 m), which edged him into the top 10 of all-time Pennsylvania high school vaulters.

Papale eventually made the team, thereby becoming, at age 30, the oldest rookie non-kicker in the history of the NFL to play without the benefit of college football experience.

Papale, who earned the nickname "Rocky" (after the Sylvester Stallone character) while playing with the Eagles, is the subject of the Disney movie Invincible, with Mark Wahlberg portraying him.

In addition, Papale's legend was cited as a factor in the Eagles' signing of construction foreman/tight end Jeff Thomason for 2005's Super Bowl XXXIX.

He resides in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, with his wife Janet and two children, Gabriella and Vinny, and remains a diehard Philadelphia Eagles football fan.

His son Vinny played wide receiver for the University of Delaware Blue Hens, the Tampa Bay Bandits, and is currently with the Memphis Showboats of the United Football League.