Ed Sabol
Production
Biography
Edwin “Ed” Sabol (1916–2015) was a visionary filmmaker and the pioneering founder of NFL Films, whose innovative approach transformed professional football into one of America’s most cinematic and emotionally resonant sports. Born in Atlantic City and raised in Blairstown, New Jersey, Sabol excelled as an athlete from an early age, setting a world interscholastic record in the 100‑yard freestyle and later swimming competitively at Ohio State University. Selected for the 1936 U.S. Olympic team, he refused to compete in Berlin in protest of Nazi Germany—an early sign of the conviction and independence that would define his career. After serving in World War II and working as a clothing salesman, Sabol pursued filmmaking as a passionate hobby. In 1962, he founded Blair Motion Pictures and boldly bid for the rights to film the NFL Championship Game. His resulting documentary, Pro Football’s Longest Day, impressed Commissioner Pete Rozelle so deeply that the league purchased the company in 1965, renaming it NFL Films. With Sabol at the helm, the studio developed a groundbreaking visual language—slow motion, tight spirals, orchestral scores, sideline sound, and mythic narration—that elevated football from a televised sport into a form of American folklore. Under Sabol’s leadership, NFL Films became the sport’s official memory‑keeper, documenting every game and producing iconic series such as NFL Game of the Week, This Is the NFL, and NFL Action. His philosophy, later echoed by his son Steve Sabol, was that NFL Films should make viewers feel the game, not just watch it. The company’s work earned more than 90 Emmy Awards, and Sabol himself received honors including the Lifetime Achievement Emmy, the Pete Rozelle Award, and induction into both the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Ed Sabol retired in 1995 but remained a revered figure until his passing in 2015 at age 98. His legacy endures in every slow‑motion spiral, every booming narration, and every moment the NFL is presented not just as sport, but as storytelling.
Known For
This collection of football follies comes from Sports Illustrated and was a subscription bonus for signing up to the magazine.
The All New NFL Football Follies
Forty-two, hard-hitting minutes of the NFL's outstanding defenders, past and present, who have elevated the art of punishing ball carriers into a science
Crunch Course
Hosted by Steve Sobol, this collection of football missteps is one of the last voice acting performances of Mel Blanc, and features a variety of mishaps from the NFL.
NFL Super Duper Football Follies
Artists, Philosophers, Musicians, Politicians and more offer their thoughts on Pro Football, in this 1986 film produced by NFL Films.
Autumn Ritual
A documentary from NFL Films celebrating the legendary quarterbacks and running backs who defined pro football in the mid-20th century. Featuring archival footage and dramatic narration, “Legends of the Fall” pays tribute to the athletes whose skill and toughness helped build the NFL’s legacy. Players like Johnny Unitas, Jim Brown, Gale Sayers, and Bart Starr are profiled in this classic retrospective.
Legends of the Fall
The first NFL Films feature, it established the trend of dramatizing the game itself and not the outcome.
They Call it Pro Football
A Sports Illustrated compilation video of the NFL's Hardest Hits.
The Best of Thunder and Destruction: NFL's Hardest Hits
Burt Lancaster hosts a review of the first 50 years in NFL history.
Big Game America
The world of pro football is a game that is often seen but the sounds of the game are what truly reveal the intensity of the conflict. When the audio is combined with the visual of the NFL, the results reveal a world that fans have witnessed but few have ever heard or understood. A pioneer in wireless microphones and location sound for over 25 years, NFL Films has been specializing in uncovering what is being said on NFL gridirons, sidelines and in the stands of pro football. The results have been fascinating, informative, funny and highly entertaining. In this video, you'll discover the hidden world of "The Pit," and find out why coaches call it the most violent area on a football field. We'll also help you unravel the quarterback cadence and learn why defenders jump offsides so often. Ever wonder what is being said in the locker room and bench area? Do you know what "jolly", "zip", "snake eyes", "buck naked" and "boss" really mean? Find out here.
The Hidden NFL
This edition of NFL Films Classics looks beyond the hard-hitting physical aspects of football to another side of the game that plays a key role in a team's success (or failure) -- emotions and the players' psyches. Also included are two documentaries: "The Young, the Old and the Bold," which features of some of the greatest gridiron generals in history, and "Lombardi," which profiles the feared and revered head coach of the Green Bay Packers.
NFL Films Classics: More Than a Game
NFL Films production on Super Bowl XIII, between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys.
Battle of Champions: Super Bowl XIII
This vintage 1968 laugh-out-loud classic is the very first program in the NFL Films' wildly popular "Follies" series.
The Football Follies
"Pro Football's Longest Day" is a film documenting the 1962 NFL Championship game between the Green Bay Packers and the New York Giants. It was a landmark production for NFL Films, marking their first paid venture and showcasing their innovative approach to sports filmmaking. The film, lauded by NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle, significantly impacted how sports were presented on film and television.
Pro Football's Longest Day
Wherein the teams and players that dominated the decade are recalled in their peak moments. The "Immaculate Reception", "Doomsday in the Dome", the "Over the Hill Gang", the "No Name Defense" and the "Steel Curtain" live on this splendid retrospective. Features Spectacular footage and the Team and Player of the Decade (the Steelers and O.J. Simpson). As usual, John Facenda's personable narration adds an exciting edge to the film.