We’re just a few yards short of the start of the NFL season, and, as is always the case when something good is on the horizon, these last few days are the most torturous. We don’t even have any worthless preseason games to pass the time. Just fantasy roster tweaking and the still vibrant hope that this season is going to be THE season for your team.
If you’re in that place of calendar-watching, desperate for Sunday’s dawn, then this list of the best football movies and shows on Netflix may be your salvation, so enjoy.
Varsity Blues
They say that, in Texas, football is a way of life, an institution, a religion or some other hyperbolic cliché. In the imaginary city of West Canaan, Texas, Coach Bud Kilmer (Jon Voight) is responsible for leading the Coyotes to the promised land that is their 23rd district championship. It looked like that was going to be exactly what happened until they hit a couple snags, including a talented back-up quarterback (James Van Der Beek) who’s more focused on getting out of the small town than being a star.
Blue Mountain State
College football is on a completely different level than high school. That’s when the big bucks get closer to being a reality and complicated politics start to come into play. In Blue Mountain State, you get to see all of that. But you also get to see all of the fun and crazy experiences that come with being a part of a team. It’s all looked at in this absolutely hysterical take on college football. All three seasons are available to stream now.
The League
You and your friends getting together and talking trash about NFL players’ suspensions and horrible games may be funny. But The League takes that to a completely different level while focusing on a group of friends that actually have physical trophies for first and last place, often sabotage each other and occasionally get to meet NFL players in real life. Check out the first six seasons before watching the final season on FXX.
Friday Night Lights
Especially considering the way it ended, the Friday Night Lights film may have left some people wanting more. More closure, more drama and more resolution. Continuing a lot of the same themes from the movie, Friday Night Lights gives viewers five seasons of good ole’ Texas high school football, as well as conflict both on and off the field surrounding everyone from the coach, the players, and their family and friends. Start your re-watch in honor of the 25th anniversary of the book’s release.
Rudy
Rudy could go down as the best underdog story ever told. A kid from Joliet, Illinois who’s had dreams of playing football at Notre Dame for his entire life runs into roadblock after roadblock. Along his journey, he touches the lives of complete strangers and shows his true character until he slowly wins them over. The ending may actually bring a tear to your eye.
The U
In the 1980s, the University of Miami Hurricanes football team was full of rock stars. Players were so loved that they’d hang out with chart-topping rappers and use their juice to get NFL players into exclusive events. But with the glitz and glamour that came with national championships came national criticism. This documentary tells the story of how some of the most influential players in the game all played together. If that’s not enough for you, there’s a sequel entitled The U Part 2.
Necessary Roughness
In football, enforcing the “death penalty” is the worst case scenario. It’s rarely done, but can completely cripple an athletic program and leave it trying to rebuild itself for decades after the fact. In Necessary Roughness, a coach is forced to do just that by rebuilding a team on the shoulders of players anyone else would deem past their prime. A football comedy in the style of Major League that doesn’t reach the same heights. Pretty great, though.
The Longest Yard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COSHyRpfU0s
The Longest Yard is the story of an ex-professional quarterback (Adam Sandler) who embraces his bad boy side a bit too much and ends up behind bars. Determined to not let him become a wasted talent, a prison warden arranges for the QB to put together a team of prisoners to face off against the guards for an exhibition game.
Brian’s Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lnt-BqOjaTQ
Brian’s Song tells the story of two teammates, Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo, for the Chicago Bears who bonded over their respective hardships. One needed help getting back into playing condition after an injury, and the other was diagnosed with terminal cancer while only in his mid-20s. Their friendships became about more than football, injury, and even race.
League of Denial: The NFL’s Concussion Crisis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMp8tcC6pf0
Will Smith made news after the trailer was released for Concussion, a film that tells the story of the brain trauma that has become associated with American football and the possible complications that can show up in players’ lives. Before you go to see Smith portray Dr. Bennet Omalu, you can watch League of Denial: The NFL’s Concussion Crisis and get as many of the facts as possible.
