Great Football Movies

Films about Overcoming Odds On and Off the Field

Nov 23, 2009 Amy Martin

Football dramas can inspire viewers as they show players and coaches overcoming the odds both on and off the field.

Many films have been made about the game of football, but viewers needn’t understand or even like the game in order to appreciate a great football movie. Football, in most films, is used as a metaphor for life, as characters struggle against incredible odds on the other side of the line of scrimmage, yet somehow figure out how to break through and run towards the goal. The five films discussed here (in no particular order) are examples of football movies that will leave viewers inspired and full of emotion long after the final whistle.

Rudy (1983)

Future Hobbit Sean Astin is Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger, a working-class guy who dreams of playing football at Notre Dame. Due to low grades, lack of money, and his small size, his dream seems impossible. But after a stint at junior college, Rudy is admitted to Notre Dame and begins playing for the practice squad. Viewers will struggle not to shed tears when Rudy finally takes the field for the Fighting Irish.

Knute Rockne, All American (1940)

Over forty years before Rudy, Notre Dame was the setting for another football film. Knute Rockne, All American tells the story of legendary Notre Dame player and coach Knute Rockne (Pat O’Brien), who developed the forward pass and led Notre Dame to football prominence. Rockne’s “Win one for the Gipper” speech after the premature death of halfback George “Gipper” Gipp is one of the most recognizable moments in film and was used by the Gipper himself, actor-turned-politician Ronald Reagan, during his 1980 presidential campaign.

Brian’s Song (1971)

Adapted from Gale Sayers’ autobiography I Am Third, Brian’s Song details the friendship between Chicago Bears running back Sayers (Billy Dee Williams) and teammate Brian Piccolo (James Caan). Brian’s Song is not only the story of two people overcoming racial differences to become friends, but it is also about supporting those friends through hardships, as Sayers helps Piccolo struggle against the cancer that ultimately claims his life. First broadcast on ABC, the film's success led to later theatrical showings and a made-for-TV remake in 2001.

Friday Night Lights (2004)

Based on the non-fiction book by H.G. Bissinger, Friday Night Lights focuses on the Perriman High School football team and their run to the Texas state championship in 1988. But the film is ultimately about the pressures of a football-crazy town and about Coach Gary Gains (Billy Bob Thornton) and his players as they wrestle with their demons both on and off the field. The film spawned a television show that debuted to critical acclaim on NBC in 2006.

We Are Marshall (2006)

The 1970 plane crash that killed nearly the entire Marshall Thundering Herd football team, along with several members of the coaching staff and team boosters, ranks as one of sport’s greatest tragedies. We Are Marshall tells the story of new coach Jack Lengyel (Matthew McConaughey) and his struggles with the NCAA and with the survivors of the crash victims as he rebuilds the Marshall program and helps the town of Huntington, West Virginia, begin to heal.

While the list above is certainly not exhaustive of all football dramas, it can give even the sports-averse a taste of the inspirational true stories of some of those who have been affiliated with the sport. Football itself is a game of inches and yards, but football dramas are often long on the kinds of emotion, struggle, and exhilaration that both fans and non-fans can appreciate.

The copyright of the article Great Football Movies in Film Dramas is owned by Amy Martin. Permission to republish Great Football Movies in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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