I got let go from my job. Now, NFL and college teams pay me for my muddy footballs.

• Daniel Kolcun founded his company, Gridiron Football Prep, the day after he was let go from his job.
• The business customizes footballs for optimal performance and feel for quarterbacks.
• Dan says he works with colleges and professional teams to ensure they have the best balls possible.

This as-told-to essay is based on conversations with Daniel Kolcun, owner of Gridiron Football Prep. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I got let go from my job in 2021 as part of a companywide reduction.

At the time, I had been working in football product management at Wilson Sporting Goods, overseeing football products and working with teams, factories, and leather suppliers across college and professional football.

Wherever I went, the same topic of discussion came up: What's the best way to break in a football?

I had been preparing footballs for years as an add-on service within my role for select teams.

During COVID, that service expanded when equipment managers didn't have access to their facilities; they would ask for help, and I'd stay late, come in on weekends, or use downtime to prep footballs so they were ready to use.

Over time, I learned how leather behaves in different weather, which products hold up, how to customize prep options to meet quarterbacks' needs, and which processes are duplicative.

After the layoff, I had teams who were interested in continuing to work with me. So the day after I was let go, I started an LLC for my company, Gridiron Football Prep.

Every football goes through a customized, multi-step process

I run Gridiron Football Prep out of my home in New Jersey with my wife, Emily, who handles product development and business operations. The workload is intense. At any given time, there can be hundreds of footballs in different stages of preparation — brushed, conditioned, balmed, mudded, and drying.

When a football leaves the factory, it's missing key elements that prevent it from performing at the highest level. Quarterbacks may find it too slick, too stiff, or inconsistent in moisture, which can affect how the ball feels in their hands. Prepping a football to a quarterback's specific needs, so it feels more worn, tacky, soft, and usable in addition to performing better in different weather conditions.

Every football goes through a custom, multi-step process. There's brushing to open the leather's pores, conditioning to soften it, balming to add controlled tack, heat to bake products into the leather, and mudding to even the surface and help with moisture management.

The mud I use comes from New Jersey. I apply it by hand, so it spreads evenly across the leather and acts as an emulsifier, bringing the ball's natural tack to the surface. It also helps manage moisture and gives the football a more consistent color and feel.

The hands-on work averages at least 30 minutes per ball, but drying time stretches a full batch to about 72 hours. During peak season, I aim to finish roughly 50 footballs a day.

Orders vary. Some college programs send 150 to 200 footballs before a season. Professional teams can go through hundreds over the course of a year. My pricing typically ranges from about $40 to $75 per ball, depending on volume, customization, and turnaround time.

The goal is simple: I don't want the quarterback thinking about the ball. If they're thinking about grip, something went wrong.

This is how I contribute to the game I love

Football has been a part of my life for decades. I played the sport through high school and college, then stayed in the space through equipment work and product development roles over the years.

I still watch football like a former player, but now I see it through a different lens — one shaped by deadlines, weather forecasts, and preparation cycles. Most of the time, the work I do doesn't show up on screen because that means the football is performing the way it's supposed to.

Then there's the occasional snap where it matters. That might only be 1%. But sometimes, that 1% is enough to justify building a business around it.

I never made it to the NFL as a player, but this is how I contribute to the game now.