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Steve Sabol | |
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 Sabol in 1998 | |
| Born | Stephen Douglas Sabol (1942-10-02)October 2, 1942 Moorestown, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | September 18, 2012(2012-09-18) (aged 69) Moorestown, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupations | Pro Football Hall of Fame 2020 Class |
| Years active | 1962–2012 |
| Spouse(s) | Lisa (divorced; 1 child) Penny |
| Parent(s) | Ed Sabol (1916–2015) Audrey Sabol |
Stephen Douglas Sabol (October 2, 1942 – September 18, 2012)[1] was an American filmmaker. He was the president and one of the founders ofNFL Films, along with his fatherEd. He was also a widely exhibited visual artist.[2]
Sabol was born inMoorestown, New Jersey, the son of film-makerEd Sabol and art collectorAudrey Sabol. He attendedColorado College, where he majored in art history and was an All-Rocky Mountain Conference[3]football as a running back[4] and was a member ofKappa Sigmafraternity.[5]
He was the subject of a humorous article about his self-promotion exploits in the November 22, 1965, issue ofSports Illustrated.[6]
After graduation, he began his career in 1964 as a cameraman alongside his fatherEd Sabol (1916–2015) when his father got the filming rights to the1962 NFL Championship Game, played inYankee Stadium.[7] With his degree in art history and experience playing football, Sabol was, as his father put it, "uniquely qualified to make football movies."[8]
This company eventually grew into NFL Films, with Sabol serving mainly as a cameraman, editor, and writer in the 1960s and 1970s. WhenESPN was founded in 1979, they soon signed NFL Films as a production company and Sabol became an on-air personality in the 1980s. He won 35Emmy Awards and was featured in an episode of60 Minutes Sports.[9] Sabol played a part in founding theNFL Network.[10]
In 1985, Sabol took over NFL Films from his father,Ed Sabol.[11] NFL Films was the first company to wire coaches and players for sound as well as the first to use slow motion and montage editing in sports.[12] The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia inducted Sabol into their Hall of Fame in 1996.[13]
In March 2011, NFL Films was recognized with theLamar Hunt Award for Professional Football.[14]
Sabol was named the 2002 Sports Executive of the Year bySporting News magazine. Sabol also received thePete Rozelle Award, which is presented each year to someone who has made an outstanding contribution to the National Football League and to professional football.[citation needed]
Sabol and his father, Ed, were honored in 2003 with the Lifetime Achievement Emmy from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for "revolutionizing the way America watches football and setting the standard in sports filmmaking."[citation needed]
In 2007, the Pro Football Hall of Fame honored Sabol with theDan Reeves Pioneer Award. Sabol was the recipient of the 2010 Sports Leadership Award presented to him at theMarch of Dimes 27th Annual Sports Luncheon.[citation needed]
Both Sabol and his father were elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on February 5, 2011[citation needed] They were inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame in November 2011, which was followed by Sabol's induction into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in December.[citation needed]
Sabol received theSports Business Journal's "Champions – Pioneers & Innovators in Sports Business" award in March 2012.[citation needed]
Sabol won over 40Emmys during his time with NFL Films.[citation needed]
Sabol was married for over a decade to his first wife, Lisa, mother of his only son, Casey Sabol. After their divorce, Lisa marriedJohn DeBella. Sabol then married his second wife, Penny Sabol. He was ofRomanian descent.[15]
Sabol was the author of the poem "The Autumn Wind", later adopted by theOakland Raiders as an unofficial anthem.[citation needed]
On September 18, 2012, Sabol died ofbrain cancer in Moorestown, New Jersey, 18 months after being diagnosed with an inoperablebrain tumor in March 2011. He died at age 69, a week after his father's (Ed Sabol) 96th birthday.[16] He was honored before every NFL game in week 3 with a video tribute.[17]
The NFL paid tribute to his life and contributions to the league, at a ceremony on February 12, 2013, in Philadelphia.[18]
On January 15, 2020, Sabol was elected to thePro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2020.[19]
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