Steve Sabol Biography

Fast Facts

• Won more than 40 Emmy Awards during his career and oversaw another 107 Emmys for NFL Films
• Credited with elevating the game of football with his creative editing, use of orchestral music, live commentary from players and coaches, and highlighting of emotional themes
• Received a lifetime achievement award from the Sports Emmy Awards in 2003, which he shared with his father, Ed Sabol
• Attended Colorado College, where he persuaded his football coach to let him play by advertising himself in newspapers, postcards, t-shirts and other items
• Started out as a cameraman for his father Ed Sabol's company NFL Films
• Quote: "My dad wanted to show the game the way Hollywood portrayed fiction, with a dramatic flair․ I wanted to show the game the way I had experienced it ․․․ the eyeballs bulging and the veins sticking out and the snot flying․ We blended those two styles․"
• Worked as a producer, writer, director and cameraman for NFL Films
• Best known as the president and creative force behind NFL Films
• His Super Bowl highlights film was the inspiration for Sam Peckinpah's slow-motion gunfight scene in the 1969 film "The Wild Bunch․"