How the NFL gets their footballs
How the NFL gets their footballs
In this Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017, photo is the NFL Super Bowl LI football in Chicago. There is a quintessential American story behind the footballs used by the National Football League, one that dates to the early days of the sport. About how a family of Ukrainian immigrants opened a Chicago tannery in 1905 and came to provide the leather for the game balls used from the lowliest presason game to the Super Bowl, including the Feb. 6 showdown between the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, photo the NFL Super Bowl LI football is laced up at the Wilson Sporting Goods plant in Ada, Ohio. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017, photo Oui Nguyen, right, and Delray Daley sort steer hides at the Horween Leather factory after an initial tanning process to determine whether the hide will be used for footballs, other sporting goods, to footwear or small leather goods in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, photo steer hide leather is sprayed multiple times for color adjustment at the Horween Leather factory in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017 photo, an employee of the Horween Leather factory in Chicago, stacks steer hide leather ready for shipment to the Wilson Sporting Goods factory in Ada, Ohio. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, photo the trademark W for Wilson Sporting goods and the pebble grip are embossed on one side along with the backside of the steer hide leather at the Horween Leather factory in Chicago. There is a quintessential American story behind the footballs used by the National Football League, one that dates to the early days of the sport. About how a family of Ukrainian immigrants opened a Chicago tannery in 1905 and came to provide the leather for the game balls used from the lowliest presason game to the Super Bowl, including the Feb. 6 showdown between the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, photo Wilson Sporting Goods teammate Loyd Conley cuts leather from the Horween Leather factory into quarter panels for an NFL football in Ada, Ohio. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, photo an NFL Super Bowl LI football is lined up to have the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons names stamped onto the leather at the Wilson Sporting Goods factory in Ada, Ohio. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, photo an NFL Super Bowl LI football is sewn at the Wilson Sporting Goods factory in Ada, Ohio. Plant workers use turn-of-last-century sewing machines and other vintage equipment to make about 3,000 footballs per day, cutting, stitching and lacing each by hand. The 25-step process takes about three days to complete, but the pride in craftsmanship is evident in those who work there. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, photo Jim Gatchell a teammate at the Wilson Sporting Goods factory in Ada, Ohio, turns an NFL Super Bowl LI football right side out. One of the most physical jobs at the plant, the ball is first placed into a container where it is steamed and then reversed with the use of a steel bar. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, photo Jim Gatchell a teammate at the Wilson Sporting Goods factory in Ada, Ohio, turns an NFL Super Bowl LI football right side out. One of the most physical jobs at the plant, the ball is first placed into a container where it is steamed and then reversed with the use of a steel bar. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, photo Jim Gatchell a teammate at the Wilson Sporting Goods factory in Ada, Ohio, turns an NFL Super Bowl LI football right side out. One of the most physical jobs at the plant, the ball is first placed into a container where it is steamed and then reversed with the use of a steel bar. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, photo the NFL Super Bowl LI football is laced up at the Wilson Sporting Goods plant in Ada, Ohio. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017, photo is the NFL Super Bowl LI football in Chicago. There is a quintessential American story behind the footballs used by the National Football League, one that dates to the early days of the sport. About how a family of Ukrainian immigrants opened a Chicago tannery in 1905 and came to provide the leather for the game balls used from the lowliest presason game to the Super Bowl, including the Feb. 6 showdown between the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017, photo is the NFL Super Bowl LI football in Chicago. There is a quintessential American story behind the footballs used by the National Football League, one that dates to the early days of the sport. About how a family of Ukrainian immigrants opened a Chicago tannery in 1905 and came to provide the leather for the game balls used from the lowliest presason game to the Super Bowl, including the Feb. 6 showdown between the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, photo the NFL Super Bowl LI football is laced up at the Wilson Sporting Goods plant in Ada, Ohio. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, photo the NFL Super Bowl LI football is laced up at the Wilson Sporting Goods plant in Ada, Ohio. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017, photo Oui Nguyen, right, and Delray Daley sort steer hides at the Horween Leather factory after an initial tanning process to determine whether the hide will be used for footballs, other sporting goods, to footwear or small leather goods in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017, photo Oui Nguyen, right, and Delray Daley sort steer hides at the Horween Leather factory after an initial tanning process to determine whether the hide will be used for footballs, other sporting goods, to footwear or small leather goods in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, photo steer hide leather is sprayed multiple times for color adjustment at the Horween Leather factory in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, photo steer hide leather is sprayed multiple times for color adjustment at the Horween Leather factory in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017 photo, an employee of the Horween Leather factory in Chicago, stacks steer hide leather ready for shipment to the Wilson Sporting Goods factory in Ada, Ohio. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017 photo, an employee of the Horween Leather factory in Chicago, stacks steer hide leather ready for shipment to the Wilson Sporting Goods factory in Ada, Ohio. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, photo the trademark W for Wilson Sporting goods and the pebble grip are embossed on one side along with the backside of the steer hide leather at the Horween Leather factory in Chicago. There is a quintessential American story behind the footballs used by the National Football League, one that dates to the early days of the sport. About how a family of Ukrainian immigrants opened a Chicago tannery in 1905 and came to provide the leather for the game balls used from the lowliest presason game to the Super Bowl, including the Feb. 6 showdown between the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, photo the trademark W for Wilson Sporting goods and the pebble grip are embossed on one side along with the backside of the steer hide leather at the Horween Leather factory in Chicago. There is a quintessential American story behind the footballs used by the National Football League, one that dates to the early days of the sport. About how a family of Ukrainian immigrants opened a Chicago tannery in 1905 and came to provide the leather for the game balls used from the lowliest presason game to the Super Bowl, including the Feb. 6 showdown between the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, photo Wilson Sporting Goods teammate Loyd Conley cuts leather from the Horween Leather factory into quarter panels for an NFL football in Ada, Ohio. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, photo Wilson Sporting Goods teammate Loyd Conley cuts leather from the Horween Leather factory into quarter panels for an NFL football in Ada, Ohio. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, photo an NFL Super Bowl LI football is lined up to have the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons names stamped onto the leather at the Wilson Sporting Goods factory in Ada, Ohio. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, photo an NFL Super Bowl LI football is lined up to have the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons names stamped onto the leather at the Wilson Sporting Goods factory in Ada, Ohio. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, photo an NFL Super Bowl LI football is sewn at the Wilson Sporting Goods factory in Ada, Ohio. Plant workers use turn-of-last-century sewing machines and other vintage equipment to make about 3,000 footballs per day, cutting, stitching and lacing each by hand. The 25-step process takes about three days to complete, but the pride in craftsmanship is evident in those who work there. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, photo an NFL Super Bowl LI football is sewn at the Wilson Sporting Goods factory in Ada, Ohio. Plant workers use turn-of-last-century sewing machines and other vintage equipment to make about 3,000 footballs per day, cutting, stitching and lacing each by hand. The 25-step process takes about three days to complete, but the pride in craftsmanship is evident in those who work there. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, photo Jim Gatchell a teammate at the Wilson Sporting Goods factory in Ada, Ohio, turns an NFL Super Bowl LI football right side out. One of the most physical jobs at the plant, the ball is first placed into a container where it is steamed and then reversed with the use of a steel bar. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, photo Jim Gatchell a teammate at the Wilson Sporting Goods factory in Ada, Ohio, turns an NFL Super Bowl LI football right side out. One of the most physical jobs at the plant, the ball is first placed into a container where it is steamed and then reversed with the use of a steel bar. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, photo Jim Gatchell a teammate at the Wilson Sporting Goods factory in Ada, Ohio, turns an NFL Super Bowl LI football right side out. One of the most physical jobs at the plant, the ball is first placed into a container where it is steamed and then reversed with the use of a steel bar. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, photo Jim Gatchell a teammate at the Wilson Sporting Goods factory in Ada, Ohio, turns an NFL Super Bowl LI football right side out. One of the most physical jobs at the plant, the ball is first placed into a container where it is steamed and then reversed with the use of a steel bar. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, photo Jim Gatchell a teammate at the Wilson Sporting Goods factory in Ada, Ohio, turns an NFL Super Bowl LI football right side out. One of the most physical jobs at the plant, the ball is first placed into a container where it is steamed and then reversed with the use of a steel bar. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, photo Jim Gatchell a teammate at the Wilson Sporting Goods factory in Ada, Ohio, turns an NFL Super Bowl LI football right side out. One of the most physical jobs at the plant, the ball is first placed into a container where it is steamed and then reversed with the use of a steel bar. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, photo the NFL Super Bowl LI football is laced up at the Wilson Sporting Goods plant in Ada, Ohio. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, photo the NFL Super Bowl LI football is laced up at the Wilson Sporting Goods plant in Ada, Ohio. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)