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Every Custom leather ball is handstamped in Ada, OH
from premium Horween leather made exclusively for Wilson.
The stamping tools are selected based on the ball's size and spec - you can get your Custom ball in an Official or Junior size.
It's an art we've got down to a science. Every leather hide can stamp out 10 official NFL size panels.
Custom balls come in four leathers: the NFL pattern or the NCAA, College Football Playoff or Wilson Throwback patterns.
Then the blank panels are sent to stamping where they're marked with an iconic Wilson script logo and in some cases an NFL, CFP or NCAA official logo.
The handcrafted process is steeped in American pride and passion for the game.
Wilson has been the only official ball of the NFL since 1941. Your ball is built by the same hands who make every ball on field during the NFL season.
While an intricate craft, the tools and machines are simple…
as it's the hands that really do the work.
There's even beauty in what's left behind.
All four panels are sewn together inside out.
A hammer is used to make the ends of the ball more uniform during the physically demanding Turning stage.
After the ball gets turned rightside out, a lacer inserts the football's bladder. Not every ball uses the same lace! Pictured here are GST composite laces known for their extra grip.
Every ball is laced by hand.
Here an NCAA ball gets laced up.
Your ball will be laced just like the official game balls are - at Wilson we believe that means no other way than by hand.
Every Custom ball comes marked with the signature water tower logo on the back valve panel. The Wilson Ada water tower overlooks production in the small town Wilson has called home for almost a century.
MADE IN THE USA
For the love of the game, and our country. All official leather game balls are made in the USA
from an exclusive Wilson leather pattern from the Horween Leather Factory in Chicago, IL. See the tiny W's?
Here, leather panels for the Duke, the official ball of the NFL, are stamped out by hand. This is step one for every ball in Ada.
Leather remnants are another reminder of American craftsmanship.
Wilson is what the Pros Play, and have been playing since 1941. The longest running official ball deal in sports history says it all about the Wilson way.
Guided by the hands of dedicated Ada factory workers, these machines have been sewing game balls for over sixty years.
A hallmark innovation of the GST game ball, patented sewn on stripes. Many players & coaches say the Wilson GST is a true orignal game changer.
Over a dozen hands touch a ball before it leaves the factory. It's a remarkable effort and art.
Turning the ball is the most physically demanding task in Ada, although every step requires the utmost concentration and commitment.
Every ball in the factory is laced by hand. Here, a Michigan College Football Playoff ball is the center of attention.
Churning out over 3,000 game balls a day, the Wilson factory is as much a museum as football plant. Artifacts like this old plate speak to decades of craftsmanship at every level of play.
Wilson ships game balls to all 50 states and around the world. The GST shown here is the number one selling game ball in the USA.
