5 Underrated Football Movies

 College football is back dominating Saturdays, and the NFL kicks off their season later this week. I started thinking about football movies, more importantly one's nobody remember or just wasn't popular for whatever reason when it debuted. For that here are 5 underrated football movies.

5. Rise and Walk: The Dennis Byrd Story

When it comes to TV movies based on a NFL player's story everyone adores Brian's Song, the 1971 film starring James Caan as Brian Piccolo and Billy Dee Williams as his friend and teammate Gale Sayer's. In 1994 Fox TV produced a film that is just as good in Rise & Walk: The Dennis Byrd Story starring Peter Berg. Dennis Byrd was a New York Jet's defensive end who was left paralyzed after colliding with teammate Scott Mersereau. Through therapy and determination he was eventually able to walk again and this is his story.

4. Invincible

Football films based on real scenarios the golden films  which are quite inspiring are Rudy, Remember The Titans, and We Are Marshall. 2006's Invincible starring Mark Wahlberg is just as inspiring as those films. Based on the true story of Philadelphia substitute teacher Vince Papale who attends a open tryout the Philadelphia Eagles are conducting and actually makes the team. Being as though Vince was truly down on his luck before making the team, the film has a good message about pushing through the storms of adversity. 

3. The Longshots

Another film based on a true story, The Longshots is a 2008 film starring KeKe Palmer and Ice Cube. KeKe play's Jasmine Plummer a pre-teen who join's a pop warner team encouraged by her Uncle Curtis played by Ice Cube. She must work through the typical sexism even from adults against a girl playing a male dominated game even as she clearly has the skill. 

2. Wildcats

1986's WildCats stars Goldie Hawn who yearning to be a football head coach and live up to her fathers legacy, takes a job at a tough inner-city school. She deal's with racism being a white woman coaching a predominately Black team in a male dominated sport, and sexism as everyone think's she doesn't have a clue. When she however refuses to be intimidated, the team soon follows her lead and starts winning. Besides Goldie Hawn, the film features young cast members such as Wesley Snipes, Woody Harrelson, Robyn Lively, and Mykelti Williamson. Even Aunt Helen from The Jamie Foxx Show is in the movie, in her debut film. A young LL Cool J even makes a brief appearance in the film.  

1. Draft Day

2014's Draft Day stars Kevin Costner as the general manager of the Cleveland Browns analyzing his options for who to add to the team on draft day. Besides antagonizing over who to pick, he must also contend with relationship/family scenarios, threats from management, agents and other folks who feel they have a voice. And his fathers legacy, a lot to take in over the course of a day. The film covers the business side of the NFL and the craziness of everything that goes into making a draft decision. For people who enjoy learning how the front office makes decisions even if it's dramatized, as much as they like the on the field product. This film is for them.