Kickoff the Fun with These Footballs

Here are four footballs worth celebrating with a touchdown dance

I can’t remember a year in my life when football didn’t play a major role. As a young kid, I was brought up to root for my family’s college team. Later, as a pre-teen, I’d play two-hand-touch football in the street in front of my house until it got too dark to see the ball. One very unsuccessful year of playing ball in high school and then it was off to college to root for my own team. Later in life, I’d even return to the sport as a high school football referee for 10 years, helping a new generation of players to find their connection to the game.

To this day, I can’t see a football without all those memories racing back through my head as if the streetlights in front of my childhood home were perpetually illuminated. Find your love of the game again with one of these five footballs.

Wilson CFL Replica Football

Wilson CFL Replica Football
This football from Wilson is a replica of the one used by the Canadian Football League. It features a soft composite leather cover. Amazon

Celebrate the history of the Canadian Football League with this replica football. The league’s history in Canada dates all the way back to 1958, and for a brief time in the 1990s they even included a handful of American teams. Today, nine teams in Canada play an 18-game regular season on the road to the ultimate prize – the Grey Cup.

Official NFL Game Football

Wilson "The Duke" Official NFL Game Football
This has been the official game ball of the National Football League since 1941. Amazon

Nicknamed “The Duke” after the late New York Giants owner Wellington “Duke” Mara, this Wilson ball features NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s signature. It has a leather cover, 3-ply bladder and double lacing for added strength.

Wilson NCAA Composite Football

Wilson NCAA Composite Football
This youth-size ball is recommended for ages 12 to 14 and features a long-lasting composite cover. Amazon

Let your kids dream of taking the field every Saturday afternoon to the sounds of a crazy college crowd and the tunes of a marching band with this NCAA-branded composite ball. The composite cover will keep it fresh season after season.

Franklin Sports Grip-Rite 100

Black and Lime Green Franklin Sports Grip-Rite 100
The rubber-molded construction is super tacky to ensure a solid grip in the most challenging of weather conditions. Amazon

Okay, so nobody is going to confuse the Grip-Rite 100 for an “official” football. We still love it for tailgating and backyard pick-up games. Remember – football is still a game!

Wilson GST Leather Football

Wilson GST Leather Football
Approved for play by the National Federation of State High School Associations, this football is the softest leather football out there. Amazon

The Wilson GST is the perfect ball to grip – especially in wet game conditions. Its pebbled surface provides nearly double the grip than competing footballs. When you see your local high school teams battling it out on Friday nights, chances are this is the ball they’re using.