here.<\/a><\/p>\nFrom the creative process behind pairing each team with iconic Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, and Avengers characters to the fan reactions surrounding the first-ever Disney Fan Draft, we\u2019re taking a behind-the-scenes look at how this collection came to life.<\/p>\n
A Draft Board Full of Disney Characters<\/p>\n
The first eight Disney Fan Draft picks include: <\/p>\n
Buffalo Bills I Disney\u2019s Beast<\/p>\n
Raw strength and duality \u2014 intensity with a loyal edge<\/p>\n
Dallas Cowboys I Disney and Pixar\u2019s Woody<\/p>\n
Character, confidence, and timeless appeal \u2013 rooted in classic cowboy iconography<\/p>\n
Las Vegas Raiders I Star Wars\u2019 Darth Vader<\/p>\n
Edge and mystique \u2014 a natural alignment of legacy power and presence<\/p>\n
New England Patriots | Avengers\u2019 Captain America<\/p>\n
Heritage and heroism \u2014 a modern take on an enduring symbol of leadership and patriotism<\/p>\n
New York Giants I Disney\u2019s Wreck-It Ralph<\/p>\n
Big, bold, and unstoppable \u2014 strength balanced with heart<\/p>\n
New York Jets I Disney and Pixar\u2019s Buzz Lightyear<\/p>\n
Speed, flight, and confidence \u2014 anchored in aviation roots<\/p>\n
Tampa Bay Buccaneers I Disney\u2019s Captain Hook<\/p>\n
Pirate legacy with attitude \u2014 expressive and unmistakable<\/p>\n
Washington Commanders I Disney and Pixar\u2019s Hamm<\/p>\n
Grounded strength \u2014 a tribute to \u201cThe Hogs\u201d<\/p>\n
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Meet the Fan Behind the Picks<\/p>\n
Behind the collection is Bret Healey, Director, Graphic Design at Disney Consumer Products, one of the creative minds behind the pairings, the collection aesthetic, and someone who approached the project as both a designer and a lifelong sports fan.<\/p>\n
Or, as Bret puts it, \u201cfirst and foremost, I\u2019m a sports junkie.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bret grew up surrounded by sports, with both sides of his family connected to fandom and athletics. His dad played football through college, and his earliest memories of sports turned into a lifelong love of teams, cities, fan traditions, and naturally, fan apparel, of which he is an avid collector. His first sports love was baseball around age nine, but that quickly opened the door to football and a much bigger fascination with the culture of sports.<\/p>\n
For him, sports have never been just about the final score.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the jerseys, the city identities, the nicknames, mascots, stadiums, the fan signs in the stands, the niche pieces of team history and moments that your family and friends never forget,\u201d Bret says, \u201cThat\u2019s the stuff I truly love. The culture around the teams.\u201d<\/p>\n
That passion became the starting point for the Disney | Champion NFL Collection.<\/p>\n
Walking through Disney Parks, Bret frequently noticed guests showing off either their Disney fandom or their favorite teams. It sparked a question: What would it take for him, as a fan himself, to wear a Disney product connected to his team? That question changed everything.<\/p>\n
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Rule #1: Sports First<\/p>\n
For Bret Healey and his creative team, the challenge was never simply putting Disney characters on NFL apparel.<\/p>\n
Pulling from Disney\u2019s full portfolio of beloved characters, the team\u2019s goal was to create pieces that fans would be proud to wear, whether they were enjoying a visit to the parks, catching the latest film release, or lounging at home on a football Sunday. Every pairing needed a reason, a connection, and a story, and it had to look great.<\/p>\n
The creative team looked at franchise history, city identity, team colors, fan traditions, nicknames, famous eras, and the kinds of details fans know by heart before making each pairing. That meant that Bret and his team wanted NFL fans and beyond to discover products that they would ultimately be proud to wear, highlighting their fandom for both of these meaningful cornerstones that have connected so many people around the world for decades.<\/p>\n
The process itself was anything but simple. In fact, the team described the creative process as a bit like trying to move the ball against the #1 defense in the league. With a goal of not repeating characters, each pick had to hold its own while still fitting into a much larger picture.<\/p>\n
Some connections are understood immediately, while others take a beat, an intentional choice that Bret was pushing for during the creative process.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy favorite ones are the picks that make you pause for a second,\u201d Bret says. \u201cThen it clicks, and you think, \u2018Okay, I see what they did there.\u2019 That little moment of recognition is the fun part.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the Fans Who Know<\/p>\n
On top of being the perfect piece to complete your Sunday outfit to the parks, the collection rewards fans who know their teams inside and out.<\/p>\n
Take the Dallas Cowboys, for example. At first glance, Woody might feel like a clear pick but take a closer look and you\u2019ll notice that the connection goes deeper than just cowboy meets Cowboys.<\/p>\n
One of the designs places Woody into a pose inspired by the original Cowboys logo (yes, before the legendary \u2018star\u2019 that so many of us instantly recognize today), adding a layer of sports history and nostalgia that diehard fans will pick up right away.<\/p>\n
Then, there\u2019s Wreck-It Ralph and the New York Giants, a pairing inspired in part by the team\u2019s famous \u201cBig Blue Wrecking Crew\u201d defenses, connecting Ralph\u2019s larger-than-life personality and tough-guy persona to one of the most memorable eras in franchise history.<\/p>\n
And for Washington, the connection came from one of those moments that lives on in sports culture.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter a long internal search for a match to the Commanders, I was driving around town and \u201cThe Hogs!\u201d popped into my head. Once that happened, it had to be Hamm,\u201d Healey says. \u201cI like the humor aspect, it\u2019s a little unexpected, and a perfect example of the tone we want to set with this collection.\u201d<\/p>\n
These kinds of details are the ones that Bret Healey and the broader creative team really tried to focus on throughout the process, scheming up new ways to connect with fans across Disney and the NFL and creating pairings that fans could debate, defend, and discover.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re a sports fan, you know your team. You know the eras, the heartbreaks, the comebacks, the chants, the personalities and the inside references that make being a fan feel like belonging to something bigger. <\/p>\n
This collection embraces just that.<\/p>\n
The Picks Are Meant to Be Debated<\/p>\n
Like any good draft, the creative team knew some selections may spark immediate reactions.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf nobody argues about the picks, is it even a legitimate draft?\u201d Bret says. \u201cSports fans debate everything rigorously. That\u2019s part of the fun. It keeps us all connected with each other when the games aren\u2019t on.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some fans may see Beast and the Bills and get it right away. Others may need a minute with Buzz Lightyear and the Jets or Darth Vader and the Raiders. But that initial pause, that second look, and that inevitable group chat debate are all part of the experience.<\/p>\n
The Disney Fan Draft was designed to feel playful, passionate, and a little competitive, just like sports fandom itself. The characters themselves offer a playful extension of team identity while celebrating the passion that makes fandom special.<\/p>\n
\u201cSports can be very serious, but being a fan should still be fun at its root,\u201d Bret says. \u201cIf these pieces make people smile, debate, discover details or tell a story about their team, then they\u2019re doing exactly what they\u2019re supposed to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Why Fanatics Fest Was the Place to Kick Off<\/p>\n
Fanatics Fest brings together athletes, collectors, creators, families, and superfans all under one roof, making it the right place to introduce a collection built around modern sports fandom.<\/p>\n
At this year\u2019s event, the first-of-its-kind, on-stage Disney Fan Draft put the first picks on the board, giving fans a first look at the Disney | Champion NFL Collection and the stories behind each team and character pairing. The experience continued at the Disney | Champion Fan Zone, where guests could shop the first drop, get up close with the collection, snap photos, and celebrate alongside Disney characters.<\/p>\n
Take a look above at a few surprise appearances across this year\u2019s Fanatics Fest.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
More Teams, More Picks, More Stories<\/p>\n
The first eight picks are only the beginning. <\/p>\n
The Disney | Champion NFL Collection is part of a broader collaboration between Disney, the NFL, Champion, and Fanatics, bringing together brands with deep connections to sports, storytelling, and fan culture. The launch also represents another exciting moment in Disney and ESPN\u2019s \u201cYear of the Super Bowl,\u201d a landmark, yearlong celebration building toward ESPN\u2019s first Super Bowl production in February.<\/p>\n
This launch builds on Disney Consumer Products\u2019 growing presence across sports, as Disney continues finding new ways to meet fans where they are.<\/p>\n
Fans can look forward to additional team-character reveals and more fan experiences as the collection continues to roll out ahead of the 2026 NFL season.<\/p>\n
And if the first round is any indication, the conversation is just getting started.<\/p>\n
Whether you agree with every pick or have a few trades you would make yourself, the Disney Fan Draft was built around the same thing sports fans have always loved: great stories, passionate opinions, and a little friendly debate.<\/p>\n
So, consider this the first round. There is a lot more on the draft board.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Fandom can be found everywhere, from packed football stadiums to beloved Disney destinations. Around the world, millions of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":805777,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[559],"tags":[64,63,596,593,85],"class_list":["post-805776","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nfl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-football","tag-nfl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/805776","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=805776"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/805776\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/805777"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=805776"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=805776"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=805776"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}