Stahls’ Prints Jerseys at the NFL Draft 2023
Our team just finished up another successful event printing jerseys behind the scenes at the NFL Draft recently held in Kansas City.
Stahls’ has been selected to print draftees’ jerseys for NFL draftees for over a decade. And this year, we were once again on hand to assist the Fanatics team and the NFL in heat printing the first jersey for new players. We heat print the jerseys backstage, ensuring that each draftee has a custom-made jersey to wear when they take the stage.
But how exactly does Stahls pull off this impressive feat? Heat printing of course. And a lot of preparation. For example:
Ready to Print
Stahls’ Decorationg Fulfillment Center (DFC) prepares pre-spaced names of rostered athletes prior to the NFL Draft. There were 17 athletes attending the first round this year. There are 32 NFL teams, and we prepare a quantity of 2 names per player.
All in all we have 1,088 names ready to print. They are all kept organized in folders.
You can also have us cut names for your teams, ready to apply to jerseys using our CAD-CUT Player Perfect® Text & Number service.
It Goes Fast
But perhaps the most impressive aspect of Stahls’ jersey printing operation is the speed with which they are able to work. With each draftee’s name being called in quick succession, there is no time to waste. Our experienced team is able to print each jersey in under one minute (15 seconds pressing time).
This year, the “Fan of the Year” for each particular team was invited to the jersey printing room. The “super fans” have the honor of carrying the printed jersey out to Commissioner Goodell out on the stage. If you are interested in how the NFL chooses the “Fan of the Year,” visit the NFL Website.
Fans Everywhere
There were over 60,000 fans in and around the NFL Fan Zone in Kansas City. With so many Chiefs fans representing, it was certainly a sea of red jerseys.
Stahls’ also had the opportunity to support another customer, Hugo Boss. Hugo Boss has partnered with the NFL to offer a line of team branded hoodies, sweatshirts, T-shirts, polo shirts, tracksuit bottoms and shorts from some of the league’s most popular teams. At the Draft Experience Hugo Boss had a pop-up store and offered personalization with a Hotronix heat press. They also hosted an event with NFL Draftee Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Prior to the draft, Jaxon held a meet and greet at the Hugo Boss pop-up, where fans could come in and have their photo taken with him. Jaxon was later drafted to the Seattle Seahawks.
At the Hugo Boss pre-draft event, Stahls’ DFC
- Pre-decorated 175 shirts on the front
- Offered customization on the back of the shirts on-site using the new Roland cutter and CAD-CUT® SportFilm Lite™ Heat Transfer Vinyl
- We also customized 25 shirts for Jaxon’s family, which included a FlexStyle signature patch!
The Story Behind the Jersey Creators
This year we were featured in several news stories which aired during the Draft. One television studio in Kansas City, KSHB, even sent a team with reporter Abby Dodge to the NFL Jersey Room for some exclusive footage.
You can watch that story here.
We were also featured in a story on WXYZ in Detroit, where reporter Brad Galli came to our headquarters in St. Clair Shores, Michigan prior to the NFL Draft.
Thank You for Your Trust
We are truly honored to be a trusted partner of Fanatics, Hugo Boss and the NFL. Our commitment to quality, speed, and innovation makes us a go-to source for imprinted sportswear. We serve sports teams of all sizes in all types of organizations around the world.