Wilson Brings Football Factory to New York as Part of NFL Shop At Draft

New York, New York (April 17, 2012) – Thanks to the NFL and Wilson Sporting Goods Co., fans of football and American manufacturing will now get the opportunity to see firsthand how NFL footballs are made. For the first time ever, employees from the Wilson football factory in Ada, Ohio will be manufacturing official NFL game balls in New York City at the NFL Shop at Draft Store throughout Draft Week, April 19-30th.

The Official Football of the NFL is still a handcrafted work of art, and every point scored in the NFL has been with a Wilson football. Wilson and the NFL began their partnership in 1941, making it one of the longest enduring partnerships in sports history. At the home of the world’s only dedicated football factory, Wilson handcrafts over 700,000 game balls each year. Each day, the Ohio-based team of 120 employees produces more than 3,000 footballs.

“Our team takes great pride in producing each football used in every NFL game,” says Dan Riegle, Wilson Factory manager. “We could not be more proud to have this opportunity to take a piece of football history to the biggest city in the United States where we’ll demonstrate the skill and craftsmanship that go in to the making of the NFL game ball.”

Fans in New York will have the opportunity to purchase a variety of Wilson game balls at the NFL Shop at Draft Store. Fans will also be able to customize game balls with their name, signature, favorite team logo and more on NFL regular season game balls, Commerative Draft and Super Bowl game balls on-site.

“Wilson has been a part of the NFL family for over 70 years and we take pride in the role we play in the game of football,” says Kevin Murphy, Wilson General Manager of Football.

“We look forward to showcasing our legacy and tradition with NFL fans during Draft Week.”

Fans can learn more about Wilson’s involvement in the NFL and how the game ball is made by visiting www.wilson.com/football and Facebook.com/WilsonFootball.