Behind the Scenes of 'The Football Town' by NFL Films

We're not just a football town, we're THE football town.

From the Friday night lights of high school football and the youth leagues that have us waking up bright and early on a Saturday, to the Pitt Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers that bring droves to people to Acrisure Stadium and the Hall of Famers who are proud to call the Steel City home, football is in our blood.

All of that is on display through NFL Films' newest production, "The Football Town," playing at Kamin Science Center through May 1. At its core, the film answers that classic question when it comes to Western Pennsylvania football players: "is there something in the water?" It's an homage to the roots we built with steel and how that grit has translated to our toughness on the football field and in life.

If you're a born and raised Pittsburgher and football is a big part of your life, you may want to grab some tissues for this one. It's okay, even the grittiest of people can cry; I know I did.

Making the Film

It took seven crews three days to put together the hour-long film. While it doesn't seem like a lot of time at first glance, consider how much football is packed into the Pittsburgh area in just weekend. And if you're as ingrained in the sport as most proud Pittsburghers are, you know how much one weekend can get absolutely overtaken by football.

It starts with a rivalry. Or should we say, a few rivalries.

Take yourself back to high school. Walking the halls, decorating lockers, wearing your jersey the day of your game, the pep rallies and assemblies built to hype up your team, your school, and your pride. Maybe you got out early that day. Maybe you and your friends stopped for a quick bite before heading back to campus. Maybe you were one of the people under those Friday night lights, whether on the football team or cheer squad or marching band. Breathe it in: the crisp air on a November night, the face paint that may or may not stain your skin with your school colors for a few days, and the blood, sweat, and tears put in to be the best you can be.

The film starts with several high school football games throughout the Pittsburgh area, and showcases some programs that NFL greats have gone through. Passion for the pigskin stretching as far out as Aliquippa is on full display just like you remember, if not more.

Credit |
Nick Schmidt

But while the film starts in high school, we know that's not where the love for the game started for a lot of us.

Fresh off of Friday night lights, 'The Football Town' takes us throughout the city of Pittsburgh to our Peewee leagues, where parents' passions carry through their children as young as 5 years old. You can see through the lens of the film just how deep the love for the game runs through each member of the family and how seriously our youth take these games, as well as how much fun they're having. It's this positive atmosphere that lends itself to the question, "is there something in the water?" This is the trickle that becomes the stream that becomes our rivers.

Credit |
Nick Schmidt

But Saturdays aren't just for the kids; they're also for Pitt Panther football. Acrisure Stadium transforms its Black and Gold to Blue and Gold for each of Pitt's home games, and both teams are so intertwined that it's a seamless transition. That comradery between the Panthers and the Steelers isn't just shown in the film, it's felt. When seeing how close their locker rooms are, it's clear that they go hand-in-hand. But beyond that, seeing the Steelers and Panthers' training facility in the South Side, seeing them practice side by side, and knowing it's the only training facility in the country shared by a city's NFL and college teams truly showcases just how sacred the sport is to the city and those who call it home.

Then, that seamless transition is translated on the big screen. The Pitt banners at Acrisure Stadium come down to make way for the Steelers' Black and Gold. The prep after Saturday's game is thorough, leaving no stone unturned before Sunday morning, when fans flood onto the North Shore bright and early to cheer on their favorite team. Parking lots are filled with grills, beer, and family - both figuratively and literally. There's even a baptism held for Steelers fans coming into the scene for the first time, as any first Steelers game would be considered a religious experience; just ask any longtime fan. Then, when the gates open and the flood starts, the energy runs through your veins like you're there yourself, especially with how The Rangos Giant Cinema at the Kamin Science Center is set up. From the moment the team comes down the tunnel to the second you leave the stadium, you're fully emersed in the atmosphere that is Steelers football - Terrible Towels, losing your voice, and, of course, Renegade. It's all a typical Sunday in Pittsburgh, and NFL Films invites you to experience it with a fresh lens: from the beginnings of the week and the passion through the big stage, all with a community first focus that will leave you feeling like you're a Pittsburgher at heart, even if you're not.

Credit |
Nick Schmidt
Taylor S.

Author

Taylor S.

Content Development Manager

A friendly neighborhood Pittsburgh transplant. Probably at book club, a local coffee shop or thrift store. Tell your pet I said hi.

Related Content: