Steve Sabol, president of NFL Films, passed away Tuesday
following an 18-month battle with brain cancer. He was 69.
NFL Films is the league's production company responsible for
its commercials, TV programs, documentary films, among others. Sabol had been
with NFL Films since its inception in 1962, when his father, Ed, founded the
company. Ed Sabol was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
"Steve Sabol was the creative genius behind the
remarkable work of NFL Films," said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
"Steve's passion for football was matched by his incredible talent and
energy. Steve's legacy will be part of the NFL forever. He was a major
contributor to the success of the NFL, a man who changed the way we look at
football and sports, and a great friend."
Sabol is the recipient of 35 Emmy awards for writing,
cinematography, editing, directing and producing. In 2003, the National Academy
of Television Arts & Sciences honored Sabol and his father with the
Lifetime Achievement Emmy for "revolutionizing the way America watches
football and setting the standard in sports filmmaking."
