Preparing a brand new Nike Vapor Elite football for a game with Ole Miss Rebels Football

Ole Miss Rebels' equipment manager Luke Lyles takes 5th Down CFB through the process of getting a football from the box to the playing field. They're doing something right down in Oxford, Mississippi as the team's offense looks unstoppable and quarterback Matt Corral is serious early season Heisman Trophy contender.
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[@mannixdaniels8123]

That last line was crazy 😅

[@BuffaloNickel9]

More of the game ball prep!! How did you get access to this?

[@irvingbeeks9661]

Can someone please help me and tell me what kind of brush machine that is??

[@BuffaloNickel9]

Skip the mud and use the Wilson tack bar or tack spray and this would have been perfect in my opinion... All mud really does is darken the leather... should 've used Barbasol original shaving cream which helps bring the natural tack out of the leather and gives it a brilliant shine but that's just a Nit pick on brand... I've twice toured the Factory in Texas which makes all the Nike Vapor Elite balls in the country for every single College or University and does all of the individual School logos. I have a couple of Ole Miss balls. but my favorite are the UGA and Bama Vapor Elite... Three different types of leather you can choose from! Bama & Stanford use a really beautiful leather with red undertones... and I'm darn glad they've moved away from the vapor one and started using the Vapor Elite which isnt so pointy... the new newer Nike Vapor Elite with the stitched in stripes are the best throwing balls I've ever thrown... the ball in this video looks more like a vapor one with the pointy ends on which teams have moved away on their game balls this past year..i wonder if Matt Corral prefers that pointy style? Anyways I love seeing this type of stuff and everyone has their own process but more less they use the same methods like in this video so this was very informative to someone unlike me who's seeing this stuff for the first time! Thx I've done hundreds of balls for different high schools and small colleges in my area. I got to be honest with you I skip the mud 90% of the time. I hit it with the Steaming hot damp towel but go very lightly do not get the ball damp about 20 seconds to remove some of the red dye, then you got to let it dry for a few hours before hitting it with a pretty heavy w shaving cream. Brush the hell out of it until it starts to shine like crazy and you feel a good natural tack and sheen coming out... then you hit it with the leather conditioner, give it a good wipe again with a dry towel and then the most important step is to skip the mud and use the tack bar and a brush manually or the Wilson tack spray After doing hundreds of balls, I'd honestly say it's an absolute must to use the tack bar and/or tack spray... Also i like to skip the mud because mud and the wet towel really are the key factors in darkening the football. just a visual color change of darkening does nothing to help enhance the tack I've leaned... you definitely want your leather to darken from that reddish pink color it comes, but I don't like to get the balls so dark where they are harder to pick up visually for the receivers.. that's my two cents but I really enjoyed watching this video from Ole Miss equipment managers. someone should send them a new brush. their Electric buffing brush has seen better days huh? 😂

[@David-gn7yr]

Thanks man, i’m gonna use your tips to break in my ball? you’re saying all I should do is use a warm towel wipe it down, dry. Brush it then tack bar and brush again?

[@flex_xnvy3108]

How are u able to purchase a university logo football?

[@BuffaloNickel9]

@@David-gn7yr hey David sorry I'm just getting back to you now... yeah what you wrote is correct except for you need to get yourself some barbasol original shaving cream and a good leather conditioner.... 1) give the game ball a light brushing... 2) get yourself a towel and some hot water. As hot as your faucet will go. Submerge the towel briefly. then quickly wring it out. you don't want the towel dripping, you want to wring out ALL dripping water so you don't water log your ball Nike Vapor Elite or Wilson GST etc.. 3.) Wipe the ball for a good minute or two. Moderate pressure. Remember you're not soaking the ball! you're wiping off all the built-up particles and dye that comes from the factory! Hint: if you use a white towel you should most definitely see pink or Brown dye on it. ( this is now your football towel because you will not be able to reuse it for anything else) the ball should turn a dark color. Don't overdo it you can always go back 4.) Leave the ball alone let it dry for a day. 5.) Shaving cream time! grab that barbasol shaving cream and your towel.. put about a golf ball amount on A DRY towel and rub it onto the ball! Concentrate on doing one panel at a time, there are four panels so you will use four golf ball size amounts of shaving cream. Fully cover the ball but DO NOT get it on the laces. 6.) let the shaving cream dry for half an hour.. 7.) Grab your brush and go to town brushing the ball. Remember how I said to do one panel at a time. Brush the heck out of it! I use a horse hair brush because its softer and I can use as much pressure as I want... but if you're using the "Wilson brush" you need to use LIGHT pressure because it's really stiff... I say spend 10 or 20 minutes a day brushing the ball over the next few days... 8.) Apply a coat of your favorite leather conditioner and let it dry, wipe excess off. do this after you brush the ball.( If you need to know which one I use let me know!) 9.) Hopefully you bought the Wilson tack bar and brush.. rub the brush on the tack bar and brush your ball with it. Stuff work great!

[@David-gn7yr]

@@BuffaloNickel9 yea man thanks for responding I appreciate it! what conditioner do you use? and what brush if you don’t mind me asking. i’m going to buy the supplies soon. i’ve had the ball for a week and i’ve been using it lightly indoors just passing it so i don’t scuff it on concrete or something.

[@BuffaloNickel9]

@@David-gn7yr friend, read my comment above. If you already have the Wilson tack bar that's an important part! you're going to need some original barbasol shaving cream and a leather conditioner. Luckily you can buy both those things for under $20 total. Quite a bargain compared to the $100 mud that's not necessary! read my instructions reply. let me know if you have any questions. Remember if you're using the Wilson brush that came with the tack bar it's super stiff.. none of us use a brush that stiff because it can easily remove all the factory pebbling grip from the ball. (You know, all those tiny little micro bumps on the ball) you want to keep those. You're brushing can be a combination of fast and short Strokes, just be sure never to brush the ball when it is damp.

[@atlchopper2008]

What’s the bench polisher attachments you use?

[@user-bp2gk7hk9c]

Been waiting to here as well

[@rileycowan3969]

Does it matter what conditioner you use

[@rileycowan3969]

I’m breaking in a football now but I’m concerned if the conditioner matters

[@easyaviation3205]

@@rileycowan3969 The different types of conditioners probably have slightly different effects but I’m sure they all help to soften and moisturize the leather I think the biggest ones people use are the Wilson conditioner, Big Game conditioner, and leather honey

[@keiramacmillan2808]

Who inflates the footballs for an nfl game? Is it the equipment manager?

[@LeftOverCouchCrumbs]

Usually, yes

[@barryross89]

How many times did dude say basically??

[@5thdowncfb]

A lot, but he was in the middle of his day when he agreed to put that ball together for my video, and he was a hell of a nice kid.

[@brockproctor3193]

Basically

[@GarretEckman]

Why are the Nike balls so pointy

[@j_boogie_483]

basically.... basically.... basically....basically.....

[@5thdowncfb]

He's a nice kid, wasn't used to being on camera.

[@j4s0n67]

@@5thdowncfbhe seems nice

[@chuckreid5018]

Stupid method..lol it's leather use conditioner & mink oil...dark ball & waterproof..smh

[@j.a.c.3264]

Where do you get the mink oil from?

[@ManBearPig617x]

@@j.a.c.3264 from minks