By Darin Hayes Born October 2, 1942, Steve Sabol was the visionary who transformed professional football from a game into an American epic. A former All-Conference college running back with a degree in art history, he used a unique blend of drama and documentary style to make the NFL a cultural phenomenon.
As the creative force and eventual President of NFL Films, which he co-founded with his father, Ed Sabol, Steve pioneered techniques that are now staples in all sports broadcasting. He introduced cinematic elements like slow-motion photography, montage editing, wired players and coaches for sound, and created the iconic, dramatic voice of “The Voice of God” narration.
Sabol’s work, including the legendary Hard Knocks and A Football Life series, made players and coaches larger-than-life heroes and villains, revealing the passion and emotion beneath the helmets. His innovations earned him 35 Emmy Awards—more than anyone else in television history in multiple categories. He was posthumously inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020, forever cementing his legacy as the ultimate storyteller of the gridiron.