The city of Philadelphia is famous for many heartfelt stories, and none is more legendary than Vince Papale's journey from school teacher to a three-year stint on the Eagles' practice squad.
Papale became the oldest rookie to play in the NFL after taking a tryout with the Eagles in 1976. The athletic, 6-foot-1, 195-pound wide receiver had one catch in three seasons but became a special teams standout and had his story made into the 2006 film “Invincible,” starring Mark Wahlberg.
Still focused on serving the community, the educator-turned-NFL player has become a top ambassador for the nfl Alumni Association's Tackle Obesity Initiative.
It all started with a challenge for Papale's friend and late Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus, who was inspired to lose some weight in 2020. Papale stated that 16-18 former nfl players could lose more than 35 pounds, giving rise to the original name for the Initiative, Hudde Up and Let's Talk about Obesity.
The name was changed to fight obesity, But the goal remains: to encourage people of all ages to eat healthy, exercise and avoid bad lifestyle habits.
We caught up with Papale, who announced that the NFL Alumni Association's Tackle Obesity Initiative has partnered with the NFL Alumni Association Obesity Action Coalition, American Heart AssociationAmerican Diabetes Association and the American Cancer Society.
This weekend will highlight collaboration between different agencies.
To discuss the celebrations, Eagles Super Bowl hopes and more, Papale sat down with The Eagles Wire and talked about his battle with obesity, his beautiful wife Janet Kent, his talented son and UFL receiver Vinny Papale, and whether Nick Sirianni's team has what it takes to win a Super Bowl.
00:00
Introduction and background
01:08
Fighting Obesity: The NFL Alumni Initiative
05:19
Personal health journey and lifestyle choices
08:29
The Rocky Run: Community and Health Awareness
11:17
Insights into the Eagles team and family legacy
