Ms. Helser (Photo courtesy of Wilson).
If you have been an NFL fan between the years of 1966 and 2014, you relied on Jane Helser, and you probably don’t even know her. In this article we are going to learn all about Ms. Helser and her contribution to the league. Hint: Wilson. Definitely not Russell Wilson—Helser barely knows his name because she is not a football fan. The irony is strong. Let’s dive into the final edition of Women’s Herstory Month 2025 for The Forkball!
Helser The Hustler
Let me introduce you to Jane Helser. She is an Ohio native that took a job at Wilson Sporting Goods in 1966. The 19-year-old had a bakery gig but she knew she would need a new occupation if she wanted that new car she had her eye on. Wilson was that metaphorical key to her car.
For 48 seasons she was one of two individuals that made footballs for the NFL. Helser put in 10 hour shifts, 4 days a week for decades keeping the NFL going. Ms. Helser has created a football for every Super Bowl up until 2014. She also sewed over one million footballs in her career, with roughly 600 a week. That’s a legacy that should put her in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Jane Helser the Hero
Unlike many jobs, the creation of a football will never be taken over by machines. A football seamstress uses a stitching machine to sew the football. Think of a very large sewing machine. Footballs haven’t been hand-sewn for a long time. Wilson took over manufacturing the ball in a factory in 1941 when they first opened their doors with their handy-dandy equipment.
Nothing can replace Jane Helser, though. The ball is sewn inside out and then flipped right side out. Machines cannot flip the football without tearing up the ball. So until robots take over the world, we will always need a Ms. Jane to flip that football for Wilson.
Quote From the Queen of Footballs
Jane Helser’s work ethic is literally unparalleled. She is so dedicated to her art that she found it difficult to hang up her cleats and see a Super Bowl without her ball in it. It’s so clear why after you hear how she displays her commitment with this quote: “All these years, my goal was to make the best football that I could every day. I was mad when I had an end off or when my machine was acting up and it was making me make mistakes. I was hired in there to do a job and I wanted to do the best job that I could every day.” What a beautiful person.
Quick Football Facts
You can’t learn about Jane Helser without learning some facts about the creation of a football as well. The pigskin, which is no longer leather, comes in four pieces that are sewn together by a giant sewing machine. After that the ball is flipped inside out, and the lace is hand-woven through the holes present on two of the pieces.
Even after the NFL survived the watermelon soccer ball-like contraptions that football was played with, the art was still pretty rudimentary. It wasn’t 1800s bad when it took 30 minutes of a player’s time manually blowing up the ever-leaking football multiple times throughout the game. However, prior to 1941, there was still fully manual hand-stitching of each ball that deflated so well they would make Tom Brady proud.
The quality of life for the players and ball boys increased significantly when they didn’t have to use a few select balls that had to be blown up like an air mattress throughout the game. Each team is given 108 balls a year, 54 for practice and 54 for play. A number of pigskins that would make NFL players of yesteryear cry.
Last Thoughts
In conclusion, we all owe Ms. Helser gratitude and thanks for her contribution to the NFL. She was one of two individuals who sewed footballs for the league from 1966 to 2014. Helser took great pride in her work but also appreciated humbleness in herself and others. She appreciated Russell Wilson when he cried and thanked God for his talent after winning. I think she is referring to this moment.
Jane Helser worked 40 hours a week for 48 years, creating 600 footballs a week. She loved her job and put her heart and soul into each ball. We are all richly blessed for someone who was so committed to their job for so long. Helser deserves all of our adoration for her role in the NFL. Don’t forget the unsung female hero in your own life. Their contributions keep our country moving forward. Also don’t forget to catch the other three articles for Women’s Herstory Month 2025 here for The Forkball.
