Though I suspect this was originally part of the 30 for 30 documentary series, on the UK version of Disney Plus this now appears as a documentary film in its own right. I liked American Football enough to know who Peyton and Eli were, though I had no idea that their father had played or any of the business about which college they all attended.
Archie Manning has a promising football career, playing quarterback for the University of Mississippi. When his father takes his own life, he considers dropping out to help support his family but is convinced to continue by his mother and eventually makes it to the NFL, playing for 13 seasons for the New Orleans Saints. With his career winding down, he has three sons. Cooper whose promising career was ended by Spinal Stenosis, Peyton and Eli - both of whom would win multiple Superbowls in hall of fame careers.
Again, this was mostly new information to me. Expertly told by interviews with the family and with a story narrated by John Goodman. It focuses much more on the college experiences of the family, rather than the NFL Careers. Archie becomes a legend for Mississippi's team, the Ole Miss Rebels and Cooper seemed set to follow him, until his diagnosis. Then Peyton decides to play for Tennessee instead, which does not go down well with the Mississippi faithful, some of whom turn their ire at Archie for letting it happen. Eli though does go to Ole Miss and breaks records set by his father.
It's a really good documentary, I felt. Made with a lot of access to the family and with their blessing, there is plenty of old family footage of the three kids playing football in the yard and making each other cry. It might be nice to revisit it again in a couple of years, when it seems like Cooper son Arch might have added an new chapter.
