Jon-Paul Wheatley creates intricately designed footballs that sell for hundreds of US dollars. And instead of them being untouchable collector’s items, he wants to see his customers go outside and enjoy kicking the balls around in the mud.
“I hate the idea of making balls to sit on the shelf,” the UK native says.
What started as Wheatley’s Covid-19 quarantine hobby quickly turned into a passion and a high-end football business based in St. Louis, in the US state of Missouri.
Wheatley co-founded his company, 12 Pentagons, after the 60-second football-making videos he filmed during the pandemic went viral on TikTok. His page, @jonpaulsballs, documents him designing and constructing funky footballs from scratch.
