Plot: Devoted high school football coach leads a scrawny team of orphans to the Texas state championship during the Great Depression.

KBZ’s Take: Fans of NFL football will absolutely love this film. While the film itself is inspirational involving the underdog orphans, it’s the fact-based scenes involving a new spread offense that are truly amazing. Football at the time did not have a Quarterback line up underneath center, and the introduction of the spread offense revolutionized the game.

It’s great NFL football history wrapped around an engaging and inspirational tale of David vs. Goliath. Highly recommended film of the subgenre.

Additional Lists: Top Inspirational Sports Films You Haven’t Seen #3

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: When a plane crash claims the lives of members of the Marshall University football team and some of its fans, the team’s new coach and his surviving players try to keep the football program alive.

KBZ’s Take: Though the film begins as a fact-based retelling of the plane crash that killed 37 players of the Marshall University football team, it quickly turns into an inspirational tale of how the game of football can bring together a shattered community and help heal individual wounds.

The star of this film is Matthew McConaughey as newly hired Jack Lengyel whose quirky personality drives the process of healing for both his players and the community. Though director McG’s kinetic style of filmmaking doesn’t lend itself well to some of the emotional elements of the story, there’s no denying he nails the “We Are. Marshall!” slogan that will get you rooting for the team in green.

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: Based on the real-life friendship between teammates Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers.

KBZ’s Take: Brian’s Song would be higher on our list if it were not for the ranking criteria we mentioned earlier as the film has the least amount of football action on our list.

Yes, this film is known as the ‘only film men are allowed to cry while watching’ but the film is much more than that. While it is a popular film for older generations, we wanted to include the film for younger generations.

It’s a classic tale of a budding friendship between teammates that goes beyond race and competitive obstacles. While it does have a heart wrenching ending, it’s still a very inspirational tale. We highly recommended this film for younger generations that have not yet seen this sports classic.

Additional Lists: Top Inspirational Sports Films You Haven’t Seen #2

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: Lifelong football fan Vince Papale (Mark Wahlberg) sees his wildest dreams come true when he becomes a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. While teaching at his high-school alma mater in Pennsylvania, the 30-year-old gets a chance to try out for his favorite team and, except for kickers, becomes the oldest rookie in NFL history who never played football in college.

KBZ’s Take: If we were doing purely subjective rankings, we would have Invincible ranked much lower in our Top 30 as most KBZ members are Dallas Cowboys football fans (and loathe the Philadelphia Eagles). But since this list is also an attempt to be objective, we must begrudgingly admit that Invincible is one of the best football films ever made.

Sure, the film is predictable. But it’s a feel-good story, has a great performance from Greg Kinnear as coach Dick Vermeil and will have even the most ardent Eagles haters tempted to do the “Fly, Eagles, Fly” celebration at the culmination of this rags to riches tale.

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: The true story of Kurt Warner, who went from a stockboy at a grocery store to a two-time NFL MVP, Super Bowl champion, and Hall of Fame quarterback.

KBZ’s Take: Like our previous entry, Invincible (2006), is another feel-good, rags to riches NFL tale but this time centered on hall of famer, Kurt Warner (Zachary Levi). The film also has another appearance from Dick Vermeil (played here by Dennis Quaid) who led both the Invincible-era Eagles and Greatest Show on Turf St. Louis Rams to Super Bowls.

Like other inspirational football films, the plot is predictable – especially if you’re a fan of the NFL and have heard Warner’s “grocery bagger to NFL MVP” backstory a million times. However, this is a film that is much more about the journey than the destination and gives additional context into Warner’s singular determination to never give up.

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: In small-town Texas, high school football is a religion, 17-year-old schoolboys carry the hopes of an entire community onto the gridiron every Friday night. When star quarterback Lance Harbor suffers an injury, the Coyotes are forced to regroup under the questionable leadership of John Moxon, a second-string quarterback with a slightly irreverent approach to the game.

KBZ’s Take: We’re sure some readers might wonder why Varsity Blues is so high on our list. It had mixed reviews, has an MTV-style presentation of football and is predictable like most other subgenre films. But somehow the film works mostly due to its cast and focus on a ‘win at all costs’ coach.

Jon Voight has one of his best performances as the overbearing Coach Bud Kilmer who acts as the villain against the young players. And unlike other subgenre films, there are unique players and personalities on the team that are brought to life by the cast – especially quarterbacks Mox (James Van Der Beek) and Harbor (Paul Walker), wide receiver Tweeder (Scott Caan) and offensive guard Billy Bob (Ron Lester).

Though the film’s small town football community themes are similar to Friday Night Lights (2004), it’s a good companion piece to that film if you enjoy high school football and want some great choreographed football action.

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: Based on the incredible true story, The Express follows the inspirational life of college football hero Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy.

KBZ’s Take: If you don’t know the entire history of Ernie Davis, it’s best to go into this film knowing nothing about Davis’s life. It will give you a greater appreciation for the athlete who broke color barriers and succeeded NFL hall of famer Jim Brown at both Syracuse University and the Cleveland Browns.

Like most other inspirational and historical football films, The Express is a bit predictable. However, the performance of Rob Brown (as Ernie Davis) and some of the most exciting football action of the subgenre will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions until the final scene.

It’s also a film that non-football fans can enjoy as the film is set during the Civil Rights Era of the United States and explores some of the challenges black athletes faced during that time. A great per-Super Bowl film for both fans and non-fans of NFL football.

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: After leading his football team to 15 winning seasons, coach Bill Yoast is demoted and replaced by Herman Boone – tough, opinionated and as different from the beloved Yoast as he could be. The two men learn to overcome their differences and turn a group of hostile young men into champions.

KBZ’s Take: Like The Express (2008), Remember the Titans tackles themes of racial integration but is set after the Civil Rights Era. But where the film differs is that it is much more focused on the newly integrated team of T.C. Williams High School in Virginia.

The film is considered a football film classic and the reason we have the film ranked so high is the film’s focus on one of the core tenets of football – the team. Specifically, how the team learns to integrate across racial boundaries and becomes a feared unit on the field.

It’s a film where its predictability is overshadowed by exciting action scenes, crowd pleasing moments and an overall message of unity.

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: In this rough-and-tumble yarn, actually filmed on-location at the Georgia State Prison, the cons are the heroes, and the guards are the heavies. Eddie Albert is the sadistic warden who’ll gladly make any sacrifice to push his guards semi-pro football team to a national championship.

KBZ’s Take: Some younger fans of football are likely familiar with Adam Sandler’s The Longest Yard (2005) remake of this film. But as much as we also like that film, it doesn’t compare to the original.

The film has Burt Reynolds in his prime as quarterback Paul Crewe and perfectly balances the drama of prison life with some classic and hilarious moments during the prisoner vs. guards’ matches. It’s a classic football film with some of the best old school football play of the subgenre.

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: A small, turbulent town in Texas obsesses over their high school football team to an unhealthy degree. When the star tailback, Boobie Miles, is seriously injured during the first game of the season, all hope is lost, and the town’s dormant social problems begin to flare up. It is left to the inspiring abilities of new coach Gary Gaines to instill in the other team members – and, by proxy, the town itself – a sense of self-respect and honor.

KBZ’s Take: In our opinion, it doesn’t get better for football fans than Friday Night Lights. The film is ranked #1 here as much for the film itself as the arguably even better TV series it spawned that ran for five seasons.

Like Varsity Blues (1999), the film explores small town life in Texas where football is a religion. Everything about the city of Odessa revolves around the team and its players with the film detailing the challenges and dreams of the individual players. Billy Bob Thornton is also perfectly cast as Coach Gary Gaines who genuinely cares about his players despite the unreasonable expectations of the team’s boosters.

Director Peter Berg masterfully integrates the emotional layers of these players within the most exciting football action of the subgenre in the Permian Panthers vs. Carter Cowboys high school state championship game. It’s the one film we would recommend in a heartbeat for any fan to get excited about for their NFL team or the Super Bowl itself.

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon