To look at it, you’d never think the football could work so much destruction. At first it seems to be just another lawyer’s briefcase—black leather, measuring about 18 by 15 by 10 inches and secured with a hefty combination lock. But beneath the outer skin is an impenetrable titanium case. And attached to its handle is a quick-release security wristlet worn by a soldier, sailor, flier, or Marine armed with an M9 Beretta 9 mm pistol and a license to kill anyone crazy enough to make a grab for it.So, do they keep details of the football secret or details of the President balling secret?Current ballcarriers handpick their successors from a pool of top officers, who are then approved by the White House. The recruits must sign a secrecy agreement, and they report to the White House Military Office. Five aides, one from each of the armed services and one from the Coast Guard, work in shifts and are responsible for the satchel at all times.
Retired Marine colonel Pete Metzger carried the ball at the height of the Cold War. He was a major back then, and while on duty Metzger ate, went to the can, and slept with that thing right next to him. To protect it, he had a hidden holster pocket sewn inside his uniform. “It’s like this,” he says. “If you stand next to the president with a loaded weapon, you want to make sure you have your act together.”
When Metzger was hauling the ball around Europe, China, and every state in the union, he worked out a standard response for the pests who couldn’t resist coming up and asking, “What’s in that thing?”
His answer: “A Playboy and a tuna fish sandwich.”