Behind-the-scenes look at Houston company supporting NFL teams with H-Town pride
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The Texans are looking good this year, and to make sure they're making the right plays, player protection is paramount. But do you know what goes into making the protective gear that each athlete wears?
One company has been doing it for years, and have been providing pads for NFL teams, including the Texans.
"Green Bay Packers, the Houston Texans are all very good accounts of ours. Dallas Cowboys. Locally we've got U of H and Rice, Texas A & M, The University of Texas," Kevin Bull of Douglas Pads and Sports said.
The best part about them is that they're doing it right here in Houston.
"There's a lot of home town pride involved in this and the state of Texas. We wear that loud and proud," Bull said.
What started out as a small company in the 80s is now producing more than 5,000 pads each year.
"It's made at our place where we control over step of the way. We've got every handle on quality control," Bull said.
David Maras is a shop foreman and has been with the company since the beginning.
"Sometimes I'm working on machines. Sometimes I'm working over there. Different positions. I don't have a special machine. My position is running the shop," Maras said.
Quite a few employees have been with Douglas for more than 20 years. It's something the company proud of.
Pride is also displayed on their wall of fame, with 17 past Heisman trophy winners that have worn the Douglas brand, including Cam Newton, Johnny Manziel and Reggie Bush.
"A lot of these guys sign it, 'Thanks for the protection' when they autograph their Heisman pads," Bull said.
This local Houston company is hoping to tackle the next generation of NFL stars to come.
"When you start talking about the thousands of high schools and colleges that are out there, and that's obviously where we want our growth to be. The other growth area is we're getting more into the big box stores now - Dick's and Academy. Academy has been with us for a number of years," Bull said.
Only time will tell.
Click here to learn more about the custom pads for your athlete.
