LOS ANGELES — Every football used in the Super Bowl, as well as the NFL season, is made by one company: Wilson.
For those who think the footballs are automated at a factory, guess again, they are, in fact, handmade. Andy Wentling, of Wilson footballs, says their company is putting together about a 120 balls for gameday.
“We’ve been the official football for the NFL since 1941,” he said. “Every point that has been scored in the Super Bowl has been a Wilson ball.”
According to Wentling, the first step in the football-making process starts with sewing the ball, which is actually inside-out. Then they force all the material through the ball to have the brown layer on the outside.
The next step requires the ball to cook in a special steam box for about 30 seconds.
“You are going to break the ends down, then start pulling the leather through, right-side out,” Wentling said. “Takes about 8 or 10 seconds.”
After, a rubber bladder is placed inside the football and then laced up.
“Now we are going to use a PBC lace, it’s one lace, all one piece” Wentling said. “This will take about a minute-and-a-half to two minutes for Donna to do this.”
Donna, who has been lacing for Wilson for 36 years, has laced thousands of footballs.
“When she gets done, there’s no knots. We don’t tie any knots. Cuts it and tucks it,” Wentling said.
The final step is the molding process, so everything is tightened up.
“We are going to apply 120 psi and then evacuate all that air back out, and then we’re done,” Wentling said.