LELAND, Miss. (WLBT) – In 7 days, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles will hit the field to compete in Super Bowl 57, and when they do, they’ll be walking on a piece of Mississippi.
Everything from the white lines marking the sidelines to the logo on the 50-yard line was made right here in the Magnolia State.
“No one knows that this magic is occurring in the Mississippi Delta,” Pat Dickens said.
In the small city of Leland, Mississippi, lies the eco-friendly paint and custom stencils company World Class Athletic Surfaces. It is a company likely known to few but seen by millions.
The company started nearly four decades ago after a former Belhaven tennis player began making paint for tennis courts. Then, transitioned from courts to painting fields, beginning with the one right inside of Davis Wade Stadium at Mississippi State.
Shortly after, other college teams like Auburn and Alabama took notice of their work, and it wasn’t long before that same work was being displayed on the Super Bowl Stage.
“Interestingly enough, Kansas City Chief and the Philadelphia Eagles are two of our big clients,” said Dickens. So, we’re thrilled with their success. A lot of the NFL teams are our clients. Great paint. Great service, and we love the fact that we get to see our product out there on the field for so many momentous occasions occur.”
The company uses specific technology to create team’s unique and exact colors. Then, they take a plotter printer the size of an endzone to make custom stencils, but seeing it out there on the field always seems to be the best part.
“Voila. You look like DaVinci out there on the 50-yard line. It’s magnificent, and we never tire of seeing how these venues use it. It continues to be a real thrill for all of us,” Dickens said.
But their work goes far beyond just football. Their client list ranges from the NFL, MLB, PGA, college teams, and various reck leagues. Regardless of the size of the sporting event, they are prepared to take on the job.
They want to shine a light on Leland, Mississippi, and let more people know that big things can come from small cities.
“We’ve made tremendous relationships with people all over the country and overseas,” Dickens said. “They know where we are. We hope the world and the country can say, ‘I know where those guys are. I know where that stencil came from.’ It came from the Mississippi Delta, and we’re real proud of that.”
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