UT Martin football crew talk ‘Deflate Gate’
[gtxvideo vid=”XqEQBoMj” playlist=”” pid=”OTSe9U1y” thumb=”http://player.gtxcel.com/thumbs/XqEQBoMj.jpg” vtitle=”Athletic Equipment Contoversy PKG”]
MARTIN, Tenn. — You’ve heard about it — that investigation into the Super Bowl-bound New England Patriots over under-inflated footballs. But what does that really mean? “NFL balls are perfect footballs. Collegiate balls might not be as perfect as them,” University of Tennessee at Martin’s Athletic Equipment Manager Butch Dowty explained to WBBJ Friday. Dowty has been working in athletic equipment for 35 years, the last 20 of those with the UT Martin football program. He says preparing footballs for a game isn’t a one-day process but starts weeks ahead of time. “I’ll wet them down, wipe them off and get the slickness off, because when they come they are slick,” Dowty said. Dowty airs each game ball to the NCAA’s required 13 pounds of pressure. After that, they’re out of his hands. “The referees check them, and if it’s 12 they’ll put 13 in them,” Dowty said. “I don’t touch them. The ball boys just run them, and that’s it.” Equipment experts with UT Martin football will tell you there’s not a big difference between an under-inflated and an inflated football. But if you ask a quarterback or an offensive coordinator, they’ll tell you differently. Jabari Dunham is a quarterback at UTM, and he says he prefers a ball a little under the prescribed 13 pounds. “I actually like my balls a little deflated,” Dunham said. “It’s easier to control. It’s easier to hold on and move around in the pocket.” UTM coaches agree. “It makes a difference, especially in wet weather,” UTM’s offensive coordinator John Bond said. “I mean, if you’re able to grip the ball a little harder, a little firmer, obviously it’s not going to slip out of your hand as often.” The NFL has not determined how the balls were under-inflated for the game against Indianapolis. Super Bowl XLIX will be played Feb. 1 in Arizona as the Patriots will take on the Seattle Seahawks.
