REDSKINS PARK — Vinny Papale knows the question is coming.

The University of Delaware wide receiver was an undrafted college free agent at Redskins’ rookie minicamp this weekend on a tryout basis. The odds are stacked against him making even the 90-man roster for OTAs, minicamp and training camp let alone the practice squad or 53-man roster before next season.

But then that seems to run in the family. Papale’s father, Vincent, was a college track star who parlayed a minor-league football stint into a tryout with his hometown Philadelphia Eagles - an opportunity not unlike the one Vinny has right now.

“It’s awesome just to get an opportunity to play in the NFL,” Vinny Papale said after Saturday’s final rookie minicamp practice. “A lot of guys they watched through the draft and didn’t even get an opportunity. So just to be one of those guys to get another opportunity to showcase my skills and actually get a chance to play at the next level is awesome.”

Vincent Papale not only made the Eagles, he was one of the oldest rookies in NFL history at age 30 and contributed for three seasons primarily on special teams. He became a cult favorite among Eagles fans in the late 1970s and his remarkable story is told in the popular Disney movie Invincible starring Mark Wahlberg.

The elder Papale knows better than anyone the limited chance even a tryout provides. He made the most of his with the Eagles. But Vinny had only a couple of 90-minute practices to prove he belongs on Washington’s 90-man roster.

And given the number of young wide receivers the Redskins have drafted and signed the past two seasons, it’s hard to see any immediate path for the younger Papale. But his dad is living proof anything is possible. The Redskins coaches definitely noticed Vinny Papale.

“He’s a tough guy. He runs everything hard and plays with a lot of passion without a doubt,” coach Jay Gruden said. “Very similar to the movie, right? So I was impressed with him. There were a lot of guys that came out here on a tryout type basis that were very impressive. Unfortunately we don’t have a lot of spots right now at this time.”

The staff will rewatch the tape from this weekend’s practices and at least a few of the undrafted rookies will get signed. Maybe Papale will be one of them. He caught two “touchdown” passes from quarterback Dwayne Haskins on Saturday in one-on-one drills.

Vinny Papale has overcome plenty of adversity of his own to even get here. He sustained a broken leg during his freshman season at Delaware and as a sophomore he started six games before tearing the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his knee. Then the coaching staff at Delaware was fired and he had to start over impressing a new staff that didn’t recruit him.

But he returned to the field as a junior and at least played in all 11 games. And then the 6-foot-1, 205-pounder drew attention from NFL scouts as a senior with 36 catches for 618 yards and six touchdowns.

“I was hurt for my first two years there. It was a slow start, definitely was frustrating,” Vinny Papale said. “But once I got on that field I think I made a name for myself. Honestly…I wasn’t even thinking about [the NFL] right now. It’s always been a dream since I was a kid and for a second there I thought they were shattered. But it all worked out and I’m here.”

Vinny Papale, 22, has always aspired to be his own man. Proud of his father, but fine with not telling people the whole story over and over again he keeps that part of his family life quiet unless someone asks. He joked that some Delaware teammates thought Vincent Papale, now 73, is actually his grandfather.

When he was a kid, Vinny went to all the screenings of Invincible. He estimates he’s seen the movie upwards of 30 times, but not in a few years.

“I was a little worn out,” Vinny Papale joked. “But I might flip it on one of these days, though.”

It wasn’t until he got to college that Vinny Papale actually appreciated what his dad accomplished. Realizing how hard it is even to see the field at the college level, a man making the Eagles at age 30 without playing college football was eye opening. It put the movie in a new perspective.

In the Philadelphia area – Delaware’s campus is only 45 minutes away in Newark – Vinny Papale’s family story wasn’t a big deal. That changes some when you get to the NFL and people aren’t as familiar. But he’s fine with it.

“It’s been a wild ride these past few weeks,” Vinny Papale said. “Every time you get on the field or get a rep you better make the most of that opportunity. Every time you get one you’ve got to make yourself known on film. This film is going to be watched for sure.”

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