FEEL IT.STREAM
Steve Sabol

Steve Sabol

Production

Biography

Steve Sabol (1942–2012) was one of the most influential visual storytellers in sports history, a filmmaker, artist, and creative force whose imagination transformed the NFL into a cinematic experience. As the longtime president of NFL Films and the son of founder Ed Sabol, Steve helped turn a small family venture into one of the most celebrated production companies in American media, winning more than 40 Emmy Awards across writing, cinematography, editing, and directing—an unmatched achievement in sports filmmaking. Born in Moorestown, New Jersey, Sabol grew up surrounded by both art and athletics. His mother, Audrey, was an art collector, and his father was a budding filmmaker. At Colorado College, he majored in art history while starring as a running back, a combination that would later define his signature style: the athlete with an artist’s eye. When his father secured the rights to film the 1962 NFL Championship Game, Steve joined as a cameraman, quickly proving himself a gifted visual storyteller with a flair for drama, composition, and emotion. As NFL Films expanded, Sabol became its creative heartbeat. He pioneered techniques now standard in sports media—slow motion, tight‑spiral close‑ups, on‑field microphones, orchestral scoring, and poetic narration. His philosophy was simple: football should be filmed like Hollywood mythmaking. He wrote scripts, narrated films, edited highlight reels, and even penned The Autumn Wind, the iconic poem embraced by the Oakland Raiders. By the 1980s, Sabol was also a recognizable on‑air personality, bringing humor and insight to ESPN segments and NFL Films specials. He later played a key role in launching NFL Network, extending the company’s storytelling legacy into the digital era. His work earned him the Dan Reeves Pioneer Award, the Pete Rozelle Award, induction into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame, and ultimately the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2020. Sabol continued creating until his death in 2012, leaving behind not only a vast archive of films but a philosophy: that sports are not just games, but stories—epic, emotional, and deeply human. His desk at NFL Films remains untouched, a quiet tribute to the man who taught America how to feel football.

Known For

America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions
8.0

America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions is an annual documentary series created by NFL Films (broadcast on the NFL Network and CBS). Each of its 55 (and counting) installments profile the National Football League's annual Super Bowl champion through highlights, interviews with players and coaches, and a celebrity narrator. A spin-off debuted on September 18, 2008, titled America's Game: The Missing Rings which chronicled five of the best teams to never win the Super Bowl.

America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions

2006
Hard Knocks
7.9

An inside look at NFL training camps. From the top coaches to the rookies trying to make the team, Hard Knocks showcases what it takes to be in the NFL.

Hard Knocks

2001
NFL Icons
N/A

This documentary series celebrates the biggest names in the history of pro football. Each episode focuses on a single subject, whose career comes to life through a deep dive into the NFL Films archive.

NFL Icons

2021
NFL Rocks
N/A

You've never seen an NFL game day look or sound like this before! Join NFL Films for an amazing 45 minutes of unforgettable NFL action set to the music of today's hottest rock 'n' roll artists. Be in the locker room before the game, on the field for the opening kickoff, feel the impact of the hits, the struggle in the pits - and that's just the first half! As the players go to the locker room for halftime, stay in your seat for a rockin' halftime show and a follies- filled second half kickoff. As the game nears its dramatic end, you'll feel the pressure build as you witness a great come-from-behind victory and cheer along in a post game celebration. It's the NFL like you've never seen it before!

NFL Rocks

1992
Brian's Song
7.3

Based on the real-life relationship between teammates Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers and the bond established when Piccolo discovers that he is dying.

Brian's Song

1971
Full Color Football: The History of the American Football League
10.0

Full Color Football celebrates the 50th season of the maverick American Football League, from its tumultuous beginnings to its unlikely merger with the rival NFL.

Full Color Football: The History of the American Football League

2009
Sports on the Silver Screen
9.0

HBO (in association with the American Film Institute) presents this 1997 anthology, narrated by Liev Schreiber, which looks at sports in cinema from the earliest silent films until the nineties. Watch not for dramatic scenes but for the glimpse of historical figures shown both cinematic and athletic- in this tribute to the merging of sports and Hollywood.

Sports on the Silver Screen

1997
Inside Training Camp: Jaguars Summer
N/A

Inside Training Camp: Jaguars Summer focuses on the players' and coaches’ daily lives as the Jaguars seek to build upon the success of their 2003 season. Fans will follow second-year head coach Jack Del Rio, an intriguing mix of veterans such as receiver Jimmy Smith, running back Fred Taylor and lineman Hugh Douglas, as well as young stars like Byron Leftwich and Marcus Stroud throughout training camp and the preseason. They will also see rookies like Greg Jones and Reggie Williams go through drills and meetings to prove they have what it takes to make the team and make their mark in the NFL.

Inside Training Camp: Jaguars Summer

2004
Crunch Course
10.0

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

1986
History of the Buffalo Bills
N/A

The Complete History of the Buffalo Bills showcases one of the proudest franchises in pro football history. Relive the glory days of the American Football League championship years featuring Jack Kemp and Cookie Gilchrist, through the "Electric Company" of the 1970's. Watch history in the making as the Buffalo Bills became the only team in the NFL to win four consecutive AFC championships. From the Rockpile, to Ralph Wilson Stadium, to your very own living room, this thrilling program encompasses highlights from some of the greatest games, moments, and players in NFL history. With award-winning footage, the Complete History of the Buffalo Bills is the comprehensive story of fifty years of Bills football.

History of the Buffalo Bills

2009
No image
8.8

Artists, Philosophers, Musicians, Politicians and more offer their thoughts on Pro Football, in this 1986 film produced by NFL Films.

Autumn Ritual

1986
NFL History of the San Francisco 49ers
10.0

Step onto the sidelines and stand with legends such as Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Bill Walsh as you watch one of the most successful teams in NFL history work its magic. From "The Alley Oop" to "The Catch", McElhenny to Montana ..."Joe the Jet" to Flash 80...Bill Walsh to George Seifert, the San Francisco 49ers boast a deep history of brilliant coaches, hard hitting defenses and high powered offenses. Now, here is a DVD collection no true 49ers fan can do without. "As Great As Gold" takes you on a tour that follows the team through the fabulous 50's, covers their resurgence in the 70's and highlights the glory years of a dynasty that won 5 Super Bowls. You'll also see the 1981 NFC Championship game, a see-saw battle which helped put the 49ers on top of the NFL's pecking order.

NFL History of the San Francisco 49ers

2006
Pittsburgh Steelers Road to Super Bowl XL
N/A

They said it couldn’t be done. Four games, all on the road, with the World Championship of Professional Football on the line. No one believed that the Steelers, who squeaked into the playoffs with an 11-5 record, stood a chance. Little did they know that the Men of Steel were about to prove all the doubters wrong – and make NFL history in the process. The sixth-seeded Steelers defeated three top-seeded teams on the road before defeating the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl to capture their fifth Lombardi Trophy. It was the post-season that sent Bill Cowher and Jerome Bettis out as champions, the post-season that marked the return of the Steelers to the top of the NFL rankings and now you can relive all of the thrills and chills of this remarkable every time you turn on your TV.

Pittsburgh Steelers Road to Super Bowl XL

2006
The All New NFL Football Follies
N/A

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

1986
The Complete History of the Green Bay Packers
6.2

History of the Green Bay Packers explores the rich and mythical story of this proud franchise, from its founding days in the Green Bay Press-Gazette building, to its most recent NFL Championship amidst the glitz of New Orleans, to its becoming one of the most beloved sports teams of the new millennium. *The Ice Bowl is generally regarded as the most dramatic game in NFL history, and yet does not fully exist anywhere on network videotape. Utilizing its unique resources, NFL Films painstakingly reconstructed the game and all its subplots from whistle to gun. Thousands of feet of film were catalogued to piece together the game, much of it never broadcast previously. 2 Disc DVD set includes: The Complete History of the Green Bay Packers; The Ice Bowl; Special Features: Packers Follies; The Lambeau Leap; Packers Fans; Lambeau Field; Willie Wood; Super Bowl XXXI; Weather Theater; Willie Davis; Don Meredith.

The Complete History of the Green Bay Packers

2003
The Complete History of the New York Jets
N/A

From the vast emptiness of the Polo Grounds to the thunderous roar of the Meadowlands, NFL Films documents the incredible history of the New York Jets. Born into anonymity, formed on the consistent verge of bankruptcy, to love theJets is to dream. In January of 1969, the dream became reality as the Jets overcame the greatest odds in sports history to win Super Bowl III. But the euphoria of an incredible upset came at a price - for the next thirty-eight seasons the Jets would suffer one heartbreaking post-season loss after another. And yet Jets fans remain firm in their hope and their loyalty. Each year, the Jets are in the hunt-and their fans believe that each season will be the one to reclaim the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Since 1960 some of the game's greatest heroes, and anti-heroes have performed in front of the game's most loyal football fans. This is their story.

The Complete History of the New York Jets

2007
Football America
N/A

It is the most American of all games, a contest of wills, skills, and finesse. We are overwhelmed by its power, fascinated by its cunning, drawn by its confrontations. Football brings life to college campuses on Saturdays, it monopolizes NFL cities on Sunday afternoons, and it transfixes the nation with the Super Bowl. But football's special appeal begins at the grassroots level. That's where the game transcends age, size, and locale, where participants need to share only a spirit of competition. Football America reminds us why Americans love this game.

Football America

1996
The Jimmy Johnson Story
N/A

It was confidence, not arrogance, that put he Dallas Cowboys on the media firing line during their successful quest for a second consecutive Super Bowl victory. It was also typical Jimmy Johnson the unconventional coach who wrote his own rules, and took the Dallas Cowboys from worse to first in just four years.

The Jimmy Johnson Story

1994
History of the Miami Dolphins
10.0

Forty-five years ago, the Miami Dolphins splashed into the NFL when Joe Auer returned the franchise’s opening kick-off 95 yards for a touchdown. It was the beginning of a historic journey encompassing some of the game’s legendary players, and the greatest single season in NFL history. From their start as an AFL doormat, witness their meteoric rise as Hall of Fame head coach Don Shula led Bob Griese, Larry Csonka and the “no-name defense” of the ‘70s to two world championships and the only undefeated season in pro football history. Later teams included “Killer B’s” defense of the ‘80s, record-setting quarterback Dan Marino and defensive powerhouses Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas. This film will grant you access to over four hours of extraordinary game highlights, behind-the-scenes footage, player and coach interviews, sound wires and more. Join NFL Films as they unfold a unique perspective on the living South Florida history that is the Miami Dolphins.

History of the Miami Dolphins

2010
NFL Films Presents Quarterbacks on Quarterbacks
N/A

The men who play the toughest position in sports come clean- talking about themselves, each other and what it's like to line up over center each week in the National Football League.

NFL Films Presents Quarterbacks on Quarterbacks

1995