Dan Kolcun does what factories can't: He takes a new football or baseball and turns it into something that feels worn and trusted. His secret ingredient? Mud from New Jersey. Here's how the process works.

For nearly eight decades, every baseball used in Major League Baseball has been treated with mud harvested from the Delaware River in New Jersey. This tradition has extended to other sports, such as football, where specialists like Dan Coulson meticulously condition each ball by hand to ensure the right grip and feel.

The unique properties of the New Jersey mud, particularly where salt and fresh water mix, provide the ideal tackiness for sports equipment. The process is delicate, requiring careful timing to avoid over-drying or under-conditioning the leather. This craftsmanship is trusted by dozens of college programs and more than half of NFL teams, highlighting the crucial role of this secret ingredient in professional sports.

The secret ingredient behind breaking in sports equipment

Every other ball used in Major League Baseball for nearly 80 years is actually covered with mud harvested from the banks of the Delaware River in New Jersey. The practice is spread to other sports including football and as Steve Obermeyer shows us, that's one man to getting his fingerprints all over the sport. This is the sound of football. Not that you'd hear it on Sundays, it's the quiet work that happens before the games can begin. The more harsh the weather, the more you need a ball that's going to react in a way that there's always going to be grip. In this garage in New Jersey, Dan Coulson is doing what factories can't. He takes something slick and new and makes it feel worn and trusted. It's a great honor, it's a great responsibility to know that folks are going to ask you to touch something that is as important if not more important than any product in the game itself. Every ball passes through his hands one at a time. His results are so trusted he conditions leather for dozens of college programs and more than half the NFL. I mix it up, the water is always going to separate and rise to the top so it's easy to mix with your fingers. Get it on your fingers, that's when the fun begins. Mud is his secret ingredient, more specifically mud from New Jersey. What's special about New Jersey mud that makes this the perfect level of tackiness? Delta mud of where the salt water mixes with the fresh water makes it a little more pure if you will. Regular folks in middle America unfortunately don't get that same luxury of mud that we look at here in New Jersey. So from here to here is about 8 to 12 hours but it's also very finicky. You leave the mud on too long it's too dry, it'll dry out too quickly. If you let it sit not long enough when you actually brush it you'll scrape the ball because it's still wet underneath. One ball at a time he coaxes extra grip out of the leather while making it softer. It may not seem like much until the weather turns cold or rainy and you're a quarterback. The reality is you want guys to use their talents and not even think about the ball similarly to what you think about with sneakers. In this little shop he is equal part scientist, artist and caretaker bringing chemistry and craftsmanship to the football itself. You want to still impact the game in some way, some coach, some get into sports medicine. I happen to be a ball boy. Call him a ball boy if you like. Truth is the game carries his fingerprints. Journey of the football. For CBS Saturday Morning, Steve Obermeyer, Bayou, New Jersey. Now that's some skill, talent and love. Yeah we did a story on the guy who actually gets the mud, how they get the mud and we're reposting that on social media so people can check that out.

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