The NFL vault access refers to the exclusive video archive that the NFL films division maintains. This massive library contains footage dating back to the early days of professional football in the 1930s. Having access to this vault gives researchers, media members, and NFL teams themselves an invaluable resource for studying the history of the game.
What is included in the NFL vault?
The NFL vault contains game footage from every NFL game played since 1955, including preseason, regular season, and postseason matchups. Additionally, it houses an extensive collection of historic NFL films, commercials, and other productions. In total, the vault holds over 100,000 hours of footage.
Specifically, some of the content includes:
- Game broadcasts from every NFL game since 1955
- Sideline and end zone angle game footage
- NFL Films productions on NFL history, coaches, and games
- Footage from training camps, practices, and team facilities
- NFL combine and draft coverage
- Commercials produced by NFL Films
- Raw player interview footage
- Behind-the-scenes coaches film
This expansive archive offers unparalleled access to the visual history of pro football’s growth and evolution. It provides amazing insight into on-field strategies, player personalities, coaching philosophies, and more.
Who can access the NFL vault?
Access to the valuable and sensitive footage in the NFL vault is tightly controlled. Those granted credentials to use the vault include:
- NFL Films employees
- NFL team video departments
- Select NFL broadcast partners such as ESPN
- Accredited media members with NFL approval
- Production companies licensed by the NFL
Standard NFL vault credentials provide limited access based on need and usage requirements. For example, a media member may get approved to view specific historical footage for a documentary but not have blanket access. NFL teams have the broadest access for scouting and strategy purposes.
What is the vault used for?
The NFL vault provides indispensable source material for many initiatives across the league and media:
- Game preparation and strategy: NFL coaches rely on vault footage to scout upcoming opponents’ schemes and players. They can go back years to analyze tendencies and patterns.
- Player evaluation: Personnel departments use the vault to watch prospects in college, the combine, etc. This helps scout potential draftees or free agents.
- Historical productions: NFL Films and media outlets like ESPN draw from the vault to create engaging retrospectives on teams, players, and iconic games.
- Commercials and promotions: NFL advertising campaigns leverage vault highlights and player clips.
- Set design: NFL TV/radio and production teams incorporate historical moments into their sets and content.
Without the vault’s amazing depth of archival content, many crucial initiatives across the NFL and media would suffer greatly.
How is the footage archived?
Organizing tens of thousands of hours of footage for convenient search and retrieval is a massive undertaking. Here is how the NFL vault indexes and stores content:
- Game footage is cataloged by season, week, and team matchup.
- Individual player footage uses the player name, team, and year for indexing.
- Production content is archived by title and air date.
- Detailed metadata like descriptions, keywords, and transcripts helps surface relevant clips.
- Advanced software automates entry, indexing, and search processes to improve efficiency.
- Both digital and physical media formats house the archive.
This structured system makes it easy for NFL Films staff to quickly locate footage based on requester needs. Content is generally delivered digitally for convenience today.
Notable NFL vault footage
With over 60 years worth of NFL history stored, there are too many iconic moments to list them all. But here is a small sampling of the invaluable footage protected within the NFL vault:
Year | Game | Significance |
---|---|---|
1958 | Baltimore Colts vs. New York Giants (NFL Championship) | First sudden death overtime game |
1967 | Green Bay Packers vs. Dallas Cowboys (NFL Championship) | The “Ice Bowl”; one of the most famous games in NFL history |
1969 | New York Jets vs. Baltimore Colts (Super Bowl III) | Joe Namath and Jets massive upset, cementing AFL legitimacy |
1972 | Miami Dolphins vs. Washington Redskins (Super Bowl VII) | Miami completes the NFL’s only perfect season |
1978 | Dallas Cowboys vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (Super Bowl XIII) | Game featured 14 future Hall of Famers |
1981 | San Francisco 49ers vs. Dallas Cowboys (NFC Championship) | “The Catch”; jumpstarted 49ers dynasty |
1986 | Chicago Bears shuffle music video | Example of behind-the-scenes vault content |
1990 | New York Giants vs. Buffalo Bills (Super Bowl XXV) | Scott Norwood’s infamous missed FG as time expired |
These represent just a fraction of the iconic moments preserved in the NFL vault that live on in football lore. The vault ensures these pivotal games, plays, teams, and players will never be forgotten.
Conclusion
The NFL vault is an invaluable asset for preserving pro football history and strategically furthering the game. While access is tightly guarded, its contents help connect the NFL’s past, present, and future. The league’s commitment to archiving every snap played since 1955 has created an unparalleled visual library. It is a cherished asset by the entire NFL family.