Super Bowl 2015: The Journey of the Game Footballs
A behind-the-scenes look at how they are kept.
— -- Two days ahead of the Super Bowl, the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks have handed all their footballs -- the ones that will be used in the Big Game -- to one man for safekeeping and placed under lock and key.
Along with Katy Perry's costumes, the footballs will go through security as well, which will be even more rigorous this year.
NFL vice president of officiating Dean Blandino said in a news conference on Thursday that the extra security will be “just some additional security measures from Friday from when we take custody to when they get to the game on Sunday. Not quite the Stanley Cup, but there will be additional measures.”
Super Bowl protocol is different than that of the regular season, where each team brings their balls to the officials’ locker room prior to the game to be inspected -- something that was highlighted by the recent "Deflate-gate" scandal involving the Patriots.
Here's a timeline of where the Super Bowl footballs have been and are going:
January 2015:
The 130 employees of Wilson Football Factory in Ada, Ohio, create the official ball. There are 25 steps in making each NFL Super Bowl game ball, including threading one lace by hand through 16 lace holes.
Monday, January 19:
Wilson shipped game footballs to the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks within 24 hours of the conclusion of the NFC and AFC championship games, which took place two weeks ago. The teams then prepare 54 balls each to be used in Sunday's game, 4.5 times the normal amount number used in the regular season, which is 12.
The large volume of footballs is due to charity commitments for game-used balls, Blandino said.
"The teams do practice with those footballs," Blandino said on Thursday. "They prepare them, and then we take custody of those footballs on Friday [Jan. 30]."
Sunday, January 25:
Kicker footballs are sealed in boxes and shipped directly to the NFL official hotel one week prior to the Super Bowl. “K balls” are marked by a small "k" inscription.
Friday, January 30:
On Friday afternoon, the two teams are handed the balls to Chicago Bears equipment manager Tony Medlin, who was chosen to supervise the equipment managers and ball attendants handling pre-game preparations.
"Tony Medlin, who is the equipment manager for the Chicago Bears, has been doing this for a long time," Blandino said. "He has custody of the footballs, and he will have the footballs on Friday.
Medlin has worked in equipment with the Bears since 1987 and he's in his 18th as the team's head equipment manager, according to his profile on the Bears' website.
For the Bears, he's responsible for coordinating "equipment operations including logistics, purchasing and inventory, for all players, coaches and staff," the profile states.
Super Bowl Game Day
Sunday, Feb. 1, 3:30 p.m.:
The balls will remain with Medlin and the NFL with the added security until about three hours prior to the game.
"Then, [Medlin] will bring them to the officials locker room to be tested," Blandino said.
At that time, referee Bill Vinovich will test each ball to ensure it is within the NFL's allowable range of 12.5-13.5 pounds per square inch.
"We inspect them, we gauge them and basically approve or disapprove of the footballs," Blandino said. "That process is no different than any other Super Bowl. There will be some security just because of the environment that we’re in for this game. There really is no change in terms of the protocol for the Super Bowl.”
Sunday, Feb. 1, 4 p.m.:
NFL personnel deliver the kicker balls to the official’s room approximately 2.5 hours before kickoff, according to Wilson.
Sometime before kickoff, "Tony will take possession back, and the balls will be taken to the field and given to the ball boys for the game," Blandino said.
Kick-off is at 6:30 p.m. ET at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
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