Ed Sabol, Class of 2011

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Sabol, an aspiring filmmaker, hatched the idea of forming Blair Productions at age 45.

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In 1962 Sabol contacted National Football League Commissioner Pete Rozelle with an offer to double the rights to film the 1962 NFL Championship Game.

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Rather than use a single camera located high in the stadium that day, Sabol added a sideline camera to catch the intensity of the players.

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Sabol convinced NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle that they needed their own motion picture company. With that, NFL Films was born.

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Sabol continued to serve as the Chairman of NFL Films through his retirement in 1995.

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During Sabol’s tenure, NFL Films won 52 Emmy Awards.