The 15 Best Football Movies Of All Time, Ranked

If baseball is America’s pastime, then football is America’s game, offering a harder hitting sport that pushes its players to their absolute limits. Ever since Hollywood started making sports movies, it’s produced films revolving around football as a testament to the enduring popularity and cultural relevance of the game. And like the medium itself, football movies range across multiple dramas, whether it be searing dramas or screwball comedies. The narratives in the movies themselves can be based directly on true stories or just use the sport as a cinematic springboard for something wholly original.

Even if viewers aren’t necessarily fans of football itself, there is still plenty to enjoy from movies surrounding the sport. With football always bringing such high intensity, movies about it can rival action flicks or character-driven dramas as a show of its versatility. Here are the 15 best football movies of all time ranked and ready to check out.

Adam Sandler transitioned from appearing on “Saturday Night Live” to starring in his own wacky comedies, often playing the loud, sophomoric characters that made him a standout on “SNL.” Among Sandler’s biggest box office successes in the ’90s was 1998’s “The Waterboy,” co-writing the screenplay with Tim Herlihy. Sandler plays Bobby Boucher, a sheltered, socially awkward young man who provides water to his local Louisiana college football team. After Bobby’s immense strength when enraged is exposed, he is recruited onto the team despite his age and lack of academic credentials.

“The Waterboy” is one of those movies that epitomizes Sandler’s cinematic appeal in the ’90s, playing innocent misfits with a short fuse. Veteran actors Henry Winkler and Kathy Bates complement the cast with their comedic roles, with the movie quietly reinvigorating Winkler’s career. And compared to “Billy Madison” and “Happy Gilmore,” Sandler imbues this project with a more pronounced sense of heart, using the sports movie formula well. A hard-hitting slapstick movie and arguably the actor’s last good movie in the ’90s, “The Waterboy” is the better of Sandler’s two football comedies.

Journalist Jeanne Marie Laskas’ explosive 2009 exposé surrounding NFL opposition to publishing findings on chronic traumatic encephalopathy affecting its athletes was adapted into the 2015 movie “Concussion.” Will Smith stars as forensic pathologist Bennet Omalu, who investigates the death of former Pittsburgh Steelers player Mike Webster (David Morse). Despite Webster being healthy overall, Omalu discovers the former athlete’s brain condition suffered severe trauma linked to his experiences playing football. As Omalu tries to make his findings public, he finds himself professionally stonewalled, while he and his family endure harassment for the implications of his research on football.

“Concussion” tells an important story and provides a strong reminder that it’s possible to love a sport but not sanctify an institution that consciously does not protect its personnel. On the surface, the movie’s execution is relatively surface-level, even in its soft indictment of NFL leadership. Fortunately, Smith gives one of his most impressive dramatic performances as Omalu, almost serenely understated given the story’s stakes. “Concussion” may play it safe, given the gravity of its subject matter, but the true life tale behind it is emotionally brought to the big screen.

Among Keanu Reeves’ more offbeat projects soon after starring in the groundbreaking sci-fi action movie “The Matrix” was 2000’s “The Replacements.” Inspired by the 1987 NFL strike, where non-regular players continued to keep the sport going, Reeves plays former college star quarterback Shane Falco. After the unspecified professional football league goes on strike, replacement players are called to fill in, with Falco recruited to play for the fictional Washington Sentinels. While facing opposition from the striking players and ridicule from the fans, Falco leads his unlikely squad to victory, eventually endearing himself to the public.

For as much action as Reeves has done in recent years, it’s easy to forget how strong his comedic chops are, especially so removed from “Bill & Ted.” His role as Shane Falco lets him bring his easygoing charisma while retaining a dimension of physicality in his performance. Reeves is backed by a particularly impressive ensemble cast, including Gene Hackman as the Sentinels’ coach, and Orlando Jones as his amateur wide receiver. Breezy and a welcome change of tonal pace for Reeves, “The Replacements” is a light-hearted feel-good football comedy.

Though some creative license is definitely taken, the 2006 sports movie “Invincible” chronicles Philadelphia Eagles’ wide receiver Vince Papale’s road to play for NFL. Starring Mark Wahlberg as Papale, the movie has the Eagles holding open tryouts in the ’70s to turn around their losing reputation. After his wife leaves him and while struggling to make ends meet as a substitute teacher, Papale tries out for the team and is recruited, despite concerns from the staff. While Papale’s initial performance on the field is middling at best, he finds the strength to stay in the game and persevere.

One of the most family-friendly movies of Wahlberg’s career, “Invincible” has him bring a laidback charm in playing Papale. Wahlberg particularly plays well opposite Greg Kinnear, as Eagles head coach Dick Vermeil, and Papale’s love interest Janet Cantrell, giving the movie an uplifting energy. And for a Disney movie, the football sequences surprisingly carry a real grit to them, including a key game set in the rain-soaked streets of Philadelphia. While the amount of changes made to the story for dramatic effect are significant, “Invincible” still succeeds as an unassuming sports drama.

Before “Friday Night Lights,” there was the 1999 movie “Varsity Blues,” which similarly explored the harsh realities of high school football in small-town Texas. The movie follows backup quarterback Jonathan Moxon (James Van Der Beek), looking to move from town on his academic merits, clashing with his tyrannical coach Bud Kilmer (Jon Voight). After Kilmer’s inconsiderate treatment of his players sidelines his star quarterback Lance Harbor (Paul Walker) through injury, Moxon reluctantly steps up as a starter. This escalates the feud between Moxon and Kilmer, especially as the team heads into a key game.

Compared to “Friday Night Lights” and its own exploration of Texan high school football, “Varsity Blues” weaves a more intimately combative tale. So much of the movie revolves around Moxon and Kilmer’s volatile relationship and the rest of Moxon’s friends handling their own small-town ennui. As Kilmer’s disregard for his players increases, this leads to a blowout climactic game, with Van Der Beek and Voight delivering on that intensity. A less flashy take on small-town football, “Varsity Blues” coasts largely on its main cast’s strong performances.

The 1978 fantasy sports comedy “Heaven Can Wait” certainly has one of the more offbeat premises of any entry on this list. Warren Beatty stars as Los Angeles Rams quarterback Joe Pendleton, who is accidentally plucked from his original body by his guardian angel as the team prepares for the Super Bowl. Given the body of a recently deceased millionaire businessman to compensate for his heavenly premature death, Pendleton buys his old team and is determined to play as its quarterback. However, the nature of Pendleton’s revival, along with his budding romance with social activist Betty Logan (Julie Christie) leads to unexpected wrinkles for Pendleton’s ambitions.

Warren Beatty was significantly involved with the making of “Heaven Can Wait,” not only starring in it, but also producing, co-writing, and co-directing the movie. As such, he brings a noticeably dedicated performance to the lead role, alternating between screwball comedy and smooth charisma. Beatty’s scenes with Christie especially crackle with palatable chemistry, reflecting the pair’s romantic history off-screen prior to the production. A knowingly wacky sports comedy, with football as more of a backdrop to its divine story, “Heaven Can Wait” showcases Beatty as a creative tour-de-force.

The real-life friendship between Chicago Bears players Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers is the subject of the 1971 television movie “Brian’s Song.” The movie stars James Caan and Billy Dee Williams, as Piccolo and Sayers, respectively, as the two become the first interracial roommates in NFL history. Despite ongoing racial tension at the time, Piccolo and Sayers become fast friends, leading the Bears to victory and supporting each other’s careers. However, tragedy strikes when Piccolo is diagnosed with terminal cancer, visibly affecting Sayers and the team.

Just like the true story itself, what makes “Brian’s Song” stand out is the electric rapport between Caan and Williams. Both actors bring their A-game and the movie remains one of the best projects the two of them ever worked on. Caan, in particular, delivers a career-best performance as Piccolo, imbuing his role with a sentimental humanity that Caan’s gruffer other characters don’t share. Don’t let its status as a television movie make it perceived as a lesser project because “Brian’s Song” is a classic of the genre.

Forget the lackluster 2005 sequel starring Adam Sandler, the only version of “The Longest Yard” that really matters is the 1974 original film. The movie stars Burt Reynolds as former professional quarterback Paul Crewe, who lands himself a prison stint after a huge incident involving the police after a spat with his girlfriend. The prison’s warden, Rudolph Hazen (Eddie Albert), is a diehard football fan who hosts gridiron games, recruiting Crewe to coach his amateur team. This culminates in a no-holds barred game between the guards and prisoners, with Crewe deciding to lead and play with his fellow inmates.

The original “Longest Yard” is tougher and meaner than its remake, with the climactic football game having a real punch to it. The movie is also Reynolds at his most charming, providing much of the story’s levity, especially as Crewe falls victim to Hazen’s systemic cruelty. Viewers familiar with the more family-friendly 2005 version may balk, but the original has a sense of grounded stakes and intensity that its remake never tries to match. Another ’70s highlight from Reynolds at his prime, “The Longest Yard” excels at blending comedy and grit.

For as stylized and glossy under a layer of Hollywood veneer sports movies can get, it’s easy to lose sight of the authentic real-life stories keeping football alive. The 2001 documentary “Go Tigers!” examines the world of high school football through Canton McKinley’s team in Ohio. Set during the 1999 regular season, the movie primarily recounts the team’s performance primarily from the perspective of its captains. For this community, football is life, despite the glaring consequences it takes to prioritize the sport above all else.

To be clear, “Go Tigers!” isn’t a celebration of high school football so much as a disturbing indictment of its dark side. The lengths this community goes to keep its local team competitive are repulsive and a stark reminder where all these small-town sports movies get their material from. In the meantime, the town seems none the wiser, even as they face budget concerns, more focused on continuing to provide that Friday night spectacle. A reality check for the price of fleeting triumph, “Go Tigers!” offers a sobering portrait of the Midwest and its beloved sport.

If there ever was a go-to feel-good sports movie about overcoming long odds to follow your dreams, it’s 1993’s “Rudy.” Based on the life of Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger, the movie has its idealistic title character, played by Sean Astin, dreaming of playing college football at Notre Dame. Leaving his small, steel mill-dominated hometown, Rudy works diligently to enroll in Notre Dame and be recruited by its football team, despite lacking the expected grades and physical stature. Despite these setbacks, Rudy is undeterred, working with single-minded focus to play for Notre Dame, even if only for a single game.

A lot of “Rudy” feels like old-school Hollywood schmaltz, right down to its stirring original score composed by Jerry Goldsmith. At the same time, as cheesy as the movie can get, it’s impossible to deny its inspirational qualities as Rudy good-naturedly powers through even the greatest hurdles in his way. A lot of that comes down to Astin’s performance, bringing an innocent determination to his starring role. “Rudy” doesn’t reinvent the aspirational sports movie wheel, though it admittedly doesn’t try to, instead opting to highlight the ultimate underdog story.

While public schools began federal desegregation in the United States in the ’50s, tensions still remained, especially in the Southern states, as the desegregation process unfolded. This is explored in the 2000 sports movie “Remember the Titans,” specifically, the desegregation of a public high school in Northern Virginia, including its football team. Herman Boone (Denzel Washington) is named the school’s head coach, working with his predecessor Bill Yoast (Will Patton), to lead the desegregated team in working together. As the team convalesces, it not only helps them build an impressive winning record, but inspires the entire community around them.

Based on a true story, “Remember the Titans” features an absolutely stacked ensemble cast led by a magnetic Washington. Including standout performances from Patton, Wood Harris and Ryan Hurst, with the latter two playing the team’s star players, the movie features early roles for Ryan Gosling and Hayden Panettiere. Though the movie does take some creative liberties with the historical account, it remains a triumphant sports story. Familiarly told but no less stirring and effective, “Remember the Titans” is a high school football movie staple.

Though filmmaker Oliver Stone might be best known for making stylish thrillers, he also directed and co-wrote the 1999 sports movie “Any Given Sunday.” The movie features a fictional professional football league, with its own teams, including the Miami Sharks, led by veteran head coach Tony D’Amato (Al Pacino). As D’Amato faces pressure to retire from the team’s new owner and the team struggles to make the playoffs, he contends with rebellious young quarterback Willie Beamen (Jamie Foxx). This comes to a head in a pivotal playoff game, with D’Amato standing up to the owners and inspiring his team to play the best that they can.

To date, “Any Given Sunday” is one of the most intense football movies ever made, with Stone presenting some truly hard-hitting plays with unflinching detail. The movie certainly exudes an unapologetically confident style while boasting a robust ensemble cast, which reportedly led to some violent fights behind-the-scenes, not unlike those featuring its characters. But holding the whole thing together is Pacino, veering from world-weary to inspirationally volatile on a dime as he commands his divided team. In-your-face with its blistering action and an enduring look at its sport, “Any Given Sunday” remains Stone’s best movie in years.

Working with filmmakers like Paul Thomas Anderson and Cameron Crowe gave Tom Cruise some of the greatest dramatic roles of his career. The pinnacle of Cruise’s collaborations with Crowe was the 1996 dramedy “Jerry Maguire,” with the actor playing the eponymous sports agent protagonist. After having a breakdown over the manipulative nature of his work, Maguire is fired by his agency, retaining only professional football player Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding, Jr.). As Maguire strikes up a personal relationship with Tidwell, improving both their careers, he romances single mother Dorothy Boyd (Renée Zellweger).

“Jerry Maguire” was the perfect antidote to all of its cynicism-laced contemporaries, something articulated clearly by Maguire’s mission statement. Cruise effortlessly proves himself at delivering Crowe’s dialogue, bringing real heart to something that could’ve come off as cloyingly sentimental. And in a world full of movies focused on football athletes, the film offers a rare perspective of the sport from one of its agents. Boasting strong performances all around, especially from Cruise, “Jerry Maguire” finds genuine emotion in an industry of slick double-talk.

If “Go Tigers!” captured a darker side of high school football, the 2011 documentary “Undefeated” depicts its more inspirational potential. The movie explores the sport through a team in Memphis, led by new volunteer head coach Bill Courtney. Courtney’s gruff demeanor conceals a genuine heartfelt leadership quality as he helps the team reverse their declining performance on the field. Courtney’s dedication inspires his team beyond football, prompting them to double down on their academics to elevate themselves from their inner-city surroundings.

There is a cinema verité quality to “Undefeated,” with the movie content to sit back and let its story and message play out naturally. Football just happens to be the thing that brings these individuals together, with Courtney offering enduring life lessons beyond the game. Through this, the team learns to overcome all manner of adversity, including sidelining injury, as the season progresses. An emotional triumph, “Undefeated” is one of the best sports documentaries ever made, inspirational for even those uninterested in football.

While “Friday Night Lights” may be more commonly associated these days with the television spin-off it received in 2006, the 2004 movie that preceded it remains an all-timer. Set in Odessa, Texas during the ’80s, the movie has high school football coach Gary Gaines (Billy Bob Thornton) facing immense pressure to win the state championship. This extends to the team itself, with the players ignoring severe injuries and facing abuse from their parents to perform well on the field. The team’s hopes culminate in a grueling showdown against an all-star team from Dallas, pushing Gaines and his squad past their limits to pull off a victory.

Obviously, given the format, “Friday Night Lights” offers a much more focused story than its television counterpart but still manages to distill everything great about the overarching premise. The interpersonal drama off the field is just as intense as the action on it, really highlighting the stakes for the main characters. And Thornton leads a strong young cast, each giving some of the best performances of their respective careers. Unflinching in its depiction of the sport without losing sight of the fully dimensional people behind it, “Friday Night Lights” is a modern classic.