The NFL has elevated itself clear of all other sports in the United States as the clear favorite. From September to February the season draws in crowds and viewers from all over the world.
Each franchise has a huge following and sells out their stadiums every home game while millions tune in and watch while checking the NFL futures odds to make their picks for who they think will compete in the Super Bowl this season.
The games are played internationally too with matches in England and Germany this year as the popularity continues to rise.
As we look to keep our love of American Football alive in between games as well as seasons, there are plenty of excellent NFL-based films to check out.
Draft Day
Let’s kick off with one that follows all the action of the behind-the-scenes business side of running an NFL franchise.
The NFL Draft is an exciting event where college athletes are selected in different rounds with the worst performing side having the first pick, although trades of these positions are common.
This 2014 drama is set following Kevin Costner, playing the general manager Sonny Weaver Jr. of the Cleveland Browns. In the film, Sonny accepts a trade from the Seattle Seahawks which gives the Browns the first pick of the Draft, and you then experience with him all the chaos and drama involved throughout Draft Day.
Heaven Can Wait
Going back to 1978, this comedy/fantasy film starring Warren Beatty where his character, Joe Pendleton, the starting quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams, is killed in a car crash.
Upon meeting his guardian angel, he is offered the chance to return to earth, but as a multimillionaire industrialist instead of his past life.
In his new chance at life, Joe does all he can to try and return to football. He buys the Los Angeles Rams and puts himself back into the lineup just in time as his team arrive at the Super Bowl.
You won’t find all that many good fantasy NFL films, but this one really was done well.
Jerry Maguire
“Show me the money!” The infamous line from Tom Cruise who plays Jerry Maguire, a cool but troubled sports agent. He loses all his clients but one and is let go by his firm where he then chooses to set up by himself.
This 1996 blockbuster shows the fast paced and cutthroat world on being a sports agent as well as having a romance element as well. Jerry takes on a single mother who leaves the firm to work with him, played by Renée Zellweger, and a relationship starts which makes him reconsider his career.
Leatherheads
Way before the NFL became the giant industry it is today, this 2008 movie from starring and directed by George Clooney, is set in 1925 where the league is under threat of going under.
Dodge Connelly (Clooney) is a charming football hero who is doing all he can to get the sport into the public eye and gain the recognition he feels it deserves. He takes one final shot at saving the league by recruiting Carter Rutherford (John Krasinski). Rutherford is a war hero and America’s golden boy who journalist Lexie Littleton, played by Renée Zellweger, is not all convinced is exactly as he seems.
As football changes to build its reputation and be less of a chaotic mess with limited rules, both Connelly and Rutherford also deal with affections towards the curious journalist.
It’s a fun and enjoyable watch with a real nostalgic look back at the roaring ‘20s that should definitely be on your list to watch.
Concussion
Back up to the modern era and Concussion looks at the true story of forensic pathologist Dr Bennet Onalu, played by Will Smith, who discovers the truth about brain damage in football players who suffer numerous concussions during their careers.
It is a dramatic and thought-provoking film focusing on the fight Onalu has on his hands dealing with the NFL. He goes up against one of the most powerful industries in the world who themselves look to protect their product on the field which does not line up with what Onalu is calling for.
Dr. Omalu discovered CTE, a football related brain trauma and had been up against calls for his research to be dropped by fought on for the safety of the players. It is an incredible story which will no doubt go down as a key part of the history of the game.
There are these films and so many more depending on your tastes or mood when it comes down to picking the film for movie night. American Football is such a big part of culture in the United States which has led to so many different takes and styles of movies that there is something for all NFL fans, as well as those new to the sport.
