NFL Icons - Season 2

Arguably the greatest icon in football history, Madden's rare combination of charisma, vision, and leadership made generations of fans fall in love with the game.  See how his love of Vince Lombardi set his path to coaching, where he shaped the identity of the legendary Oakland Raiders and follow his climb to a Super Bowl title, growth as the voice of pro football on television, influence through video games, and enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame – all of which Madden attributed to his vocation as a teacher.  

The story of the legendary Chicago Bears running back who won a Super Bowl and became the NFL's all-time rushing leader, as told through archives and new interviews with his children Brittney and Jarrett.  The challenges of Payton's rise from a small-town Mississippi childhood to global stardom in sports and pop culture.  His extraordinary "Flu Game," hill-running, fashion sense, and untimely death at age 45 from a rare disease are covered in depth, along with his legacy through the prestigious awards named in his honor. 

No coach ever got more out of people than Jimmy Johnson. Harnessing what he learned as an undergraduate psychology major, Johnson won a National Championship as a player at Arkansas and head coach of the Miami Hurricanes, followed by two Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys.  The film explores how he changed history through the milestone Herschel Walker trade, about his unique collaboration with Hall of Fame owner Jerry Jones, and how Johnson's famed Five-Year Plan helped him find work-life balance. 

Hall of Fame 49er traces his journey from miscast running quarterback at pass-happy BYU, to bank-breaking USFL prospect in LA, to understudy-turned-replacement for legendary Joe Montana in San Francisco. The influence of Young's parents on the development of his mental toughness, challenges of his NFL baptism-by-fire with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and battling the Dallas Cowboys in the Super Bowl races of the early 1990s. Overcoming self-doubt as the face of a franchise and finding peace after football.  

The NFL's all-time leading tackler shares stories of how he turned personal pain into the fuel for a Hall of Fame career. Memories of Lewis's complicated NFL Draft Day experience that included the funeral for his best friend. The opportunistic start of his iconic college career as a Miami Hurricane, and role in creating the identity of the expansion Baltimore Ravens beginning in 1996. Tales of two Super Bowl championships, including his dramatic final act in the New Orleans "Blackout Super Bowl." 

The legendary Dallas Cowboys quarterback explains the unexpected turns in his life and career, and how, in each case, teammates were the critical factor. Navigating a childhood move from LA to rural Oklahoma, the leadership of a struggling high school team, and the transfer from Barry Switzer's Sooners to the UCLA Bruins. The Hall of Famer's role in transforming Dallas from loser to three-time Super Bowl champion, rise in broadcasting to the Monday Night Football booth, and self-fulfillment in business. 

Wide receiver Cris Carter's winding road from a childhood in Middletown, Ohio to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton—including stops as a celebrated Ohio State Buckeye, through adversity with the Philadelphia Eagles, and redemption with the Minnesota Vikings. How arguably the greatest hands in history propelled Carter to 1,101 career receptions, 130 touchdown catches, and gold jacket immortality. Stories of his complicated relationship with Buddy Ryan and Carter's mentorship of Randy Moss.  

How the first Black  head coach to win a Super Bowl created an unconventional path and became a sports icon. Transitioning from University of Minnesota starting quarterback to defensive back for Pittsburgh's legendary Steel Curtain, Dungy blended lessons from everywhere to become a patient, inspirational teacher of football and life. Reflections on the influence of Chuck Noll, Bill Walsh, and Dennis Green, and the challenges of his climb up the coaching ladder with Tampa Bay and Indianapolis.