If you are a diehard NFL fan, then you probably fully immerse yourself in the culture and interact with the sport in different ways, such as by playing games, reading books or watching American football films.
Regardless of the activity, it gives you an insight into what’s happening behind the golden curtains of the sport and the sacrifice, effort and time that athletes, coaches and organizations put in just for people’s entertainment.
With American football being on the top 10 list of most popular sports in the world with more than 400 million fans, many directors and film companies thought it would be great to highlight a story based on the sport.
This article will focus on some of the best American football films in history that you should definitely watch right now.
Any Given Sunday (1999)
Even if you haven’t watched the movie, you’ve watched the incredible scene where the famous Al Pacino tries to motivate his players to come back from behind and win the game.
It is a true classic sports film with many movie stars like Jamie Foxx, Dennis Quad and some NFL legends. “Any Given Sunday” is a movie about American football, the importance of the sport and how it changed the lives of many that are involved in it. It is an inspiring movie that is definitely worth the watch.
Rudy (1993)
Here is another inspiring story that shows the true potential of humans when they are pushed to their limits. It is a story about a young man who has been told that he is too small and doesn’t have the skills to play college football.
But despite all the negative comments, he is determined to go against the odds and fulfill his childhood dream of playing for Notre Dame. It is a great movie that will give you an idea about the value of the hard work and commitment that has the power to move mountains. “Rudy” shows how passion for something can lead to many great things, and it is a great movie to watch even for non-football fans.
Friday Night Lights (2004)
Here we have a movie based on H.G Bissinger’s book that highlighted the economically depressed town of Odessa, Texas, and their heroic high school football team (the Permian High Panthers) that believed in the impossible.
The movie shows the importance of sports for the community and how it affects more than just the players and families. It is basically a real-life story where young players carry the weight of their town while still trying to figure out who they are as people.
Their main goal is winning the state football championship, even in the face of all their problems.
Concussion (2015)
This is a rather different movie compared to the inspiring ones covered so far. It is a movie about an accomplished pathologist, Dr. Bennet Omalu played by Will Smith, as he uncovers the truth about brain damage in football players who suffer from repeated concussions while they play the sport.
Since football is one of the biggest sports in the world and there is a lot of money involved, it is governed by the economy and multi-million-dollar industry that refuses to accept potential health issues with athletes.
In the film, The NFL tries to hide the data from the pathologist, as that will affect the sport’s popularity and possibly the desire for future players to participate in the sport. It is a great movie that will change the sport forever.
Remember the Titans (2000)
“Remember the Titans” is a true story about a newly appointed African American coach and his path to push his high-school team through their first season. This is a movie that again shows the power of sports to unify people.
The movie shows us the importance of chemistry between team members as they significantly improve after forgetting their differences. With tons of real action scenes, it is definitely a movie that every NFL fan must watch.
If these are not enough and you want to find some more, check out the 20 best football movies ever made from TwinSpires.com.
