Lights, Camera, Hike! Football flicks for family nights

By Cole Bredahl | Posted 3/20/2020

As millions of Americans work and E-Learn from home to help mitigate the current pandemic, USA Football’s now-all-home-based staffers put forth their favorite films featuring America’s favorite sport.

From our family to yours – while taking every precaution, enjoy football flicks with your popcorn once dinner’s over and the dishwasher is loaded for the night:

The Blind Side (2009), PG-13

This drama tells the story of former NFL offensive lineman Michael Oher’s struggles after growing up in the foster system and being adopted by a wealthy family. Oher’s story is one of perseverance and shows no one is defined by where they came from.

Available on Hulu

Invincible (2006), PG

This film tells the rise of Vince Papale from bartender to a member of Dick Vermeil’s Philadelphia Eagles. Papale’s tale serves as inspiration to many that it is never too late to pursue your dream.

Available on Disney+

Rudy (1993), PG

The story of Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger is one for football players that have been told they would never be big enough, strong enough or fast enough. Rudy is perhaps the greatest example of how important heart is in our game.

 

Remember the Titans (2000), PG

“Remember the Titans” combines civil rights and football in an inspirational drama. Based on a true story, Denzel Washington leads a high school football team in its first racially integrated season.

Available on Disney+

We Are Marshall (2006), PG

Matthew McConaughey plays the newly named head coach of the Marshall University football team after the tragic death of 75 people in a plane crash, including 37 players, five coaches, two athletic trainers and the athletic director of the West Virginia school. The film features an emotional storyline of a town that turns to football to rise from tragedy.

 

Friday Night Lights (2004), PG-13

People like to say everything is bigger in Texas and that certainly applies to high school football. This film is an adaptation of H.G. Bissinger’s novel of the same name, which follows a small-town Texas high school football team chasing life-long glory in the form of a state championship.

Available on Hulu

Brian’s Song (1971), G

You may need tissues to watch this classic, which tells the true story of Pro Football Hall of Famer Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo’s friendship. The Chicago Bears teammates develop an interracial friendship for the ages during the height of the civil rights movement.

 

Radio (2003), PG

Based on a true story, Radio is a heartfelt account of how football’s way of capturing imaginations fosters a transcendent friendship and magnifies the infinite value of every human life. Starring Cuba Gooding Jr., Radio tells the story of a mentally disabled man and his relationship with a high school football coach that moves hearts and teaches us how to treat one another.

 

When the Game Stands Tall (2003), PG

The film tells the journey of Concord (Calif.) De La Salle High School’s record-setting 151-game win streak spanning over a decade. The streak is broken, which is when the players learn the most. The program’s legendary head coach Bob Ladouceur (“Coach Lad”) inspires his student-athletes, placing the values that define the sport above the trophies and victories his Spartans earn.

 

Photos are courtesy of USA Today, Warner Bros. and Disney+.

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