The best sports docs satisfy couch quarterbacks and casual fans alike by putting you in the heat of the action and eliciting empathy for the main characters. Warriors of Liberty City, a six-part docuseries about a football incubator for many former and current NFL stars, has the on-field thrills, poignant moments, and more. Premiering on STARZ on September 16 at 8 p.m. ET — or available to watch now on the STARZ app early — the program examines the talent-rich youth league and hard-knock life of local families in Liberty City, a notoriously crime-ridden neighborhood in northwest Miami. This show, however, takes a different perspective on masculinity, identity, and community. It’s the must-see series that’ll get you pumped for football season and invested in its stars. Here are five reasons why everyone in your fantasy league will be talking about Warriors of Liberty City.
5 reasons to watch ‘Warriors of Liberty City’
Go inside the five square miles that produce more pro football talent than anywhere else in the world, in the new STARZ docuseries.
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You’ll get a glimpse of Florida’s football pipeline.
Let this stunning statistic sink in: Five square miles in Miami produce more NFL players than anywhere else in the world. Liberty City, a small historically black neighborhood that has endured decades of poverty, crime, and urban neglect, is the global hotbed for top football talent. The laundry list of recent pro stars is remarkable: Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, Devonta Freeman, Antonio Brown, Duke Johnson, and Teddy Bridgewater. They’ve grown up in the area, learned the game’s finer points, and played to win from an early age. But as the show illustrates, the Liberty City Optimists youth organization is also refuge from the area’s harsh realities. “You know what it did?” Johnson explains. “It kept us off the streets.”
It’s been cosigned by one of pro sports’ most outspoken athletes.
NBA great LeBron James has taken his talents off the court to help get this docuseries made. Executive produced by James and longtime business partner Maverick Carter for their SpringHill Entertainment production company, the project emerged as an Official 2018 SXSW Episodic Selection after being greenlit by STARZ (and the first docuseries to be accepted in that category). It’s an example of James’s burgeoning interest in developing TV and film projects that often promote cross-cultural understanding. Given James’s own rise from humble Ohio-area beginnings to NBA superstardom, it seems understandable that he’d back this exploration of Liberty City football culture and community spirit. Plus, as a former Miami player forward who brought championships to South Florida, James obviously has a special connection to the city and sports fans in the region.
It stars a charismatic and civic-minded hip-hop OG.
Throw any preconceived notions about rap pioneer Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell out of the window. As the leader of 2 Live Crew, he became one of rap’s early moguls. At around the same time of his ascendance in the music biz, Campbell became an unlikely mentor and founded the football league to establish a recreational outlet and ultimately bring a sense of hope to Liberty City youth. Now, more than 29 years later, he continues to advocate for the neighborhood and is proud of the legacy he’s helped build despite the tough local realities. “When we started football out here, the gang members just backed up ‘cause their little brothers and sisters were out there,” Campbell recalls. “This became sacred ground.”
It’s more than just hard tackles and touchdown celebrations.
The gridiron action is only one part of the story. Even though some players have emerged from Liberty City to reach the NFL, the reality is that most don’t make it to the pros. The series examines how the Liberty City Warriors strive for wins off the field, capturing how the goal is not just to churn out football prospects but also to enrich the lives of all the people involved. You’ll see a group of dedicated volunteers from the Liberty City Optimist Club sacrificing to make something special for the otherwise crime-ridden community. The youth organization sponsors sports teams, dance, and cheerleading and also offers tutoring and academic support to help kids become successful adults.
It’s beautifully shot with characters that are easy to root for.
Director and producer Evan Rosenfeld brings a unique filmmaking style to the project. At times, the action is electric and the interviews pull on the heartstrings. Shooting football scenes lends itself to drama — the cute kids in helmets and vibrant uniforms, the post-practice huddles, the cheering crowds. Still, Rosenfeld is able to perfectly balance the excitement of a whole football season with the emotions and real-life ups and downs of the families and colorful characters involved. You get to really connect with a world of people facing desperate circumstances who work hard to triumph in football and in life. It helps that sunny Florida often provides perfect lighting conditions too.
Warriors of Liberty City premieres this Sunday at 8 p.m. E/P on STARZ, or watch early on the STARZ app now.