Some of the best stories come out of sports, and whether based on real-life events or completely fictional, there are no shortage of incredible football movies that have kept fans cheering for years.

Rudy, 1993

As far as great underdog stories go, this bio-pic about a Notre Dame football wannabe who, despite his small size, academic challenges, and lack of money, manages to make the team, is one of the best. 

Remember the Titans, 2000

When the T.C. Williams Titans finally come together at the end of training camp at Gettysburg College, it’s a movie moment moving enough to bring a tear to anyone’s eye. This story of overcoming prejudice and the power of love over hate carries a message that will never get old.

The Waterboy, 1998

On a far less serious note, this goofy Adam Sandler flick about an awkward waterboy turned star linebacker is among the actor/comedians most popular. If you’re a football fan in need of a good laugh, The Waterboy delivers.

We Are Marshall, 2006

And back to the tear-jerkers, this film is based on the 1970 plane crash of the Marshall College football team in which all 75 people on board died. The crash happens within the first fifteen minutes, but the time that remains follows the aftermath of few team members and coaches left, as they struggle to pick up the pieces and honor their fallen teammates the only way they know how.

The Longest Yard, 1974

Though the Adam Sandler remake of this film is good for a few laughs, it’s the original, starring the late Burt Reynolds, that is really worth a watch. Reynolds plays a former football star and current prison inmate who leads a team of football players against the prison guards. It’s an unlikely story with a predictable, but heartwarming ending.