Ada is home to the Wilson football factory, where all footballs used by the NFL are made. Since 1941, Wilson Sporting Goods has supplied every ball for every point, every fumble, and every touchdown that has been made in the U.S. on the professional field.

Most of Wilson’s employees have spent their lives making the footballs you see every week during the season. Each ball is carefully made by hand in a streamlined, assembly process. No football leaves the factory until every employee has touched it in some way.

The Superbowl is a big event for the factory. They open the doors late at night after the last playoff game is over to burn the names of the teams competing in the Superbowl on the special game balls.

Watch how the factory prepares the special Superbowl footballs:

The next time you’re watching a game and the ball is thrown high and hard across the field, take a moment and think about Ada, Ohio, and the proud workers that each had a hand in that play.

10) O. J. Simpson

One of Hollywood’s most notorious figures, O. J. Simpson played football at the University of Southern California, winning the Heisman Trophy in 1968. Simpson went on to a highly-successful football career with the Buffalo Bills and the San Francisco 49ers. As an actor, he is best known for his role in The Naked Gun. In one of the most shocking celebrity trials, he was accused and acquitted of the 1994 murder of his ex-wife Nicole Simpson.

9) John David Washington

The son of Hollywood legend Denzel Washington, John David Washington has been widely celebrated for his role in Spike Lee’s film, BlacKkKlansman. He didn’t start out following in his father’s footsteps, though. Washington played running back while attending Morehouse College, then was drafted as a free agent by the St. Louis Rams. He then spent four years as a running back in the United Football League’s Sacramento Mountain Lions before moving on to acting.

8) Dean Cain

This television heartthrob is best known for his role as Clark Kent, aka Superman, in the TV series Lois and Clark. Before he was making hearts melt, Cain was setting a record for most interceptions as a free safety for Princeton University. An injury at training camp with the Buffalo Bills ended his career in football, but put him on the path to acting stardom.

7) Jim Brown

A true Hollywood veteran, Jim Brown’s acting career began in the 1960’s, but his football career started at Syracuse University in 1954. He played nine seasons in the NFL after being drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 1957, setting multiple records that would take almost 40 years to break. Brown would go on to a successful career in Hollywood, starring in blockbusters like The Dirty Dozen and The Running Man.

6) Terry Crews

Athlete, actor, activist, and all-around lovable guy, Terry Crews has made a name for himself on both the big and small screens. This star of Brooklyn 9-1-1 and The Expendables was also a star on the football field. After a stint at Western Michigan University, Crews went on to play linebacker and defensive end in the NFL, for the Los Angeles Rams, San Diego Chargers, and Washington Redskins.

5) Carl Weathers

Carl Weathers may currently star in the Star Wars series The Mandalorian, but he will always be remembered for his iconic role as Apollo Creed in the Rocky franchise. While Apollo Creed was tough, Carl Weathers may be tougher. After playing football at San Diego State University, he went on to play for the then-AFC Oakland Raiders and in the Canadian Football League for the BC Lions.

4) Ed O’Neal

Ed O’Neal is remembered by millions as Al Bundy from Married With Children, a character IMDB says is “the most iconic working class character on television since Archie Bunker.” Before making television history, O’Neal was a defensive lineman at Youngstown State University (YSU). He was signed in 1969 as an undrafted free agent by the Pittsburgh Steelers, but was cut during training camp. His loss was our gain, as he returned to YSU to study theater, going on to play his first role opposite Al Pacino in Cruising.

3) Mark Harmon

Son of football player and broadcaster Tom Harmon, Mark Harmon has scored hit after hit both on and off the football field. On the field, Harmon played quarterback for the UCLA Bruins, graduating cum laude and receiving the National Football Foundation Award for All-Round Excellence. Off the field, Harmon was named “Sexiest Man Alive” by People in 1986, and has appeared in long-running shows like St. Elsewhere and N.C.I.S.

2) Burt Reynolds

Best known for his roles in the iconic films Deliverance, Smokey and the Bandit, and Boogie Nights, Oscar-nominated actor Burt Reynolds once played halfback for Florida State University. He was being scouted by the Baltimore Colts when he suffered a knee injury playing his sophomore year. After a car wreck that injured his other knee, Reynolds gave up football, and later developed a passion for acting.

1) Dwayne Johnson

Anyone familiar with “The Rock” probably knows he started his acting career after huge success with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). He made his big-screen debut in The Mummy Returns in 2001. This role showed Hollywood he was a bona fide movie star. However, Johnson’s career didn’t start with wrestling. Johnson got his start as a defensive tackle for the University of Miami. He didn’t make the NFL draft, but went on to play with the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders in 1995.

All photos obtained from © Wikimedia Commons

Outside linebacker Anthony Hitchens began his NFL career in 2014 with the Dallas Cowboys and signed on with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2018. Despite losing to Tampa Bay in Super Bowl LV, Hitchens gave his best performance. In the first half of the game, Hitchens rejected a touchdown from Tampa Bay which could have created a crisis for the Chiefs that early in the game. However, as it turns out, it really didn’t matter. However, the block by Hitchens was still an awesome one.

1. Touchdown stopped by Anthony Hitchens

Great stop by Hitchens!

2. Touchdown blocked by Damien Wilson at 3rd yard line!

In 2015, linebacker Damien Wilson also began his NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys. He signed on with the Kansas City Chiefs in March of 2019. Check out this great play by Damien Wilson keeping Tampa Bay’s running back, Ronald Jones II, from getting into the end zone. This play earned him the NFL’s “Way to Play” award. This award recognizes the best examples of playing techniques for each week of the NFL regular season and the playoffs.

To be honest, I had to Google the names of the teams that played before writing this article. I didn’t have much invested in the game. It’s safe to say I’m not in this for the sports.

Indeed, I’m just here for the food and funny commercials. As usual, the ads featured star-studded rosters, songs and phrases we’ll all be quoting or singing for weeks, followed by a sudden urge to buy some products we probably don’t need.

Which commercials came out on top?

Drake from State Farm

Maybe it’s just me, but ever since State Farm debuted the entertaining advertisement starring Jake (you know, the one with the, uh, khakis), I’ve chuckled at the idea of a Drake feature. I’m a fan and the names rhyme. As if State Farm read my mind, their Super Bowl commercial gave their already popular ad a fun twist. Drake is now an acting double for Jake! By the way, Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, and Paul Rudd also make an appearance to round out the commercial and supply some laughs. If the Jake from State Farm ad wasn’t memorable enough before, it certainly will be now. I suddenly feel as if I need a new quote on car insurance…

Amazon’s Alexa Gets a Make-Over

Amazon rolled out a new style of their Alexa assistant and one woman in this commercial proclaims, “I couldn’t imagine a more beautiful vessel for Alexa to be inside.”

Enter Michael B. Jordan.

Viewers see a flash of “what could be” and this upgrade puts Mr. Jordan right in her home as a personal assistant. We see him telling her she’s beautiful in French and reading to her in a bubble bath. All while her husband is trying very hard to pull the plug on New Alexa. Cutting back to reality (in the commercial), another employee doesn’t hesitate to ask, “Do you know if we have any extra ones of these?”

Let’s go check in the back, friend. Amazon definitely “made us look” with that one.

Squarespace Dances with Dolly.  

This ad is just plain catchy, and I’m not just saying that because I regularly blast Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” on my way to work. Squarespace put a spin on Dolly’s classic to demonstrate their company’s website building capabilities. Employees are shuffling through their 9 to 5 routine in a boring, mundane office. When it’s close to quitting time, each employee springs to life as they finish a website for their passion and perform a choreographed dance showcasing their site’s theme. This is set to a reversal of “9 to 5”, demonstrating Squarespace’s understanding that many people pursue hobbies and careers outside of office hours as Dolly sings about working from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. The company shows off their specialty and makes an impression, maybe even making a few viewers dance along.

With the good comes the bad. Not every commercial made us laugh, sing, or reflect. There’s always one that misses their mark and sounds a tad tone-deaf.

Robinhood Says “We’re All Investors”

In this commercial, Robinhood features clips of average, everyday people to illustrate that anyone can invest in the stock market because we’re all the same. Equality. This sentiment did not go over well with viewers. In fact, many took to Twitter to ream the trading company as it recently blocked users from buying certain stocks and then proceeded to send out a message seeming to guide them on being “good investors”. The company tried to muster an inclusive message, but there were viewers that did not buy it. One user Tweeted, “The free market is only free until rich people lose money”. Given their recent spotlight in the media, a different approach by Robinhood may have been better received.   

Which commercials were your favorites? Were there any you didn’t like? Leave a comment and let us know!

Quarterback Tom Brady gave us an almost flawless performance in Super Bowl LV. He completed 21 of 29 passes with 3 touchdowns and no interceptions; therefore, taking the Buccaneers to their victory in Super Bowl LV.

1. Brady’s 1st touch down throw to Ron Gronkowski!

Fast thinking by Brady! Very easy catch for Gronkowski and he sneaks in for the touch down! The Kansas City Chief’s players look on in disbelief as they allowed a hole in their defensive line.

2. Brady’s 2nd touch down throw to Gronkowski again!

This was a great 25 yard throw by Brady into the end zone and Gronkowski grabbed it like a pro to give Tampa Bay their 2nd touch down. This play takes place so fast that you will need to pause the video and drag it in slow motion to see the perfect landing of the football into Gronkowski’s hands.

3. Brady’s 3rd touch down throw to Antonio Brown!

Right place, right time Antonio! Awesome catch and hold technique! This was another great throw by Brady dead center into the hands of Antonio Brown. The Chiefs were not too happy about it either. Brown had to crouch down and hold on to the ball with his dear life in order to keep Kansas City Chief’s, Tyrann Mathieu, defensive player from plucking it out of his hands.

At 43 years old, this was Brady’s 7th Super Bowl win. After the game, he was named Super Bowl MVP player for 2021. This was his fifth time winning this honor and so far the only player that has won it that many times. According to Brady, he has no plans to retire anytime in the near future and will be coming back for the 2021 football season.