Films about football is just about every American’s favorite sport and pastime. Football began in the 1800’s as a combination of soccer and rugby. College football quickly became an exciting sport for players and for fans. In 1920 the National Football League was developed. College athletes aimed to make it the pros. As the twentieth century progressed, football developed into a major sport and remains so today. Small towns celebrate their high school team victories every Friday night in the fall. College football is followed by alumni and state fans as rival teams strive to make it to the Bowl games. Professional teams contract the best athletes in America and most of the country lives for the weekly games leading up to the playoffs and the Super Bowl.
Football has been honored in film for a century. Many films are based on true stories of underdogs making to the top of the game. Football scenes are exciting to watch as the team perseveres as the crowd cheers them on. Even movies not entirely about the game of football feature exciting football game scenes.
Here are our picks for the top 20 football scenes in the history of movies.
Horse Feathers (1932)
“Horse Feathers” is a 1932 film by the comedic Marx Brothers. It is, as its name implies, a “nonsensical” movie about college football. It’s fun and zany and amazingly still relevant. The film is about two fictitious rival college football teams, Darwin and Huxley. The film satirizes the fact that college athletes are treated as amateurs and the fact that eligibility requirements are lax. The son of Huxley College’s President convinces his father to hire professional football players for the team so they can beat Darwin College. The climactic scene of the film is still funny to watch today. The four underdog football players take the football into the end zone in a horse drawn garbage wagon which Pinky (Harpo Marx) rides like a horse drawn chariot. This timeless classic still provides laughs.
North Dallas Forty (1979)
“North Dallas Forty” is considered one of the most classic football films. The 1979 movie is based on a semi-autobiography of 1960’s Dallas Cowboys wide receiver, Peter Gent. In the movie Nick Nolte plays Phil Elliot, a wide receiver for Dallas’ professional football team, the North Dallas Bulls. He’s an aging player signed to a contract with the team. Elliot lives the stereotypical life of a pro football player at the time enjoying “sex, drugs and rock and roll”. After the team loses the season’s final game against Chicago, Elliot finds out that the Bulls have hired a private detective to follow him and prove his indiscretions so they don’t have to hold to his contract. Elliot ultimately quits. The movie is a picture of a time in football history when politics played an important role.
Brian’s Song (1971)
“Brian’s Song” is a classic football movie with based on a true story. The film follows Chicago Bears’ teammates Brian Piccolo (James Caan) and Gale Sayers’ (Billy Dee Williams) unlikely friendship. The two would become the first interracial pro football teammates that were roommates on the road. Their personalities and backgrounds are entirely different but they become close, particularly after Sayers is injured and later when Piccolo is diagnosed with cancer. The story is based on Pro Football Hall of Famer Sayers’ autobiography “I Am Third”. As Piccolo dies, the movie never tries to get too sentimental but it is considered a “guy cry” movie. This is a true story of the value of friendship that crosses the widest of divides during the biggest trials of life.
Jerry Maguire (1996)
“Jerry Maguire” was nominated for the Best Movie Academy Award, but it was Cuba Gooding Jr. who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Tom Cruise played Maguire, a high powered sports agent who is fired from his agency and starts his own. The story was inspired by Leigh Steinberg. Maguire is unable to retain most of his clients. All but one show allegiance to his former employer. Cuba Gooding Jr.’s Rod Tidwell is a wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals desperate to keep his contract to support his family. During a Monday Night Football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Tidwell catches the winning touchdown but is knocked down and apparently injured. This could destroy his contract with the team. Tidwell recovers and the crowed cheers wildly. Tidwell responds by breakdancing for the crowd. “Jerry Maguire” may be about the life of high powered sports agents, but it’s also about heart.
Rudy (1993)
“Rudy” is the true story of Daniel Ruettinger (Sean Astin) who dreamed of playing football at Notre Dame. Ruettinger lacks the grades, money and talent to play for the major college team. “Rudy” enrolls in a local Junior College and works at the Steel Mill hoping to eventually transfer to Notre Dame. He also volunteers at the school as a groundskeeper just to be close to the team. After several rejections, Rudy finally transfers to Notre Dame but does not make the football team. With the team’s support, he is finally allowed to suit up for a game in his senior year. He leads the team out of the tunnel for the game against Georgia Tech. Rudy is allowed in the game for a play and sacks the Georgia Tech quarterback. The crowd cheers and Rudy is carried by the team off the field to applause. This is a true story of the underdog fighting the odds to achieve his lifelong dream.
Friday Night Lights (2004)
“Friday Night Lights” was based on a book by H.G. Bissinger. The movie inspired the television series of the same name that ran on NBC from 2006 through 2011. “Friday Night Lights” takes place in the small town of Odessa, Texas. The city is plagued by a bad economy and interracial tensions. The one thing that holds the town together is Friday night high school football. The Permian High Panthers are led by Coach Gary Gaines (Billy Bob Thornton). The team is led by quarterback Mike Winchell (Lucas Black) and tailback Boobie Miles (Derek Luke). When Miles suffers a bad injury in the first game of the season, the town and the coach rally for the team. The team makes a huge comeback and goes to the state finals. “Friday Night Lights” is a movie that anyone who enjoys High School football can relate to.
The Longest Yard (1974)
1975’s “The Longest Yard” was remade in 2005. The original starred Burt Reynolds who also appeared in the remake. Reynolds played ex NFL professional quarterback Paul “Wrecking” Crewe who was cut from his team for point shaving. Crewe steals his ex girlfriend’s car and is sentenced to 18 months at Citrus State Prison (filming was at Georgia State Prison). While in prison, Crewe has to deal with the sadistic warden named Hazen (Eddie Albert). The warden makes a deal with Crewe to recruit prisoners to play a football game against the guards to get an early release. The warden is not about to let the guards play friendly in the game. By halftime the game is close but the guards get physically aggressive. In the end, the prisoners rally and Crewe scores the winning touchdown leaving the score 36 to 33. “The Longest Yard” is a comedy but also a great football story.
Heaven Can Wait (1978)
“Heaven Can Wait” is based on a play and a 1941 movie. Warren Beatty played Joe Pendleton, a quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams, a team that is headed to the Super Bowl. When his bike is hit by a truck, Pendleton is near death and an angel guides him to Heaven. However, Pendleton would have recovered although his body was already cremated. The angel must find him a new body. Pendleton enters the body of a billionaire, Leo Farnsworth, who is near death because his girlfriend and her lover tried to kill him. Farnsworth buys the LA Rams and gets his “new” body in shape with the help of Pendleton’s former trainer to play at the Super Bowl. In the climactic scene, Farnsworth is shot and Tom Jarrett, another quarterback, must take his place in the Super Bowl. Jarrett is hit hard on the field and Farnsworth is transferred to his body. The Rams win the Super Bowl and Pendleton is now in a more appropriate body.
Knute Rockne, All American (1940)
Kunte Rockne was a football player for Notre Dame and later the team’s coach. He and his team developed many strategic plays during his tenure as a player and as a coach. In the 1940 film about Knute Rockne (Pat O’Brien), the boy who immigrated with his family to America in 1892 is seen aspiring and saving up to play football in its early days. He and his teammates would win a historic game against Army. While coaching the team one of Rockne’s star players, George Gipp (Ronald Reagan), died following a strep infection. Everyone remembers the famous line “Win one for the Gipp”. Knute Rockne was truly an All American hero in the world of college football. Knute is also remembered for his motivational pregame speeches. He helped advance the sport as it was taking hold in America’s hearts.
Any Given Sunday (1999)
“Any Given Sunday” is a movie about a Miami professional football team, an aging coach, a thriving underdog and a female team owner trying to prove herself in a male dominated sport. Jack “Cap” Rooney (Dennis Quaid) is a legendary professional quarterback who is badly injured during a game. He has to be replaced by Willie Beamon (Jamie Foxx), a third stringer given his last chance to prove himself in professional football. Beamon does great. His success forces aging coach Tony D’Amato (Al Pacino) to rethink his former strategy. Cameron Diaz played Christina Pagniacci, the team’s new owner upon her father’s death.
Remember the Titans (2000)
Denzel Washington played Herman Boone, an African American coach brought in to replace a successful Caucasian coach when the federal government mandates school integration including high school sports. “Remember the Titans” is based on a true story about a high school football team in 1971 that united under their coach to be a winning team despite the community’s disagreements over racial divide. The T.C. Williams High School football team in Virginia is motivated by their new coach to stick together and work together as a team. The team actually was second in the nation by the end of 1971 and were able to unite a community. In the movie Coach Herman Boone gives a very motivational speech to his players.
Radio (2003)
“Radio” is the heartwarming story inspired by a mentally challenged young man and his surprising bond with the coach of the local high school football team. Coach Harold Jones (Ed Harris) befriends James “Radio” Robert Kennedy (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) a local teenager with no real family who spends his days pushing a shopping cart around town and is drawn to the high school football practices. When some of the players harass Radio, Coach Jones steps in to defend the boy. Mostly this is due to guilt Coach Jones feels about something that happened to him years before. Jones forms a bond with Radio and, despite the community’s disapproval because Radio is drawing the coach’s attention away from the team, Jones stands firm and tries to teach his players and the community about the need to respect one another. Coach Jones helps Radio enroll in school, learn to read and eventually graduate. The movie has several great football scenes, but the essence of the film is how Coach Jones and Radio serve as an important lesson to the team and the community. The end of the movie features the real life Radio and the real life Coach Jones walking on the football field together.
The Blind Side (2009)
Based on the true story of Michael Oher, a homeless African American teenager with a natural ability to play football. Oher (Quinton Aaron) was taken in by Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy (Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw), and help Oher succeed at football. The couple eventually even adopted Oher. With the help of the Tuohy family, Michael Oher is able to qualify for an NCAA Division I scholarship. In real life and in the movie, Oher was the first round draft pick for the Baltimore Ravens in 2009. The football scenes in this movie are amazing. They show the town’s and the Tuohy’s undying support of Michael Oher who wouldn’t have had a chance to succeed without that support.
Leatherheads (2008)
“Leatherheads” is a romantic sports comedy that pays homage to the new pro football league in 1925. Directed by George Clooney, the actor also stars as Dodge Connelly, the charming captain of the struggling Duluth Bulldogs who wants to guide his team to winning. As the league faces collapse after losing a sponsor, Connelly recruits Carl Rutherford (John Krasinski), a war hero with speed on the football field. For those who are feeling nostalgic about football, the scenes are incredible.
Forrest Gump (1994)
Tom Hanks’ classic movie about a man who unknowingly becomes a part of history. As a young man, Forrest finds that he can run fast from the guys that harass him. He runs right onto the high school football field and impresses the coaches. Gump becomes the kick runner for the Alabama Crimson Tide leading the team to victory. With all of the amazing scenes in “Forest Gump” it’s easy to forget that Gump helped lead the college football team to victory.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckku5qEt-vA
Undefeated (2011)
“Undefeated” won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. The critically acclaimed and award winning documentary was directed by Daniel Lindsay and TJ Martin and featured at the South by Southwest film festival. The documentary followed three underprivileged inner city Memphis, Tennessee high school football players and their volunteer coach. The team makes an amazing comeback after struggling for years.
We Are Marshall (2006)
“We Are Marshall” is based on real life events of tragedy and comeback. In 1970 a chartered airplane carrying most of the Marshall University football team back home to West Virginia crashed. The loss of life was devastating including 37 football players, 5 coaches, 2 trainers, an athletic director, 25 boosters and 5 crewmembers. In the wake of the tragedy the University’s President Donald Dedman (David Strathain) decides to suspend the football program. The team members and staff not on the plane, the University’s student body and the community rally to save the team. The President relents and hire Jack Lengyel (Matthew McConaughey) to rebuilt the team, even going to the NCAA to allow Freshman players. Along with Assistant Coach William “Red” Dawson (Matthew Fox) who was not in the plane crash, the team is reformed in a short amount of time. Including 18 returning players, mostly sophomores, the team regrouped, but lost terribly in its first game. However, the team’s first home game of the new season changed everything. Marshall University won 15 to 13 over Xavier University. From tragedy arose hard work to carry on the legacy of those who died.
Gridiron Gang
“Gridiron Gang” is a 2006 movie about a group of juvenile detention inmates who are helped by a counselor. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson plays Sean Porter, the counselor at the Kilpatrick Juvenile Center in Los Angeles. Most of the kids come from bad family backgrounds and became involved with street gangs and selling drugs. Porter is frustrated by his inability to help these kids and decides to form a football team to help the kids learn to work together to win as a team. Being a part of the Kilpatrick Mustangs helps the kids gain self esteem and responsibility. Some of the kids are sworn enemies as rival gang members but are able to overcome this and work together to win. As the team begins playing better and form a following, the boys begin to change their attitudes. Nearly all of them do well in life once they leave the detention center.
The Water Boy (1988)
“The Water Boy” is a typical Adam Sandler comedy. Sandler plays Bobby Boucher, the water boy for a college football team. When Coach Klein (Henry Winkler) finds out that Boucher has an amazing ability to tackle players much larger than him, he puts Boucher on the team. It’s a big underdog story. Who would have thought that the student relegated to the lowly status of water boy would end up helping the team to victory?
Varsity Blues (1999)
While not the most sentimental of football movies, “Varsity Blues” has some good scenes on the field, like high school students playing football with a hangover. The West Canaan Coyotes are a small town Texas high school football team. The team’s success is vital to the community that worships football. Coach Kilmer (Jon Voight) is in his thirty-fifth year of coaching and determined for the team to win its twenty-third division title. The movie looks at the pressure that teenage athletes are under when they are just trying to enjoy the game they love and enjoy high school years.
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