Steve Sabol
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.
Personal Details
Movies (41)
The San Francisco 49ers Team of the '80s
Executive Producer (Production)
2012
History of the Miami Dolphins
Producer (Production)
2010
Green Bay Packers Heroes
Executive Producer (Production)
2009
History of the Buffalo Bills
Executive Producer (Production)
2009
Brothers And Champions: The Pittsburgh Steelers 2008 Championship Season In Review
Executive Producer (Production)
2009
The Complete History of the New York Jets
Executive Producer (Production)
2007
America's Game: 1973 Miami Dolphins
Director (Directing)
2007
America's Game: 1972 Miami Dolphins
Director (Directing)
2007
NFL: Favre 4 Ever
Executive Producer (Production)
2006
NFL History of the San Francisco 49ers
Executive Producer (Production)
2006
Pittsburgh Steelers Road to Super Bowl XL
Executive Producer (Production)
2006
Steelers: The Complete History
Executive Producer (Production)
2005
3 Games to Glory III
Executive Producer (Production)
2005
NFL Films - The New York Giants - The Complete History
2004
3 Games to Glory II
Executive Producer (Production)
2004
The Complete History of the Green Bay Packers
Executive Producer (Production)
2003
2001 New England Patriots - Super Bowl XXXVI Champions
Executive Producer (Production)
2002
3 Games to Glory
Executive Producer (Production)
2002
Greatest Moments in Super Bowl History
as Executive Producer
2000
NFL 2000: A Century of Pro Football
Executive Producer (Production)
2000
1997 Denver Broncos - Superbowl XXXII Champions
Executive Producer (Production)
1998
Sports on the Silver Screen
as Self (archive footage)
1997
Green Bay Packers: Super Bowl XXXI Champions
Executive Producer (Production)
1997
Football America
Executive Producer (Production)
1996
NFL Films Presents Quarterbacks on Quarterbacks
Executive Producer (Production)
1995
The Jimmy Johnson Story
Executive Producer (Production)
1994
NFL Extreme
Executive Producer (Production)
1994
NFL Rocks
Executive Producer (Production)
1992
The Best of Thunder and Destruction: NFL's Hardest Hits
as Self
1992
The Hidden NFL
Producer (Production)
1991
Greatest Sports Follies
Executive Producer (Production)
1989
NFL Super Duper Football Follies
as Himself
1989
Crunch Course
Producer (Production)
1986
Autumn Ritual
as Self
1986
The All New NFL Football Follies
Producer (Production)
1986
Legends of the Fall
Director (Directing)
1980
Championship Chase
Director (Directing)
1974
Brian's Song
Thanks (Crew)
1971
Big Game America
Director (Directing)
1969
The Football Follies
Producer (Production)
1968
They Call it Pro Football
Writer (Writing)
1966
