by Pedro Gomez
There has been a slew of films based on boxing, basketball, baseball, soccer and professional American Football, with many of them proven to be incredibly successful when they have hit the box office.
However, it could be argued that there have not been a great deal of college football movies throughout history, despite the storylines and plots that can potentially be used and written about, providing directors and writers with a whole host of different ideas.
Nonetheless, this article is not about what those individuals have not done so far, but more about what they have been able to create within this sphere of the sport. College football is incredibly popular in the United States of America, with millions continuing to tune into the games that are played as they are hosted on prime TV stations, whilst many get excited about the next potential superstars of the professional game.
Furthermore, there will be some that will be incredibly interested in betting on the game when it is played, although whether there have been college football odds that inspired great films to be made, there will be many who will have loved the movies that have made it onto a list of being the best of all time.
Here are just some of the best college football movies, with each of them appearing in no particular order:
The Waterboy (1998)
1998 brought college football fans a classic as Adam Sandler played the lead character in the film “The Waterboy”. Portraying Bobby Boucher, the actor was depicted as an individual who was socially inept and did not have too much going for him, however he was then spotted by Coach Klein (Henry Winkler) after he made his first tackle; a huge hit on the team’s quarterback and knocking him out!
From then on, viewers will be provided with a barrel of laughs as they watch Boucher become a South Central Louisana State University Mud Dogs All-American linebacker that helps his team out to win the Bourbon Bowl after missing the first half to take care of his mother at the hospital – who feigned a coma. Boucher would be named the MVP of the match to cap off the story that has been played out in this great movie!
Rudy (1993)
Perhaps one of the best college football movies to have ever existed, “Rudy” is a biographical sports film that was created in 1993 that followed the story of Rudy Ruettiger; Rudy was considerable small and did not fit the stereotypical profile of a college football player at the time, as he was just five foot tall and weighed a little over 100 lbs.
However, he did not let that stop him and ultimately managed to realise and achieve his dream of being able to play college football for Notre Dame as he was given the opportunity to walk out of the tunnel for the Fighting Irish after being allowed to play against Georgia Tech. He stays in for the final play of the game and manages to sack the opposition quarterback, which leads to him being carried by his teammates on their shoulders around the field and in front of their fans.
The Express (2008)
One of the most recent films to have been made from the theme of college football, “The Express” follows the story of Ernie Davis and provides viewers with the success he had on the gridiron as the Syracuse running back, but also the tragedy that he suffers in his own personal life.
Ernie Davis was an incredible running back that had managed to make history playing college football as he became the first African-American player to ever win the Heisman Trophy. However, it also showed the battle that he had with his health, as he was diagnosed with leukemia and saw his life cut incredibly short as he was just 23 years old when he died in 1963; just two years after winning the trophy and one year after being drafted as the No. 1 overall pick in the 1962 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins, however he sadly never got to play a single professional game.
Although the film did not do too well at the box office when it was released, it did receive positive reviews from critics, whilst Davis’ story remains rather inspirational today.
