Exclusive First Look: Factory to Field

Learn more about the forthcoming film that follows “The Duke’s” journey to SBLVI.

Since football’s beginning, Wilson has remained a centerpiece of the game. As the Official Game Football of the NFL, Wilson and the NFL have the longest-standing partnership in all of sports. Wilson and “The Duke” have powered every snap, play and point scored throughout the history of the game -- including on football’s grandest stage: the Super Bowl.

This year in commemoration of Super Bowl LVI, we’re excited to release an exclusive film, Factory to Field-- a celebration of the Duke created by Wilson Advisory Staff members Spencer Paysinger and Dane Morck.

Paysinger, a former NFL player and Super Bowl Champion with the New York Giants, and Morck, a former collegiate football player, set out to capture not just “The Duke” itself, but the tradition, legacy and influence the ball has left on the game and its players.

“Ever since our relationship with Wilson began, we realized just how much history there is with this brand, and how much storytelling there is to be mined,” said Morck and Paysinger. “We wanted to tell a story that not only reflects our own sport and life experiences [playing with the Duke] but also captures some of the unsung heroes behind the ball and the Super Bowl.”

Morck and Paysinger's personal connections to the game ball sparked their curiosity about where it all began. So the duo headed to small-town Ada, Ohio, where every NFL and Super Bowl Game Ball is handcrafted‒ cut, laced, sewn and decaled by the dedicated playmakers at 217 Liberty St. The generations-old, often unseen tradition has never changed or wavered, making it both the backbone of "The Duke’s" awe-inspiring story and an essential chapter in the film.

“Seeing that process up close and personal was beyond cool,” said Morck. “I’ve held this football my entire life, and I never knew where it came from.”

“In today’s world of automation,” added Paysinger. “I think you just assume that everything is made by robots, but walking through Ada and speaking to the people there was truly special. There’s so much passion these people have for the ball and the game, and that sense of pride is something we set out to document with this film.”

Of course, this pride for the game doesn’t stop in Ada. Football players everywhere dream of reaching the NFL, and getting to play with “The Duke” is emblematic of making it to the pinnacle of their sport.

In the second chapter of the two-part film, Morck and Paysinger journeyed out to the West Coast to team up with fellow Advisory Staff member Jordan Palmer. Palmer is a quarterback guru who coaches elite high school and collegiate athletes who aspire to play on football’s biggest stage.

Like the craftspeople who make the iconic ball, those who play with the ball are also part of its legacy.

“Allowing people to see and understand the craftsmanship behind this iconic ball, and to come to have an appreciation for something they may never have seen or known before, is our goal,” said the duo.

“In today’s world, not everything has to be so quick and disposable, and the story behind 'The Duke' is anything but that. It’s okay to take your time. It’s okay to have passion for something and take pride in the process. Because creating something truly iconic like 'The Duke' takes both.”

The full Factory to Field documentary will premiere on 2.12.22 in Los Angeles, just one day before "The Duke" hits the Super Bowl field once again.

Check out the latest on Wilson’s presence at SBLVI, and be sure to stay tuned to @wilson for all the latest news.