Made In Ada Since 1955
Wilson Sporting Goods has been manufacturing leather game footballs in Ada, OH since 1955. In May of 2024, we opened a new manufacturing facility on the same street, nearly doubling the capacity of our previous space. Our team of skilled craftsmen and women are building footballs everyday by hand. We perfected this process in 1941 when we became the Official Football of the NFL®. Visitors are welcome at the factory where you can see how a NFL leather game football is made, one of the great American manufacturing stories of the past century. We also have a full retail store and a small museum on-site.
Every NFL touchdown is handcrafted in Ada, Ohio
Today, over 500,000 leather footballs are produced every year by more than 120 skilled craftsmen and craftswomen. The Official Football of the NFL, “The Duke®”, as well as our GST® and Omega leather footballs are all made right here in the USA.
How To Build A Legend
Cutting
First, panels are cut from leather hides in one of the five panel sizes—Pee Wee, Junior, Youth, High School/Collegiate and Official NFL—to produce 10-12 four panel footballs. Matching the four panels is a challenging puzzle cutter’s excel at to ensure every final ball has a consistent color.
Stamping & Decal
Tiny Ws stamped among the pebbles are proof of authenticity created during the first of multiple heads heated to 500ºF to also “kill” the pebbling for a smooth surface. Most text is stamped directly onto the leather in metallic foil, while decals are printed and laminated in our graphics department before application.
Sewing
Once cut, a backing is applied and the panels are sewn together inside-out, starting with the top two panels, by our experienced team. This allows the meticulously consistent stitching to be hidden inside every final football. Once the ball is turned right-side-out, it returns to the sewers to close the ball for good.
Turning
After being sewn inside-out, each football is turned right-side-out by hand. After being placed in a steam box for 30 seconds to soften the leather, a turner reverses the ball with the help of a steel bar. The best turners can complete this difficult and physically demanding process in less than a minute.
Visit The Wilson ADA Factory
Book tours online. A portion of every $15 ticket goes directly to support local youth sports programs. Admission is always free for first responders and military personnel. Visitors are welcome to enjoy Ada’s retail experience with or without booking a tour.
Experience The Factory
Take A Factory Tour
Schedule online (above). A portion of every $15 ticket will be donated to youth sports programs in the area. First responders and active/former military are free.
Shop Our Retail Store
Shop footballs handcrafted right here in Ada, Ohio plus timeless Wilson heritage sportswear and more.
Learn About Our Heritage
Learn about American sports history and the historic partnership the NFL and Wilson continue to build.
Location Details
Shop Game Footballs Made In Ada, OH
Duke NFL Footballs
Rubber material is heated and cut into pieces, called slugs, which are then molded into half-shells.
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GST Footballs
The slugs are inserted into cavities in a heated compression press, where the rubber material cures into solid half-shells.
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Omega Game Football
Sandpaper is used to clean and buff the half-shell seam's surface. To prepare shells for molding into a core, adhesive is then applied to the seam.
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