The Eagles held a private screening of the movie "Invincible" on Tuesday night at the NovaCare Complex, and the story of the 30-year-old school teacher/bartender-turned NFL player held a special place in the hearts of those who know the story well.

"It was very interesting, because I felt like I'm following in Vince Papale's footsteps in a way," said running back Reno Mahe, laughing. "I have worked at Chickie's and Pete's and I have done some substitute teaching and I watched the movie and felt like I was copying this guy's life.

"His odds were way greater than mine, though. He was 30 years old and he went to an open tryout. That was awesome and very inspiring. It's one of those movies that chokes you up very happily. That's what those Disney movies do to you. I love Disney movies. I loved it. It was great."

Eagles linebacker Shawn Barber had another perspective: He played for Dick Vermeil as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, so as he watched the scenes when Vermeil ran his first Eagles teams through brutal practices, Barber felt the realism of the movie.

Vince Papale was a hometown hero after making the Eagles in 1976

And it hurt just to watch.

"I thought it was a great movie, very inspiring. Anybody who has played the game and who understands what it takes to run down there on special teams, to be one of the last guys on the roster, can certainly identify with the movie," said Barber. "The movie speaks out to you. Vince was a player who held on week by week. This game is made up of a lot of talented players, but there are also a lot of players here because they have more heart and character than the guy next to them.

"It doesn't surprise me that Vince made that team under Coach Vermeil, because Coach Vermeil looks at a player from the inside out. He wants quality players and quality people. So when you go through those practices and you survive them, you know you've done something special."

The movie especially hit home for the team, because they understand how deeply the passion of the Eagles intertwines with every-day life in Philadelphia and the surrounding areas.

The Eagles mean everything to a lot of people.

"That is definitely something you see in this movie," said rookie linebacker Omar Gaither. "I saw it at training camp. These people love the Eagles.

Said Barber: "I don't know if other players on other teams will enjoy it as much as we did, because this is Philadelphia. You see that Eagles fever every day around here. People live and die with the Eagles. That's real. It's good."

There was also some laughter and cheers for another reason: A key player on that 1976 Eagles team was wide receiver Harold Carmichael, who is now the team's Director of Player Programs. No. 17 was featured making some plays in the movie, although the actor who played Carmichael did not have a speaking role.

"Seeing Harold, that was cool," said Gaither. "I don't know much about him as a player, but I know he had the numbers."

"Harold will always tell you how good he was ... I'm just kidding," said Barber. "It was neat seeing his jersey number up there. He was a player. He was a big-time player."

"Invincible," the rags-to-riches story of Papale, who played with the Eagles from 1976-78, debuted at No. 1 at Hollywood's box office over the weekend, taking in more than $17 million in gate receipts.