Footballs have been around for decades and they’re part of sports culture everywhere. I remember watching NFL games with my family as a kid, and my dad would ask me questions about the players and the rules of the game. Footballs have undergone changes throughout the years and this time of year, when the NFL season starts, I wonder; where are NFL footballs made?
Well, NFL footballs have been imported for many years. The past two decades, the NFL has mandated that their game footballs must be manufactured in the United States. Nike has been the official supplier of NFL game footballs since 2013. So if you see “Nike NFL” on the side of a game football, you can be sure of its origin.
The NFL footballs are made in rural Ohio. More specifically, in Ada, Ohio at the Wilson Football Factory. Production and availability of items has increased tremendously since the factory opened in 1955. Their footballs are also used in NCAA football and other football competitions around the world. They manufacture more than 700,000 footballs each year.
That’s a massive number when you consider each football has its own unique process of production. This is done to ensure safety and maintain a standard of excellence. All NFL game footballs are independently tested by the governing body before the game. Wilson’s footballs have passed these tests with flying colors.
The NFL’s game football has three distinct layers.The inner layer is usually made of latex, and on the outside is a rubberized coating. To do this correctly, there are three separate stages. Firstly, the leather panels are washed in a salt solution. This cleans and weakens the leather, allowing it to be moulded into the correct curved shape. Then the leather panels are cut into shape using a heated cutting machine. Once that’s done, they are sewn together with a dart pattern.
Filled with latex and pressed in a two-part mould, the leather panels come together to form the football. A special rubber compound is added to the exterior of the football for grip. Lastly, Wilson adds the laces in the trademark Wilson packaging. The entire process requires about 300 steps.
Wilson’s footballs have gone through some serious changes over the years. From using detachable laces to changing materials. They have added unique features with their new 3D enhanced midline texture. I guess you could say it’s really an art form to be able to craft that many footballs without mistakes. It looks quite remarkable to me!
I believe so much work and effort goes into creating these footballs. It was truly an impressive sight to see Wilson’s Football Factory, be it in person or virtually. Who would’ve thought in 1955, that the same factory which started manufacturing footballs for local high school teams would one day become the official football supplier for the NFL?!
It is interesting to find out more about the manufacturing process of an NFL game football. By now I’m sure we’ve all heard the frightful tales of deflated footballs and controversies about american football’s ball inflation protocol. To ensure that all the balls used in NFL games meet the league’s standards, Wilson has even set up a federal government contracted facility, called the Wilson Football Testing Laboratory.
At the laboratory, highly trained technicians wear special attire and utilize a variety of equipment to inspect and test the footballs for the best performance. Every footbpeanut of each ball is measured and weighed. The laboratory tests the touch and feel of the leather and inspects each logo for accuracy.
The leather used in Wilson’s footballs has a distinct grain pattern that minimizes abrasions and scuffs. The butyl bladder is leak and air tested to ensure that it maintains accuracy and standard of excellence. The ball is then weighted and sent to the official Wilson sealer for the last inspection. The finished product is inspected to meet all the NFL rules and requirements.
So, after more than half a century, a Wilson Football is exactly the same as when it was first manufactured in 1955. It is still “the best football money can buy”. The attention to detail and precision in creating a reputable and high quality ball is truly incredible; and rest assured, it is definitely worth every penny.