In the Jordan Peele-produced new sports-horror film HIM, one detail has caught everyone’s eye: Isaiah White’s championship record. In Justin Tipping’s 2025 film, White (played by Marlon Wayans) is shown as an eight-time USFF champion, a number that even beats real-life NFL legend Tom Brady’s seven Super Bowl wins.
Naturally, this seems like a bold choice, since no other NFL player has reached more than four championships. But guess what? The movie didn’t add this stunning record from Isaiah White by accident. It was added so as to give White a godlike image, which fits perfectly with the film’s themes of cults, rituals, and sacrifices used to build the “perfect” football legend.
This way, HIM establishes Isaiah White as not just an athlete, but almost as a demigod, created by the cabal of old, rich, white team execs, who supernaturally pass the power of Him down through the blood of the San Antonio Saviors’ golden players.
The table contains basic details on HIM:
The Subtle Parallels Between Isaiah White and Tom Brady in HIM
Now that we have already discussed how HIM portrayed Isaiah White as a greater being than Tom Brady, we can all agree that the film is entirely fictional. However, that doesn’t nullify the fact that the sport horror may have taken some subtle inspirations from a few real-life NFL legends to develop the character of White.
For example, Isaiah is shown as a highly competitive player who will do almost anything to win. Now, that “win at all costs” attitude seems similar to great quarterbacks like John Elway, Dan Marino, Brett Favre, and Joe Montana. But obviously, the strongest comparison seems to be with the greatest quarterback of all time, Tom Brady.
Well, while HIM doesn’t copy Brady directly, it gives White many qualities similar to him. One of the clearest parallels comes from how White takes care of his body. In the movie, we see him as an older QB, close to the end of his career, who works tirelessly to stay in shape. This is very similar to Brady, who created the famous “TB12 Method” to stay fit.
Another interesting similarity in HIM is Isaiah’s serious leg injury in the championship game. This immediately brings to mind Brady’s torn ACL in 2008, which could have ended his career. But just like Brady, White recovers and continues to dominate the sport. Both stories highlight the idea of defying the odds and coming back stronger after setbacks.
So, by including these similarities, the movie invites fans to see Isaiah White as a fictional version of Tom Brady. But then again, White is shaped by darker forces like rituals, cults, and sacrifices, unlike the NFL Quarterback.
Why Jordan Peele’s Sports Horror Used USFF Instead of the NFL?
Now you might wonder, since Marlon Wayans-led HIM delivers so many similarities between Isaiah White and Tom Brady, why didn’t they use the NFL name, teams, or logos? Why did Justin Tipping create a fictional league called the USFF? At first, this might seem strange, since the NFL is the most popular sports league in America, and including it would have made the story feel more realistic.
But turns out, there’s a very practical reason behind why HIM didn’t use the NFL and instead created USFF. As it goes, the NFL is a multi-billion-dollar business, and the people who run it are very protective of their brand. So naturally, they don’t allow movies or shows to use their name in ways that make football look dark or negative. And we all know, HIM is not a feel-good football movie.
The sport horror shows corrupt team owners, greedy agents, and players going through intense mental and physical suffering. The movie even touches on themes like brain injuries (CTE) and blood sacrifices, which are the complete opposite of how the NFL wants to promote its sport. So obviously, allowing a movie like HIM to use the NFL brand would go against what they stand for.
Which is why the film had to create USFF, which appeared to have two main teams, the Atlanta Masoners and the San Antonio Saviors (while other teams remain undiscussed). And while this fictional league isn’t explained in great detail, it serves its purpose: it gives the audience a believable football world without being tied to reality.
Share your opinions on how authentic the world of football felt in HIM.
HIM is currently running in US theaters.
