The 12 greatest football movies based on true stories ever made
The greatest football movies based on true stories inspire real-life triumphs, highlighting their perseverance and teamwork. They forge emotional connections with viewers through their authentic and inspiring narratives of football heroes.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Greatest football movies revolve around inspiring real-life events of football heroes that make them universally appealing.
- Football movies based on true stories often highlight perseverance, teamwork, and overcoming adversity, making them deeply motivational.
- Films like American Underdog, Invincible, and The Blind Side demonstrate the inspiring stories of underdogs who defy all odds to be NFL champions.
12 greatest football movies based on true stories
Reputable movie sites like IMDb helped compile the best football movie list based on true stories. They include:
| Movie | Year of release | IMDb rating |
| Leatherheads | 2008 | 6/10 |
| North Dallas Forty | 1979 | 6.9/10 |
| Invincible | 2006 | 7/10 |
| The Longest Yard | 1975 | 7.1/10 |
| American Underdog | 2021 | 7.1/10 |
| We Are Marshals | 2006 | 7.1/10 |
| My All-American | 2015 | 7.2/10 |
| Friday Night Lights | 2004 | 7.2/10 |
| Rudy | 1993 | 7.5/10 |
| Brian's Song | 1971 | 7.5/10 |
| The Blind Side | 2009 | 7.6/10 |
| Remember the Titans | 2000 | 7.8/10 |
12. Leatherheads (2008)
- IMDb rating: 6/10
- Director: George Clooney
- Writers: Duncan Brantley and Rick Reilly
- Runtime: 1h 54m
Leatherheads revolves around Jimmy "Dodge" Connelly, captain of Duluth Bulldogs, a struggling football team. The captain convinced a veteran college player, Carter "the Bullet" Rutherford, to join his team and help him prevent it from falling under the bridge. However, they fall for a female journalist, leading to complications and bitterness.
11. North Dallas Forty (1979)
- IMDb rating: 6.9/10
- Director: Ted Kotchef
- Writers: Peter Gent, Frank Yablans, and Ted Kotchef
- Runtime: 1h 59m
North Dallas Forty is a semi-fictional movie based on the Dallas Cowboys team of the early 1970s. It satirically focuses on the life of a veteran football player's refusal to become part of a football family success and instead focuses on his success.
10. Invincible (2006)
- IMDb rating: 7/10
- Director: Ericson Core
- Writer: Brad Gann
- Runtime: 1h 45m
Invincible is a real-life football movie worth adding to your watchlist. It is based on the life of Vince Papale, a 30-year-old bartender who lands a spot at the Philadelphia Eagles during an open tryout and enjoys a career as a top NFL player.
9. The Longest Yard (1975)
- IMDb rating: 7.1/10
- Director: Robert Aldrich
- Writers: Tracy Keenan Wynn, Albert S. Ruddy
- Runtime: 2h 1m
The Longest Yard is one of the many Netflix football movies based on true stories. It showcases the story of a retired quarterback serving his time, who a sadistic guard convinces to form his team of inmates to play against the guards.
8. American Underdog (2021)
- IMDb rating: 7.1/10
- Director: Andrew Erwin and Jon Erwin
- Writers: Kurt Warner, Michael Silver, and Jon Erwin
- Runtime: 1h 52m
The true story of Kurt Warner inspires the 2021 American Underdog. Kurt transforms from stocking shelves at a supermarket to becoming an NFL MVP and Hall of Fame quarterback.
7. We Are Marshals (2006)
- IMDb rating: 7.1/10
- Director: McG
- Writers: Jamie Linden and Cory Helms
- Runtime: 2h 11m
We Are Marshals is a 2006 biographical film that focuses on the aftermath of the 1970 that claimed the lives of 75 people, including Marshall University's Thundering Herd football team. The new coach, fans, and surviving players strive to keep the program alive.
6. My All-American (2015)
- IMDb rating: 7.2/10
- Director: Angelo Pizzo
- Writer: Angelo Pizzo and Jim Dent
- Runtime: 1h 58m
My All-American is based on the emotional life story of talented college football player Freddie Steinmark, who secured a scholarship to a respected college. However, at the peak of his college football, he suffers an injury that leads to a terrifying diagnosis of bone cancer, which costs him his leg. Fueled by his courage, his team won the championship that season.
5. Friday Night Lights (2004)
- IMDb rating: 7.2/10
- Director: Peter Berg
- Writers: Buzz Bissinger, David Aaron Cohen, and Peter Berg
- Runtime: 1h 58m
Based on Buzz Bessinger's 1990 non-fiction novel, Friday Night Lights is one of the best high school football movies based on true stories. It documents the high-pressure world of high school football in the economically depressed town of Odessa, Texas, and their beloved high school team, Permian High School Panthers football team.
4. Rudy (1993)
- IMDb rating: 7.5/10
- Director: David Anspaugh
- Writer: Angelo Pizzo
- Runtime: 1h 54m
Rudy is one of the best college football movies based on true stories. It showcases the story of Rudy, a determined young man who is told he can not play football because of his small stature and lack of athletic abilities. Through his resilience, he overcomes obstacles and makes it to the University of Notre Dame football team.
3. Brian's Song (1971)
- IMDb rating: 7.5/10
- Director: Buzz Kulik
- Writers: William Blinn, Gale Sayers, Al Silverman
- Runtime: 1h 13m
Brian's Song is an emotional movie based on the real-life friendship between Chicago Bears teammates Brian Picollo and Gale Sayers. Their friendship is put to the test when Picollo is diagnosed with terminal cancer that claims his life at just 26.
2. The Blind Side (2009)
- IMDb rating: 7.6/10
- Director: John Lee Hancock
- Writers: John Lee Hancock and Michael Lewis
- Runtime: 2h 9m
The Blind Side focuses on Michael Oher, a young, homeless, and traumatized boy. He is taken in by Leigh Ann Tuohy and her husband Sean, who guide him in becoming an All-American football player and first-round NFL draft pick.
1. Remember the Titans (2000)
- IMDb rating: 7.8/10
- Director: Boaz Yakin
- Writer: Gregory Allen Howard
- Runtime: 1h 53m
Remember the Titans is a classic true-story football movie you should add to your watch list. The 1971 movie follows an all-white Virginia high school football team forced to integrate with a nearby school populated with all-Black athletes.
What movie is based on a true story about football players?
Numerous movies are based on real-life football players, including The Longest Yard, Remember The Titans, Brian's Song, and We Are Marshalls. These films blend sports drama with inspiring real-life events, making them enduring favourites for football fans.
What is the most inspirational football movie?
According to Coach Up, Remember The Titans is the most inspirational football movie. Other inspirational films include Rudy, Friday Night Lights, and The Blind Side.
What is the true story on Netflix about a football player?
Netflix's Home Team is based on the true story of Sean Payton, the head coach of the New Orleans Saints. After being suspended from the NFL for the 2012 season due to his involvement in the "Bountygate" scandal, Payton returned to his hometown in Texas. He coached his 12-year-old son's struggling youth football team during this time.
What is the best football movie of all time?
The best real-life football movie of all time is Remember The Titans. The 2000 film combines powerful social commentary with an uplifting sports narrative, led by Denzel Washington's iconic performance as Coach Herman Boone.
Football movies based on true stories leave lasting impressions as they showcase the resilience and determination of real-life heroes, which inspire viewers deeply. They also remind people of the power of sports through authentic stories that make them unforgettable.
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