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File:A Football Life Season One DVD.jpg
GenreDocumentary
Created byNFL Films
NFL Network
Narrated byJosh Charles[1]
Theme music composerDavid Robidoux[2]
Country of originUnited States
Language(s)English
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes22
Broadcast
Original channelNFL Network
Original runSeptember 15, 2011 (2011-09-15) – Present (Present)
External links
Production website

A Football Life is a documentary series developed by NFL Films and aired on NFL Network that documents the lives of select National Football League players, coaches, owners, and teams. Friends, teammates, family members and other players and coaches associated with the subjects are interviewed.[3]

The name of the series originated in a quote from the late Steve Sabol of NFL Films, who stated:[4]

For a company that prides itself on telling good stories, this is one hell of a story. Dad makes the Hall of Fame. Son's going to be his presenter. Son gets a brain tumor. Now the story is, Is the son going to be there? Will the son make it? Who knows? I could be around until the Super Bowl in New York [2014]. But I've had a lot of time to think ...

So they talk about heaven, and I don't know what is waiting for me up there. But I can tell you this: Nothing will happen up there that can duplicate my life down here. That life cannot be better than the one I've lived down here, the football life. It's been perfect.

Originating as an NFL Network special on the career of Bill Parcells in November of 2010,[5] it premiered as an episodic series on September 15, 2011 with the first part of Bill Belichick's documentary.[6] The documentary was viewed by about 657,000 viewers, the most-watched documentary in NFL Network's history, and was the second-most watched program in Boston at the time with 151,000 viewers, trailing behind a Boston Red Sox game.[7] Season One was eventually released on DVD.[8]

Season Two began on September 12, 2012 with The Faces of Tebow.[9]

The series was nominated for an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Edited Sports Series/Anthology"[10] and "Outstanding Promotional Announcement – Episodic" for Belichick's episode[11] in 2012.[12]

Episodes[]

Season One[]

Source:[13]

# Subject Original air date
1 Bill Belichick September 15, 2011
2 September 22, 2011
3 Reggie White/Jerome Brown September 29, 2011
4 Kurt Warner October 6, 2011
5 Walter Payton October 13, 2011
6 Ed Sabol October 20, 2011
7 Mike Ditka October 27, 2011
8 Tom Landry November 3, 2011
9 Al Davis November 11, 2011

Season Two[]

Source:[14][15]

# Subject Original air date
1 Tim Tebow September 12, 2012
2 Ray Lewis September 19, 2012
3 Tom Coughlin September 26, 2012
4 Cleveland '95 October 3, 2012
5 Fearsome Foursome October 10, 2012
6 Steve McNair October 17, 2012
7 Eddie DeBartolo October 24, 2012
8 Chris Spielman October 31, 2012
9 Jimmy Johnson November 7, 2012
10 John Riggins November 21, 2012
11 Barry Sanders December 5, 2012
12 Marcus Allen December 12, 2012
13 The Immaculate Reception December 19, 2012

References[]

  1. Forsberg, Chris. "Belichick documentary set for NFL Network - New England Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston". Espn.go.com. http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4701193/belichick-documentary-set-for-nfl-network. Retrieved 2012-09-11.
  2. "CREDITS". http://www.davidrobidoux.com/styled-3/index.html. Retrieved 2012-12-08.
  3. September 23, 2011 (2011-09-23). "NFL Network’s ‘A Football Life’ Chronicles the Lives & Legacies of Reggie White & Jerome Brown". Sportsmedianews.com. http://sportsmedianews.com/nfl-networks-a-football-life-chronicles-the-lives-legacies-of-reggie-white-jerome-brown/. Retrieved 2012-09-11.
  4. Peter King (2011-09-18). "In his brilliance and impact on NFL, Sabol truly lived 'a football life'". SI.com. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/peter_king/09/18/steve-sabol/index.html. Retrieved 2012-09-28.
  5. November 20, 2010 (2010-11-20). "Parcells is what documentary says he is". sun-sentinel.com. http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports/columnists/hyde/blog/2010/11/hyde_parcells_is_what_espn_doc.html. Retrieved 2012-10-17.
  6. "A Football Life: Bill Belichick". Patriots.com. 2011-08-29. http://www.patriots.com/media-center/videos/A-Football-Life-Bill-Belichick/344b4cd5-1b24-43e6-baa0-5076c55216ff. Retrieved 2012-09-11.
  7. "“A Football Life: Bill Belichick” Most-Watched Documentary Ever On NFL Network - Ratings | TVbytheNumbers". Tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com. 2011-09-16. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/09/16/%E2%80%9Ca-football-life-bill-belichick%E2%80%9D-most-watched-documentary-ever-on-nfl-network/103978/. Retrieved 2012-09-11.
  8. "NFL Network Presents: A Football Life - Season 1 DVD". NFL Shop. http://www.nflshop.com/product/index.jsp?productId=15200666. Retrieved 2012-10-19.
  9. Name * (2012-09-07). "9/7 – ‘The Faces of Tebow’ Debuts Sept. 12 on NFL Network | DC Sports Net". Dcsportsnetwork.com. http://dcsportsnetwork.com/?p=9289. Retrieved 2012-09-13.
  10. "Breaking News - Emmy-Nominated Series "A Football Life" Returns Wednesday, September 12 at 8:00 PM ET on NFL Network". TheFutonCritic.com. 2012-08-28. http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2012/08/28/emmy-nominated-series-a-football-life-returns-wednesday-september-12-at-800-pm-et-on-nfl-network-902014/20120828nfl01/. Retrieved 2012-09-11.
  11. by TCIPF Staff (2012-03-20). "NFL Films is nominated for 8 Sports Emmy Awards! : NFL Films Blog". Nflfilms.nfl.com. http://nflfilms.nfl.com/2012/03/20/nfl-films-is-nominated-for-8-sports-emmy-awards/. Retrieved 2012-09-11.
  12. "The Emmy Awards - THE NATIONAL TELEVISION ACADEMY ANNONCES THE NOMINEES FOR THE 33RD ANNUAL SPORTS EMMY® AWARDS". Emmyonline.tv. http://www.emmyonline.tv/mediacenter/sports_33rd_nominees.html. Retrieved 2012-09-11.
  13. "A Football Life: Complete Episode List". Thetvdb.com. 2011-12-06. http://thetvdb.com/?tab=seasonall&id=252053&lid=7. Retrieved 2012-09-11.
  14. "NFL Network's A FOOTBALL LIFE to Return 9/12". tv.broadwayworld.com. http://tv.broadwayworld.com/article/NFL-Networks-A-FOOTBALL-LIFE-to-Return-912-20120828. Retrieved 2012-09-11.
  15. "NFL Network's A Football Life Explores Life, Legacy of Steve McNair Oct. 17". titansonline.com. 2012-10-12. http://www.titansonline.com/news/article-1/NFL-Networks-A-Football-Life-Explores-Life-Legacy-of-Steve-McNair-Oct-17/4e26d98d-f795-4283-8a4a-06de48da5d90. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
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