A Football Life (2011)
- Genre: Documentary
- First Air Date: 2011-09-15
- Last Air Date: 2023-11-17
- Total Seasons: 12
- Total Episodes: 125
- Status: Returning Series
- Episode Runtime: 45 min.
- Production Company: NFL Films
- Network: NFL Network
A Football Life is a documentary series developed by NFL Films and aired on NFL Network that documents the lives of select National Football League players, coaches, owners, and teams. Friends, teammates, family members and other players and coaches associated with the subjects are interviewed.
The name of the series originated in a quote from Steve Sabol of NFL Films:
Originating as an NFL Network special on the career of Bill Parcells in November 2010, it premiered as an episodic series on September 15, 2011, with the first part of Bill Belichick's documentary. The documentary was viewed by about 657,000 viewers, the most-watched documentary in NFL Network's history, and was the second-most watched program in Boston at the time with 151,000 viewers, trailing behind a Boston Red Sox game. Season One was eventually released on DVD.
Season Two began on September 12, 2012, with The Faces of Tebow.
The series was nominated for an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Edited Sports Series/Anthology" and "Outstanding Promotional Announcement – Episodic" for Belichick's episode in 2012.
| Title | Air Date | Duration | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | Episode 1 | Bill Belichick - Part 1 | 2011-09-15 | 60 min |
| Season 1 | Episode 2 | Bill Belichick - Part 2 | 2011-09-22 | 60 min |
| Season 1 | Episode 3 | Reggie White & Jerome Brown | 2011-09-29 | 60 min |
| Season 1 | Episode 4 | Kurt Warner | 2011-10-06 | 60 min |
| Season 1 | Episode 5 | Walter Payton | 2011-10-13 | 60 min |
| Season 1 | Episode 6 | Ed Sabol | 2011-10-20 | 60 min |
| Season 1 | Episode 7 | Mike Ditka | 2011-10-27 | 60 min |
| Season 1 | Episode 8 | Tom Landry | 2011-11-03 | 60 min |
| Season 1 | Episode 9 | Al Davis | 2011-11-11 | 60 min |
| Season 2 | Episode 1 | The Faces of Tebow | 2012-09-12 | 60 min |
| Season 2 | Episode 2 | Ray Lewis | 2012-09-19 | 60 min |
| Season 2 | Episode 3 | Tom Coughlin | 2012-09-26 | 60 min |
| Season 2 | Episode 4 | Cleveland '95 | 2012-10-03 | 60 min |
| Season 2 | Episode 5 | Fearsome Foursome | 2012-10-10 | 60 min |
| Season 2 | Episode 6 | Steve McNair | 2012-10-17 | 60 min |
| Season 2 | Episode 7 | Eddie DeBartolo, Jr. | 2012-10-24 | 60 min |
| Season 2 | Episode 8 | Chris Spielman | 2012-10-31 | 60 min |
| Season 2 | Episode 9 | Jimmy Johnson | 2012-11-07 | 60 min |
| Season 2 | Episode 10 | John Riggins | 2012-11-21 | 60 min |
| Season 2 | Episode 11 | Barry Sanders | 2012-12-05 | 60 min |
| Season 2 | Episode 12 | Marcus Allen | 2012-12-12 | 60 min |
| Season 2 | Episode 13 | The Immaculate Reception | 2012-12-19 | 60 min |
| Season 3 | Episode 1 | LaDainian Tomlinson | 2013-09-03 | 60 min |
| Season 3 | Episode 2 | Don Shula | 2013-09-10 | 60 min |
| Season 3 | Episode 3 | Darrelle Revis | 2013-09-17 | 60 min |
| Season 3 | Episode 4 | Derrick Thomas | 2013-09-24 | 60 min |
| Season 3 | Episode 5 | Steve Sabol | 2013-10-01 | 60 min |
| Season 3 | Episode 6 | Matt Millen | 2013-10-08 | 60 min |
| Season 3 | Episode 7 | Michael Strahan | 2013-10-15 | 60 min |
| Season 3 | Episode 8 | Pat Summerall | 2013-10-22 | 60 min |
| Season 3 | Episode 9 | Warren Sapp | 2013-10-29 | 60 min |
| Season 3 | Episode 10 | Randall Cunningham | 2013-11-05 | 60 min |
| Season 3 | Episode 11 | Cris Carter | 2013-11-12 | 60 min |
| Season 3 | Episode 12 | The Forward Pass | 2013-11-19 | 60 min |
| Season 3 | Episode 13 | Steve Gleason | 2013-11-26 | 60 min |
| Season 3 | Episode 14 | The Great Wall of Dallas | 2013-12-03 | 60 min |
| Season 3 | Episode 15 | Houston '93 | 2013-12-10 | 60 min |
| Season 3 | Episode 16 | Marty Schottenheimer | 2013-12-17 | 60 min |
| Season 3 | Episode 17 | Vince Lombardi: Part 1 | 2013-12-24 | 60 min |
| Season 3 | Episode 18 | Vince Lombardi: Part 2 | 2013-12-31 | 60 min |
| Season 3 | Episode 19 | Tiki & Ronde Barber | 2014-01-07 | 60 min |
| Season 3 | Episode 20 | Bill Parcells | 2014-01-14 | 60 min |
| Season 3 | Episode 21 | Jerry Smith | 2014-01-21 | 60 min |
| Season 3 | Episode 22 | Jerry Rice | 2014-01-28 | 60 min |
| Season 4 | Episode 1 | Joe Greene | 2014-09-12 | 60 min |
| Season 4 | Episode 2 | Brandon Marshall | 2014-09-19 | 60 min |
| Season 4 | Episode 3 | Sean Taylor | 2014-09-26 | 60 min |
| Season 4 | Episode 4 | Warren Moon | 2014-10-03 | 60 min |
| Season 4 | Episode 5 | Eric Dickerson | 2014-10-10 | 60 min |
| Season 4 | Episode 6 | Doug Flutie | 2014-10-17 | 60 min |
| Season 4 | Episode 7 | Terrell Davis | 2014-10-24 | 60 min |
| Season 4 | Episode 8 | Ricky Williams | 2014-10-31 | 60 min |
| Season 4 | Episode 9 | Earl Campbell | 2014-11-07 | 60 min |
| Season 4 | Episode 10 | The Perfect Backfield | 2014-11-14 | 60 min |
| Season 4 | Episode 11 | Lyle Alzado | 2014-11-21 | 60 min |
| Season 4 | Episode 12 | Dick Butkus & Gale Sayers | 2014-11-28 | 60 min |
| Season 4 | Episode 13 | Roger Staubach | 2014-12-05 | 60 min |
| Season 4 | Episode 14 | Keenan Mccardell & Jimmy Smith | 2014-12-19 | 60 min |
| Season 4 | Episode 15 | The 2006 Rose Bowl | 2015-01-02 | 60 min |
| Season 4 | Episode 16 | Bill Walsh | 2015-01-23 | 60 min |
| Season 4 | Episode 17 | Joe Namath Part 1 | 2015-01-30 | 60 min |
| Season 4 | Episode 18 | Joe Namath Part 2 | 2015-01-30 | 60 min |
| Season 5 | Episode 1 | Christian Okoye | 2015-09-18 | 60 min |
| Season 5 | Episode 2 | Dexter Manley | 2015-09-25 | 60 min |
| Season 5 | Episode 3 | Jerome Bettis | 2015-10-02 | 60 min |
| Season 5 | Episode 4 | Terrell Owens | 2015-10-09 | 60 min |
| Season 5 | Episode 5 | Alan Page | 2015-10-16 | 60 min |
| Season 5 | Episode 6 | Steve Largent | 2015-10-23 | 60 min |
| Season 5 | Episode 7 | Dick Vermeil | 2015-10-30 | 60 min |
| Season 5 | Episode 8 | Paul Brown | 2015-11-06 | 60 min |
| Season 5 | Episode 9 | Mike Singletary | 2015-11-12 | 60 min |
| Season 5 | Episode 10 | Charles Haley | 2015-11-19 | 60 min |
| Season 5 | Episode 11 | Bruce Arians | 2015-12-11 | 60 min |
| Season 5 | Episode 12 | Marshall Faulk | 2015-12-18 | 60 min |
| Season 5 | Episode 13 | Ken Stabler | 2015-12-25 | 60 min |
| Season 6 | Episode 1 | Curtis Martin | 2016-09-16 | 60 min |
| Season 6 | Episode 2 | Rodney Harrison | 2016-09-23 | 60 min |
| Season 6 | Episode 3 | Chad Johnson | 2016-09-30 | 60 min |
| Season 6 | Episode 4 | Steve Young | 2016-10-07 | 60 min |
| Season 6 | Episode 5 | Brett Favre | 2016-10-21 | 60 min |
| Season 6 | Episode 6 | Pat Tillman | 2016-10-28 | 60 min |
| Season 6 | Episode 7 | Michael Vick | 2016-11-03 | 60 min |
| Season 6 | Episode 8 | Jim Brown | 2016-11-11 | 60 min |
| Season 6 | Episode 9 | Steve Smith Sr. | 2016-11-18 | 60 min |
| Season 6 | Episode 10 | Chuck Noll | 2016-11-25 | 60 min |
| Season 6 | Episode 11 | Troy Aikman | 2016-12-02 | 60 min |
| Season 6 | Episode 12 | Charles Woodson | 2016-12-09 | 60 min |
| Season 6 | Episode 13 | Kevin Greene | 2016-12-16 | 60 min |
| Season 7 | Episode 1 | Dan Marino | 2017-09-15 | 60 min |
| Season 7 | Episode 2 | Emmitt Smith | 2017-09-22 | 60 min |
| Season 7 | Episode 3 | John Madden | 2017-09-29 | 60 min |
| Season 7 | Episode 4 | Wes Welker | 2017-10-06 | 60 min |
| Season 7 | Episode 5 | Sam Mills | 2017-10-13 | 60 min |
| Season 7 | Episode 6 | Jim Kelly | 2017-11-03 | 60 min |
| Season 7 | Episode 7 | Larry Fitzgerald | 2017-11-10 | 60 min |
| Season 7 | Episode 8 | Eddie George | 2017-11-17 | 60 min |
| Season 7 | Episode 9 | Joe Gibbs | 2017-11-24 | 60 min |
| Season 7 | Episode 10 | Jerry Jones | 2017-12-01 | 60 min |
| Season 7 | Episode 11 | Aeneas Williams | 2017-12-08 | 60 min |
| Season 7 | Episode 12 | John Randle | 2017-12-15 | 60 min |
| Season 7 | Episode 13 | Lynn Swann & John Stallworth | 2017-12-22 | 60 min |
| Season 8 | Episode 1 | Carson Palmer | 2018-09-14 | 60 min |
| Season 8 | Episode 2 | Lawrence Taylor | 2018-09-21 | 60 min |
| Season 8 | Episode 3 | Tony Romo | 2018-09-28 | 60 min |
| Season 8 | Episode 4 | Willie McGinest | 2018-10-05 | 60 min |
| Season 8 | Episode 5 | Brian Dawkins | 2018-10-12 | 60 min |
| Season 8 | Episode 6 | Dwight Clark | 2018-11-02 | 60 min |
| Season 8 | Episode 7 | Bill Cowher | 2018-11-09 | 60 min |
| Season 8 | Episode 8 | Mike Holmgren | 2018-11-16 | 60 min |
| Season 8 | Episode 9 | Cris Collinsworth | 2018-11-23 | 60 min |
| Season 8 | Episode 10 | Doug Williams | 2018-12-07 | 60 min |
| Season 8 | Episode 11 | Thurman Thomas | 2018-12-14 | 60 min |
| Season 9 | Episode 1 | Terry Bradshaw | 2019-09-13 | 60 min |
| Season 9 | Episode 2 | Tony Gonzalez | 2019-09-20 | 60 min |
| Season 9 | Episode 3 | Ronnie Lott | 2019-11-01 | 60 min |
| Season 9 | Episode 4 | Bruce Smith | 2019-11-29 | 60 min |
| Season 10 | Episode 1 | Nick Saban | 2021-09-17 | 60 min |
| Season 10 | Episode 2 | James Harrison | 2021-09-24 | 60 min |
| Season 10 | Episode 3 | Calvin Johnson | 2021-10-01 | 60 min |
| Season 10 | Episode 4 | Drew Pearson | 2021-12-03 | 60 min |
| Season 10 | Episode 5 | John Lynch | 2021-12-24 | 60 min |
| Season 11 | Episode 1 | Joe Theismann | 2022-09-16 | 60 min |
| Season 11 | Episode 2 | Rod Woodson | 2022-09-23 | 60 min |
| Season 11 | Episode 3 | Edgerrin James | 2022-11-18 | 60 min |
| Season 11 | Episode 4 | Julian Edelman | 2022-11-25 | 60 min |
| Season 11 | Episode 5 | Franco Harris | 2022-12-23 | 60 min |
| Season 11 | Episode 6 | The 1972 Miami Dolphins | 2023-01-13 | 60 min |
| Season 11 | Episode 7 | DeMarcus Ware | 2023-11-17 | 60 min |
