Here is a pretty decent list of American football films that every fan will enjoy

Help us rate the movies on this list to choose the best football movie ever! *Click the movie title or image to buy it from Amazon

1: American football films – Any given Sunday ( 1999)

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This film is probably the most recognized film made about the game. it has the best cast you can find and even a non football fan will love this movie.

i love the fact that this film shows sides to the game that maybe lots of people don’t know about ( or maybe didn’t want to know ) . its a battle on and off the field and every player feels it . can you take the heat? or are you not “star” material .

on this list of American football films this is definitely a must see

2: Friday night lights (2004)

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This one is a pure classic. American football films at its best!.proves that this game brings people together and overcomes any obstacle.its a good American story of a town comes together every week and a group of young kids that all have one thing in common – making it big on the field.

really inspirational film

3: We are Marshall (2006)

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Inspired by a true story. this rank high in my list.its a tragic story about the plane crash that toke place back in 1970 in Marshall uni. the entire team and stuff lost there lives that day and this movie tells the tail of a team literally comes back from the dead.this movies has a lot of heart and it is one of my favorites on this list

4: The longest yard (2005)

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OK this one is just good fun – this film make you just want to grab the pig skin and start throwing it around . sometimes in life you just need to sit back and enjoy without thinking too much and this American football film does just that.

still if any one out there is looking for added value you could say that this films shows that even in the worst situations you can always find a positive something to get you going and make it through rough times and that’s what American football  is all about

5: Remember the titans (200)

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Based on actual events in the 1970’s , a black coach i given the head coach position in an all white boys school.this film demonstrates how not so long ago people were very closed minded .with his love of the game and outstanding job he proves the whole town that color doesn’t matter on the field and off it . and by improving the team he makes all the town citizens come together accept one another. this American football film is important to watch even just to remind ourselves that we are all human and equal

6: The replacements (2000)

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Not much to say about this film. a somewhat comedy film about the game. don’t get me wrong it is a good movie to watch. but it is not a serious one.but still it made it to my  films list that i recommend this if you wanna watch a light movie about football that doesn’t really reflects on life 🙂  i put it on the list because not every movie is made to inspire you or make you think. some movies  are made just for fun.

7: Jerry McGuire (1996)

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This film shows the other side of football. the business side. if players are superstars on the field then agents are mega starts off it.tom cruise in one of the best movies of his life in my opinion and the rest of the cast is awesome as well. this is another must see in my  films list

8: Brian’s song (1971)

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A really emotional film. a great story about two players competing for the same position.but as time goes by they become friends and have to deal with liefs events when one of them is injured and cant play. they help each other out and manage to recover from an injury only to have to face piccolo cancer and that put everything else in perspective.this is a great movie and highly recommended on my list.

Number 9 on the American football films  list : The express (2008)

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A great film about a great athlete called Ernie Davis. we go back to his years playing in the Syracuse university where he was recruited by the coach Ben Schwartzwalder with the help of  Jim brown ( all American running back that should get his own spot on this  films list ). Davis make it all the way to the Heisman trophy despite his teammates hassles. when you want to watch a film about perseveres and devotion. this one will do the trick.

10: The blind side (2009)

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Like a lot of films in this list this one is also based on a true story.this is the heart breaking story of Michael “Big Mike” Oher who was adopted by  Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy right of the streets and given a home. growing up to a drug addict mother Michael didn’t have any education and after a hard work by leigh and sean teaching him and pushing him to practice football. he was picked at the first round of the 2009 NFL draft by the Baltimore ravens. this movie will take your breath away.

11: Invincible (2006)

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This is a beautiful movie about a 30 year old bartender that goes no where until he finds that his beloved football team is offering the chance to anyone to come try out for the team.when he makes a good impression on the coaches everything changes for him and he is living his dream. this movie is full of excitement and good tempo. a true football fan will love this one. and that is why this movie made it to the list.

12: Radio (2003)

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An inspirational film made by Michael tollin. its a story about a mentally challenged teen and a football coach that became friends when the coach stood up for him when he saw he was being harassed by some kids. the two became friends for decades and the coach influence on the young man was amazing. from a shy barely able to speak kid . he turn into an example for the entire neighborhood. this movie really touched me. enjoy

13: Gridiron Gang (2006)

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Its a story about a juvenile detention center with kids that have no future and no sense of responsibility . like in a lot of American football films we see kids like that grow up to be amazing football players and people with just the right attitude and guidance.Dwayne Johnson steps in to the shoes of a football coach trying to teach these kids important life lessons. after quite a few fights and tackles they seem to be on there way .i add this to the  films list because it is a good movie well written and has good cast

14: Rudy (1993)

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Awesome movie!. In a town where everyone is a steel worker one man dreams of something else.he dreams on football.set his heart on joining the team this man faces several obstacles in his way. he is small.not athletic.and not a good student.American football films loves to show the small man that nobody believes in that makes it against all odds.this films has it all and that is why i put it on my list

15: The Program (1993)

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The timber wolves football team is made up of various players from different backgrounds.American football films often display the road young college football players have to make to be successful.it is not always an easy road and lots of them lost their way and loose it all from different reasons.is in not easy to make it to the NFL. this movie shows you why.American football  always know how to make the audience come back for more

16: The junction boys ( 2002)

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Not a lot to say about this movie.it is in my  films list because it is worth the watch. good movie. good cast. will not say much about it .

17: Everybody’s All-American (1988)

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an American football classic . a tale of the great Gavin grey.he was the hero of the town Louisiana and the star of the football team.like in all good movies he married his high school sweet heart and life looked perfect.all that came crushing down on the young superstar when he tried to make it big in the pro league only to discover that things aren’t so easy when you’re in the big dogs game.this is a true classic and all American football films fans wold love it .

18: Facing the Giants ( 2006)

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Grant Taylor in all his six years of coaching a small town high school football team has never had a wining season. at the risk of loosing his job and just finding out he and his wife are infertility things look pretty desperate for him. but then he finds god will and start believing  and passing his believes to his players on the football team and things are starting to come around . good American football film here.

19: Varsity Blues (1999)

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In high school football there is a lot of pressure on the young players. some would say even more so then college football. this American football movie shows how young kids handle the every day stuff that a young star have to put up with in order to make it to the big league. American football films is all about how we look at the game. the ones that never got a chance to play. awesome film.

20: Code Breakers (2005)

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Nice TV movie about military boys that try to fool everybody but ends up fooling themselves. its a good movie to watch

 21 : Horse Feathers (1932)

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A some what weird movie about football but a good classic. when rivalry rises to new levels between the Huxley college and the Darwin one the two will battle it out on the football field. wag-staff tries to recruit two rising stars players to his team only to find out he got fooled and left with two misfits that cant do anything right while the rival school Darwin got the talented players. in the end they both share the field in a epic game.

22 : North Dallas Forty (1979)

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A film about the life of an American football player. this film is based on the Dallas cowboys team of 1970 .the atmosphere at that time was that anything goes. sex drugs and rock n roll and the players lived like it was their last day on earth.two aging but amazing players struggle to stay ahead of the game in this really cool movie.

23 : The Garbage Picking Field Goal Kicking Philadelphia Phenomenon (1998)

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an ordinary man who works as a garbage man is being discovered as a football kicking legend and gets recruited by the Philadelphia eagles.his strong kicking leg is a freak of nature due to his job. he has to kick some part of his truck all day for the truck to run so he has amazing kicking abilities and finally gets to change jobs.

24 : Knute Rockne All American (1940) 

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Stars : Pat o’brien , gale Page and Ronald Reagan

In 1892 Lars Rockne and family migrate to Chicago his son then at age 4 was in his mind and Lars stared to save money so he could send him to college.after many years he was able to send him to notre dame university. knoute now grown up and playing football was one of the first to throw a forward pass on offence, later on the years he becomes a well known football coach known for his motivational speeches and a great playbook tactics.

Full movie review and information can be found on IMDB

25 : Trouble Along the Way ( 1953 )

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Stars : John Wayne , Donna reed and Charles coburn

Coach Steve Williams is trying to get custody of his daughter after a bad divorce while fighting a college recruitment scandal in his football team where he is trying to bring back from the dead and turn the little catholic college football team in to a success.

Full movie details and information can be found on IMDB

26 : Water-boy ( 1998 ) 

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stars : Adam Sandler , Kathy Bates and Henry winkler

Bobby boucher is a college football team water-boy. he stands on the sidelines and takes care of all the team needs regarding water and nutrition. he is also a little bit slow in the head, but when head coach of the team noticed that bobby can tackle better then his best defensive player he signs bobby to the team and makes him a starter. when this news reaches his grandma that he takes care of she tries her best to prevent it from happening.

Full movie details and information can be found on IMDB

27 : Little Giants ( 1994 )

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Stars : Rick Moranis , Ed o’neill and Shawna

In the town of urbana Ohio Kevin oshea is an Ex football player turned coach of a peewee football team trying to get a spot at the peewee state championship.when the little daughter of Danny Kevin’s brother wants to try out for his football team he rejects her just because she is a girl. this really upsets  Danny and the other kids in the town that got rejected so they start there own football team and compete with Kevin for a one game wins all match for the chance to represent the town to the state championship.

Full movie details and information can be found on IMDB

 28 : Necessary Roughness (1991)

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Stars : Scott Bakula , Hector Elizondo and Robert Loggia

the Texas university football team is in trouble due to NCAA changes in the rules where only students can play on the team with no scholarship. this turns the team into a group of misfits that cant even play the team.

Full movie review and information can be found on IMDB

29 : Hometown Legend (2002)

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Director : James Anderson

Writers : Shawn hoffman and Michael Patwin

Stars : Terry O’quinn , Lacey chabert and Nick Cornish

A teenage kid troublemaker has a chance to turn his life around when he joins a local high school football team with a hard case coach.

Read full movie information and cast on IMDB Hometown Legend

 

 Number 30  on the American football films : Heaven Can Wait (1978)

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Directors : Warren Beatty and Buck Henry

Writers : Elaine May and Warren Beatty

Stars : Warren Beatty , James Mason and Julie Christie

The L.A rams quarterback is killed and then taken away to heaven by an angel only to find out he was not ready to die just yet. when discovering that his body is already been cremated he needs to find a new body for him. a recent murder of a billionaire will do just fine and when he takes the new body he buys the L.A rams team and leads them to the Superbowl.

Full movie information and cast can be found on IMDB Heaven Can Wait

 

31 : Leather-heads (2007)

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Director : George Clooney

Writers : duncan Brantely and Rick Reilly

Stars : George Clooney , Renee Zellweger and John Krasinski

Trying to save a football league in 1925 from closing down local football player tries to recruit college football stars and other friends to help him keep the amateur league active. when they loose their sponsor things get really tough.

Read the full movie information on IMDB Leatherheads

 

32 : Fighting back ( 1980 ) 

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Director : Robert Lieberman

writers : Rocky Bleier and Jerry Mcneely

Stars : Robert Urich , bonnie Bedelia and Richard Herd

Jock Rocky Bleier makes it all the way to the pro football but just when he starts he’s new career he gets drafted to the Vietnam war. during fighting he get injured and been told he will never walk again. after years of recovery he slowly but surly starts to walk again and after that starts practicing football and eventually he can play again and even make it to the championship game with the Pittsburgh steelers.

full movie information and cast on IMDB Fighting back

 

33 : Possums ( 1998 ) 

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Director : Max Burnett

writer : Max burnett

Stars : Mac Davis , Cynthia Skies and Greg Coolidge

When a local radio announcer for the high school football team lose his job and the whole team get canceled he starts to imagine that nothing happened and carry on announcing the games as usual. when in his own mind the team made it all the way to the state championship.

full movie information and cast can be found on IMDB Possums

 

34: Quarterback Princess (1983)

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Director : Noel Black

Writer : Rod Browning

Stars : Don Murray , Barbara Barbcock , Dana Elcar and Helen Hunt

Tami wants to be a quarterback for the local high school football team. but when everybody she knew said she couldn’t that only got her more in to it and not only did she make the cut but she had her eyes set on the state championship.

full movie information and cast can be found on IMDB Quarterback Princess

35: Best of Times, The (1986)

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Director : Roger Spottiswoode

Writer : Ron Shelton

Stars : Robin Williams , Kurt Russell and Pamela Reed

When Jack Dundee thinks about all day long on that fumble he had back in high school on a winning drive pass he cant seem to let it go. now older and working in a bank he wants another chance to catch the ball. trying to convince his teammates at that time to replay the game he get no luck. but then turns in to desperate actions.

full movie information and cast can be found on IMDB Best of Times

36: Jim Thorpe: All-American (1951)

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Director : Michael Curtiz

Writers : Douglas Morrow and Everett freeman

Stars : Burt Lancaster , Charles Bickford and Steve Cochran

After winning two gold medals in the Olympic only to get strip of them shortly after on a technicality error Jim Trhope life takes a bad turn and his wife divorces him.

full movie information and cast can be found on IMDB Jim Thorpe: All-American

 

37: Game Plan, The (2007)

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Director : Andy Fickman

Writers : Nichole Milard and Kathryn Price

Stars : Dwayne Johnson , Kyra Sedgwick and Maddison Pettis

Joe kingman is a football star living the good life with fast cars and fast women when suddenly a young girl turns on his door step claiming to be his daughter. after finding out that she told the truth he now faces a hard reality that he knows nothing about being a parent. things get worse when he suffers an injury but his daughter helps him recover and they start to bond.

Full movie information and cast can be found on IMDB The game plan

 

38: Paper Lion (1968)

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Director : Alex March

Writers :  George Plimpton and Lawrence roman

Stars : Alan Alda , Lauren hutton and Jow Schmidt

George Plimpton always wanted to write a story about what it was like to be a professional quarterback in the NFL. when he got the chance to write to sport illustrated he could not pass on that chance. but when every team turned him down he went under cover and got to play with the lions. this movie is based on true events.

Full movie information and cast can be found on IMDB Paper Lion

 

39: All The Right Moves (1983)

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Director : Michael Chapman

Writers : Pat jordan and Michael Kane

Stars : Tom Cruise , Lea Thompson and Craig T Nelson

Small town football star dreams of getting out by getting a full time scholarship with one of the big universities but he soon finds out that his coach has similar plans.

Full movie information and cast can be found on IMDB All the right moves

 

 Number 40 on the American Football films : Windrunner (1995)

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Director : Wiliam Clarck

Writer : Mitch Davis

Stars : Jason Wiles , Russell Means and Margot Kidder

Moving with his mom to a desert town is not his cup of tea but he has no choice. being picked on at the new school for being the son of a convicted felon he denies the opportunity to play and get benched by his coach. suddenly the ghost of Jim Thorpe appear and teach him important lessons about life.

Full movie information and cast can be found on IMDB Windrunner

 

41: Two For The Money (2005)

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Director : D.J Caruso

Writer : Dan gilroy

Stars : Matthew McConaughey , al Pacino and Rene Russo

Brandon Lang is a great football player , but when a serious injury cuts his career short he turns to gambling and moves to new york where he meets Walter Abrams ans starts working for him and making good money. things get turn to the worst when Walters addiction gets the best of him.

Full movie information and user reviews can be found on IMDB Two for the money

 

42: Last Boy Scout, The (1991)

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Director : Tony Scott

Writers : Shane Black and Greg Hicks

Stars : Bruce Willis , Damon Wayans and Chealse field

When a mysterious murder takes place of a politician and a football player . a cut and dry detective and a washed out football player take the case.

Full movie information and user reviews can be found on IMDB The last boy scout

 

43: Wildcats (1986)

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Director : Michael Ritchie

Writer : Ezra Sacks

Stars : Goldie Hawn , Swoosie Kurtz and Robyn Lively

Molly always wanted to coach the football team at her high school. she is the track coach but knows nothing about football. when the position becomes available she applies for the job despite the whole school resistance.

Full movie information and user reviews can be found on IMDB Wildcats

 

44: Fumbleheads (1999)

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Director : Marc Lasky

Writers : Marc Lasky and Peter Mackie

Stars : Edward asner , Gregory Sporleder and Austin Pendelton.

When the local football team gets shut down due to the owner leaving town the fanatic fan refuse to accept it and after seven years of planning he kidnaps the owner and the past quarterback to try to bring the team back from the dead.

Full movie information and user reviews can be found on IMDB Fumbleheads

 

45: They Call Me Sirr (2001)

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Director : Robert Munic

Writer : Robert Munic

Stars : Derwin Jordan , Dexter Bell and Alonso Oyarzun

Sir Parker was abandon by his junkey mother and was raised by his grandmother until coach Griffin takes him under his wing and teaches him football. he then grows and goes to college and even played three games in the NFL as a free agent.

Full movie information and user reviews can be found on IMDB They call me sir

 

46: Lucas (1986)

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Director : David Seltzer

writer : David Seltzer

Stars : Corey Haim , Kerry Green and Charlie Sheen

Young teenager suffers a heart break for the first time when his best friend who is like a father figure to him falls in love with the girl of his dreams.

Full movie information and user reviews can be found on IMDB Lucas

47: Field of Vision (2011)

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Director : Gregg Champion

Writers : Wesley Bishop , Pnenha Goldstein.

Stars : Faith Ford , Tony Oller and Joe Adler

Tayler Mcfarland is a high school football star on his way to lead his team to the state championship. but during mid season he finds out that two of his team mates are bulying one of the new kids in school. as the team captian he cant let that slide and decides to stop it. by doing so he put in risk the team chances of playing in the state champioship .

Full movie information and user reviews can be found on IMDB

 

48: 5th Quarter, The (2010)

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Stars : Aidan Quinn , Andie Macdowell and Andrea Powell

 

 49 : The longest yard ( 1974 )

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Director : Robert Aldrich

Writers : Tracy Keenan Wynn and Albert S ruddy

Stars : Burt Raynolds , Eddie Albert and Ed Lauter

A football superstar tunred convict started his own football team in prison to play against the guards. things get ugly when the prison team playes dirty.

Read full movie information on IMDB The longest yard

50 : The second String ( 2002 ) 

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Director : Robert Lieberman

Writers : Jere Cunningham and Tom Flynn

Stars : Van Miller , dugg Flutie and Mika Ditka.

When food poisinning disables the entire first string of the local football team it is up to the second string to deliver. only the playoffs remain from the season and the team surprises everyone.

Full movie information and cast can be found on IMDB The second string

 51 : School ties ( 1992 ) 

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Director : Robert Mandel

Writers : Dick Wolf and Dick Wolf

Stars : Brendan Fraser , Matt Damon and Chris O’Donnell

David green transfers to a new school where he needs to play football to help the prestige school beat their rivals. he makes god friends and gets in to trouble.

More details on this movie can be found on IMDB School Ties

 52 : Big fan ( 2009 ) 

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Director : Robert D. Siegel

Writer : Robert D. Siegel

Stars :  Patton Oswalt , Kevin Corrigan and Michael Rapaport

One of the biggest fans of the football team the new york giants gets a harsh beaten by one the players. this turns him to a different man and he cant deal with the new reality

Read more here

53 : Monday Night Mayhem ( 2002 )

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Director : Ernest R. Dickerson

Writers : Bill Carter ( book ) Marc Gunther

Stars :  John Turturro , John Heard and Kevin Anderson

This is truly for the american football movies fan. a movie that tells the story of the Monday Night Footbal show that is broadcast in the abc network for so many years now. if you call yourself a football fan. you gotta watch this movie.

This American football films list will be updated regulary so stayed tuned for more titles