11 football films to get you through to the Super Bowl

I know this film is a bit of a tear-jerker for Super Bowl week, but the movie is more than just Billy Dee Williams asking us to love Brian Piccolo. The friendship that develops between the two doesn’t come off as made-for-TV cheesy. Although that may be largely due to the lead actors being known for portraying Sonny Corleone and Lando Calrissian.

But who does not get enough credit for his role in this movie is Bernie Casey. Many remember him from I’m Gonna get you Sucka, Cleopatra Jones, and Revenge of the Nerds, but only three years removed from his NFL career he owned his role as team captain J.C. Caroline.

What an accurate portrayal of how fast the fans in Philadelphia will turn on an athlete. Sure Tony Danza was turning into a jerk, but the guy went from a sanitation worker to an NFL star between paychecks. That’s a lot for even the most level-headed family man to handle.

Those Eagles’ fans though, went from “G-Man!” to “We want a kicker, not a garbage picker,” real fast. He misses a couple of kicks after an embarrassing attempt at a 75-yarder and they boo him like Santa Claus. What a shame.

Spectacular performances all around in this movie, especially from Regina King. She was outstanding and made sure that even though the film was made in the 1990s, she walked right beside her NFL player husband and not even a half-step behind.

The Tom Cruise manifesto scene early in the movie is also great. A moment of true moral reckoning almost destroyed his career. Let that be a lesson to you kids out there. Your moment of clarity can also be your professional demise.

You take your John Brown hind parts wherever Coach Herman Boone (played by Denzel Washington) tells you to, and you had better not drop his football on the way there.

The real Herman Boone was a bit more than what Washington refers to himself as in the movie, “a mean cuss.” Please feel bad for the players subjected to the real Boone’s tyrannical rule, but that doesn’t mean that this powerhouse cast did a bad job with the script that they were given.

Washington, Wood Harris, Will Patton, Ryan Gosling, Donald Faison, Hayden Panettiere, and others were outstanding in this enjoyable and inspirational movie. The story just happens to be a grand exaggeration of historical facts.

Quite the dark comedy about high school football. Sure there are hilarious scenes like Tweeder stealing the Sheriff’s car or Billy Bob taking shots of syrup for breakfast on his way to school. However, there is also Jon Voight being despicable to high-school kids, or soaking-wet Billy Bob falling out in front of his frightened classmates.

James Van Deer Beek truly was a star in this one. He goes from reading books on the sideline to being seduced by local stardom once he becomes the town hero. Riding the wave of his emotions makes this one a compelling watch.

“I happen to find Deputy Dawg very, very, sexy.” — Vicki Vallencourt

One of the many outrageous, yet perfect, lines in Adam Sandler’s gridiron classic. The cast in that Longest Yard remake was far more notable, but give me Bobby Boucher and his Louisiana frog cakes any day.

Kyle Shanahan couldn’t carry Mr. Coach Klein’s notebook. The man drew up a brand new offense at halftime of a bowl game. And not only that, he got the team to execute all of those plays to perfection.

Bobby Boucher would’ve been called for unnecessary roughness back in 1920 with the way that he hit people in this movie. Still, Deputy Dawg’s biggest fan is just so darn lovable.

Burt Reynolds, who played college football at Florida State, starred as the disgraced Paul Crewe in this one.

Certainly a funny movie, but also a harsh critique of the American penal system. Think of it as if Cool Hand Luke played football.

The Adam Sandler remake is very similar, but there are some key differences. Most notably, there is no Cheeseburger Eddie pulling McDonald’s out of his pants. The message is mostly the same though. A lost person finds a way to take back control of his life. And in the process, resets a giant man’s broken nose.

Yes, dammit this is a football movie. Ricky is not Tre’s jock sidekick. John Singleton told a full story about his life as well. Viewers get to see Ricky’s highlight tape, him at football practice, and his entire home visit with the USC recruiter. Ricky was wearing a football practice jersey at his brother’s welcome home cookout.

This is Morris Chestnut’s first role in a feature film. He would go on to play many more athletes in movies, but none pull at the viewer’s heartstrings like this one. Ricky had it rough growing up, but he made the best out of his situation.

Football was supposed to be his lottery ticket, but while scratching one he bought from the store poor Ricky’s luck ran out.

Was this movie cartoonish? Pretty much from start to finish. However, while the movie is certainly absurd and heavy-handed if you watch it you won’t regret it. Those who have seen The Program, would absolutely stop on it if TBS was playing the movie on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

It really did capture all of the problems with college athletics. Alvin Mack made a great point in 1993 when he told Omar Epps to take that money from the alumni. He earned it. The movie addresses sexual assault — even though it lets Lattimer off the hook by portraying it as roid rage — also classism, and college athletes not being properly prepared academically for a world outside of football.

There are no subtle messages in The Program, but there are some good ones.

Another movie that could be considered over the top, but those who believe that are sadly mistaken. This is a work of art by Oliver Stone. Sure there are some typical characters. The movie has an out-of-touch coach, an insecure second-generation rich kid, and an old dog who wants to prove he has enough bite to fend off the young, hungry, and cocky dog snapping at his tail.

But this movie peels back the layers of football and goes much deeper into the problems that we learned years later are all too real. Problems such as professional football not being honest with players about the damage the game can do to their heads, and racial stereotypes damaging Black players’ careers. There are shady deals being negotiated to try and relocate a team for a better stadium, and players who don’t know what to do with their lives outside of football.

Does someone’s eye get yanked out of its socket at midfield in Texas Stadium? Yes, but try to ignore that. This movie puts all of football on the table for viewers to explore. From motivational pregame speeches, to stretchers and prayers.