He was a two time first-team All-State quarterback honors for La Salle Academy in 1944 and 1945. He quarterbacked La Salle teams to some of the school's greatest seasons. As a senior in 1945 he led the Maroon to an undefeated season and a trip to New Orleans for a special high school bowl game at Tulane Stadium.
College football[]
He was a starting quarterback for Boston College and the University of San Francisco.
Pro football[]
Despite being selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 4th Round of the 1949 NFL Draft, Panciera joined the New York Yankees of the All-America Football Conference. In 12 games, he completed 51 of 150 passes for 5 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. The conference folded after the 1949 season, so in 1950 Panciera played defensive back for the Detroit Lions, recording 1 interception in 4 games. In 1952, he joined the Chicago Cardinals of the National Football League. In 8 games he completed 35 of 96 passes for 582 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. In 1953, he joined the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Rugby Union, but appeared in only 1 game.