TEXAS NEIGHBORS | FALL 2019 agriculture of football By Justin Walker Communications Specialist There’s nothing quite like football in Texas. Friday night lights shining bright. Sat-urday tailgates before kickoff. And Sundays with the Cowboys and Texans. Football means a lot to Texans. But so does agriculture. And it shows. There are more than 200 NFL players who come from Texas, and for good rea-son. We grow ’em big and fast here, exactly what you want on the field. Something else that Texas excels at is agriculture. The Lone Star State is a leader in cattle, cotton, sheep, goats, horses and the number of farms and ranches. It makes sense then that football and agriculture would have almost unbreakable bonds. The ball itself is a direct product of agriculture. NFL footballs are made from the highest quality cowhides. It takes just one cowhide to make 20 footballs. What about the field? That’s agriculture, too. Turf grass is the most common playing surface in the NFL and in college. The grass is grown and cared for over several months before it’s put down. And it’s not just maintained during the season. Those fields are kept up all year long. Of course, fans need food and refreshments at the games, and that, too, has ag-ricultural ties. From the hotdogs and nachos at the stadium to the chicken wings and potato chips at home, Texas farmers and ranchers are behind those fan favorite foods. You also can’t forget the cotton t-shirts you wear in support of your favorite team. Texas is the top cotton-producing state in the nation. That’s a lot of shirts! And it doesn’t stop there. Agriculture and football have a long history together. You don’t have to look hard to see how the sport pays tribute to its backbone. Some of the most well-known college bowl games have agricultural references, including the Peach Bowl and Texas’ own Cotton Bowl. Although agriculture may not always get much recognition, it’s a major player in football games. And Texas farmers and ranchers are proud to be part of that role. So as the season rolls on, know that Texas agriculture will always be the unofficial sponsor of football in Texas. the unofficial sponsor WWW.TEXASFARMBUREAU.ORG