"The manner in which John played, it echoed…His reputation preceded him and that reputation was well earned." – Mike Tomlin
Release information courtesy of NFL Communications
The 10th season of the Emmy-nominated and highly acclaimed NFL Films-produced series A Football Life concludes Friday, December 24 at 9:00 PM ET and PT on NFL Network with a profile of Pro Football Hall of Fame safety and current San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch. The one-hour show features sit-down interviews with Lynch, former teammates such as Derrick Brooks and Warren Sapp, former coaches such as Mike Tomlin, Herm Edwards, and Tony Dungy, and others.
Among the topics discussed in John Lynch: A Football Life includes:
- His induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021
- Growing up idolizing John Elway
- Switching positions from quarterback to safety at Stanford University and the impact of Bill Walsh
- His 15-year playing career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Denver Broncos
- His broadcasting career with FOX and his current position as San Francisco 49ers general manager
Emmy-nominated actor Josh Charles narrates.
John Lynch: A Football Life includes interviews with the following people:
- John Lynch
- Linda Lynch – Wife
- John Lynch, Sr. – Father
- Cathy Lynch – Mother
- Lilly, Jake, Lindsay & Leah – Children
- Derrick Brooks – Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker and Tampa Bay Buccaneers teammate
- Warren Sapp – Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive tackle and Tampa Bay Buccaneers teammate
- Tony Dungy – Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach
- Mike Tomlin – Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive backs coach
- Herm Edwards – Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive backs coach
- Kyle Shanahan – San Francisco 49ers head coach
- David Shaw – Stanford University teammate
- Condoleezza Rice – Former Stanford University provost
- Ira Kaufman – Tampa sportswriter
Provided below are some select quotes from John Lynch: A Football Life:
- "I'd get on that field and all of a sudden I could become a different person…You could go live free and that's what football allowed me to do. Yes, a lot of hard work went into that but you're exposed to people and experiences that you otherwise never would have had an opportunity." – John Lynch
- "The manner in which John [Lynch] played, it echoed. It was on tape. His reputation preceded him and that reputation was well earned." – Mike Tomlin
- "There is an extra bit of force and explosion that it almost sounds like there is no cloth between the pads…It's unmistakable." – David Shaw on the sound of a John Lynch hit
- "That was a career-changer for me because my mindset changed. Sometimes I think the lesson is it takes other people to believe in you before you can actually believe to that level in yourself." – John Lynch on being voted defensive team captain
- "I was extremely happy to see him reinvent himself, not just with a different team but in another conference at another position and still be as effective." – Derrick Brooks on John Lynch with the Denver Broncos
- "He didn't want to do it to be famous, he didn't want to do it to get his name back out there – he wanted to do it for one reason: to win a championship." – Kyle Shanahan on John Lynch becoming the San Francisco 49ers general manager
- "He is going to be one of the really great front office people in NFL history because he's bringing a kind of creativity and willingness to take risks." – Condoleezza Rice
- "I was in the game in terms of calling it. I loved every bit of it, but at the end of a broadcast there was no scoreboard. The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat – you miss that." – John Lynch on his broadcasting career
All NFL Network programming – including episodes of A Football Life – is available across multiple devices (smartphone, PC, tablet, and connected TVs) through the NFL app and NFL Network app for subscribers of participating NFL Network providers. Visit NFL.com/watch for more information on how to watch.