Remembering the NFL Films Team Highlight Films of the 1970s

If you are in your 50s like me, you probably grew up watching the variety of shows that were produced by one of the greatest companies in America, NFL Films. I remember visiting it when I was a teenager in the 1970s when the establishment was located on North 13th Street in downtown Philadelphia. What

I remember most from my first visit there was a big stairway as you walked in, and a giant mural of Ben Davidson of the Oakland Raiders at the top of those stairs.
The mural of Davidson was even larger than the real Ben Davidson. But I digress.

FOLLOW THE SHOW ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST PLAYER

NFL Films: Team Highlight Films

Today, what I remember most about NFL Films was how the company fostered my love for pro football while I was a kid. One show that NFL Films produced back then in the 1970s was a half-hour program called NFL Game of the Week, which was a synopsis of one of the best and most crucial games from the previous Sunday.

They also produced an hour-long program entitled This Week in the NFL, which was about five minutes’ worth of highlights from all the previous Sunday’s games. Both of these shows usually appeared on our television sets one right after the other, and both were required weekly viewing by all of us diehard pro football fans.

Indeed, they were our ticket to all the games, many years before the 24/7 NFL Network came about.

In the spring, however, is where NFL Films became ultra-creative. That was when the company produced a half-hour highlight film for every NFL team.

Naturally, some were better than others, but they were all geared to getting the fan base of each team fired up for the upcoming season. It is interesting to note that even though NFL Films has grown by leaps and bounds since the 1970s, the annual team highlight films are still being produced.

In my podcast episode tonight, I will attempt to select the best team highlight film from each year. That’s 10 in all, and I will try to be objective, even though there’s plenty of subjectivity in my list. In my opinion, a team need not have a great or even a good year to have the best highlight film. We’ll take a look at the best on a year-by-year basis:

1970: Green Bay Packers

The best NFL Films team highlight film from this season is the Green Bay Packers’ film, entitled The Pack. The iconic John Facenda narrates it, and let’s face it, he is the greatest narrator in NFL Films history. The company has had some very good narrators, but none is better than Facenda. The film also pivots rather well with a multitude of camera angles.

1971: Washington Redskins

The best NFL Films team highlight film from this season is the Washington Redskins’ film, entitled Three Cheers for the Redskins. It represented the first one-hour team highlight film in NFL Films history, and it had a very unique narrator…the one and only Frosty the Snowman himself, the great Burl Ives.

This film covers the team’s first day of summer training camp at Carlisle University in Pennsylvania and goes to the Redskins’ depressing loss in the NFC Divisional Playoffs to the San Francisco 49ers.

1972: San Diego Chargers

The best NFL Films team highlight film from this season is the San Diego Chargers’ film, entitled The Deacon’s Travellin’ Revival Show. Narrated by John Facenda, the film highlights the team’s new head coach Harland Svare, and the free agent moves that he made to improve the team. The biggest signing of the 1972 Chargers was that of defensive end David “Deacon” Jones, who immediately helped San Diego’s pass rush.

1973: New York Jets

The best NFL Films team highlight film from this season is the New York Jets’ film, entitled End of an Era. The film focus’ on head coach Weeb Ewbanks’ final year as a head coach in the NFL.

It also discusses Joe Namath’s injury which kept him on the sidelines for most of that year. A passing of the torch sort of film, with plenty of sentimentalities.

1974: St. Louis Cardinals

The best NFL Films team highlight film from the 1974 season is the St. Louis Cardinals’ film entitled Big Play, Big Season. It is narrated by Bob Starr, and it addresses the Cardinals’ surprising winning streak at the beginning of the year, and then the team’s losing slump towards the end of the year that almost kept them out of the playoffs.

1975: Baltimore Colts

The best NFL Films team highlight film from 1975 is the Baltimore Colts’ film entitled Miracle on 33rd Street. It is narrated by John Facenda, and it describes the changing of the guard from the old Colts to the new Colts.

Key players like Bert Jones and Lydell Mitchell are featured in the film, along with the direction delivered by new head coach Ted Marchibroda. Baltimore went from a miserable 2-12 record in 1974 to a 10-4 record and the capture of the AFC Eastern Division title in 1975.

1976: Washington Redskins

The best NFL Films team highlight film from 1976 is the Washington Redskins’ film entitled 43 Men Together. It might just be the best team highlight film of the decade. It seemingly has everything that you would want in a highlight film. Yes, it is narrated by John Facenda. It includes a great storyline of how head coach George Allen inspired his players to get back to the playoffs following a one-year absence from them in 1975.

It includes some great post-game locker room scenes, and it highlights several key players on that team, including Billy Kilmer, Calvin Hill, and John Riggins. It’s just a great film. If you only watch one team highlight film from the 1970s, be sure to watch this one.

You won’t be disappointed, even if you aren’t a Redskins fan.

1977: Chicago Bears

The best NFL Films team highlight film from 1977 is the Chicago Bears’ film entitled A Season in the Sun. It is narrated by John Facenda, and it focuses on the key elements in Chicago’s efforts to make the playoffs in 1977.

Naturally, Walter Payton gets a lot of attention as he tries to become the league’s top running back. But the best sections of this film deal with the team’s six-game winning streak to finish the regular season in a very dramatic ending.

1978: Houston Oilers

The best NFL Films team highlight film from 1978 is the Houston Oilers’ film entitled The Oiler Cannonball. I know that a lot of people would have thought that I would name the Dallas Cowboys’ 1978 highlight film entitled America’s Team.

Quite simply, the Oilers’ 1978 highlight film is much better. It is narrated by Dave McDermand, who also narrated a film about early pro football in 1976 entitled Old Leather. The Oilers’ film gets close to the team off the field, includes great interviews, and really shows the team as a team of destiny.

It could have been named Love Ya Blue after the team’s unofficial song of the late 1970s, but they settled on The Oiler Cannonball instead.

1979: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The best NFL Films team highlight film from 1979 is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ film entitled From Worst to First. There is a lot of glory involved in Tampa Bay’s first-ever playoff team, as they came to within one game of going to the Super Bowl.

John Facenda once again narrates this impressive film. It provides an apt ending for this list of great team highlight films during the course of the 1970s…the glorious decade of the 1970s in pro football.

Host of Pro Football in the 1970s - Joe Zagorski

Throughout his days, Joe spent some time as a sportswriter and has been a member of the Pro Football Researchers Association since the mid-1980s. Joe is also a proud member of the Pro Football Writers of America.

Also, if you’re interested in picking one of Joe’s books up, all three are listed below.

Here, you can learn more about Joe and Pro Football in the 1970s.