WILSON F1100 Official NFL Game Football

Amazon.com Grab onto a piece of history with Wilson's official NFL game ball--The Duke--which is dedicated to football legend Wellington "Duke" Mara. More than just a piece of memorabilia, The Duke is designed with the serious competitor in mind, with genuine hand-sewn, Tanned in Tack leather for superior playability and grip, and 3-ply VPU bladder for maximum durability and air retention. Other features include double lacing, the official NFL seal in gold, and Commissioner Roger Goodell signature stamp. The return of The Duke. Wellington "The Duke" Mara passed away in October, 2005 at the age of 89 after dedicating 81 years to the New York Giants as an administrator, owner, and unwavering booster. In 1940, heeding the advice of influential team owners Tim Mara of the New York Giants and George Halas of the Chicago Bears, the NFL selected Wilson as the league's official football supplier. The following year, Wilson introduced a redesigned football and named it "The Duke" in honor of Mara's son, Wellington. The Duke stayed in play for nearly three decades until the NFL and AFL merged in 1969. About Wilson At the heart of sports history for almost a century, Wilson has been influential and intimately involved in shaping the games of tennis, golf, baseball, and American football. As the originator of breakthrough technologies, Wilson has produced legendary classics and earned world-wide legitimacy in each sport it participates in. The world's leading manufacturer of ball sports equipment, Wilson's core sports include tennis, baseball, American football, golf, basketball, softball, badminton, and squash. A division of Helsinki-based Amer Sports, Wilson is headquartered in Chicago. Product Description Throughout American sports history, no other brand has been partnered with a league longer than Wilson has been with the NFL. Not only has every point scored in the NFL been with a Wilson Football, but every Wilson NFL game ball has been handcrafted in Ada, OH by skilled craftsmen and women for decades. "The Duke" NFL football was named in honor of the game's pioneering legend and NY Giants owner, Wellington Mara. Back when Mara was a young boy taking in the game from the sidelines, the Giants players dubbed him "The Duke" and years later, the NFL game ball took on this nickname too. Bring home "The Duke" today, which is as close as a fan can get to the authentic, on-field icon that's been passed, caught and carried by the game's greatest since the NFL started in 1941.