‘We Could Be King’ documentary wins Sports Emmy

“We Could Be King,” the 2014 documentary that shows the Martin Luther King High School Cougars football team’s path to its first-ever Public League championship, won a Sports Emmy for Outstanding Sports Documentary on Tuesday night in New York City.

The 80-minute documentary follows the school as it merged with shuttered Germantown High School, a former rival of MLK. Through the lens of the football team, the film shows students from both schools coming together over the course of the school year — both in the hallways and on the football field. 

At the center of the film is head coach, Ed Dunn. A former math teacher at Germantown High, the then-27 year old volunteered to lead MLK’s football program. He eventually brought the team’s two-year losing streak to an epic end. 

“When you’re given things, you want to give back,” Dunn said when the film was nominated. “Hopefully, I’ve motivated these guys to give to maybe 10 other people and we’ll see that ripple effect.”

“We Could Be King,” directed by Judd Ehrlich, has also been selected by the American Film Showcase — a program run by the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs for spreading global diplomacy through film.

Sponsored by DICK’S Sporting Goods as part of the company’s “$25 million multi-year commitment to support youth athletics programs,” the film aired on ESPN2 and ran in theaters in New York City and Los Angeles.

“‘We Could Be King’ is a poignant, brilliant film about life on and off the field,” said Philadelphia Superintendent William Hite. 

“We Could Be King” is currently available on Netflix.