Michael and Frank Silva were always competitive. As kids growing up in New Jersey, they spent every Thanksgiving facing off in the backyard. Their game wasn’t traditional football. They had two garbage cans set up at opposite ends of the yard and used their father’s metal antenna as a field goal post. You scored by sinking the football into the can or bouncing it off the antenna. No tackling. No teams. Just two brothers throwing passes until it got dark.
They kept playing it well into adulthood. In 2015, during a family gathering, a neighbor saw them playing and asked to join in. That night, on the ride home, they started sketching ideas to turn the game into a product.
The first thing they changed was the base. Instead of trash cans, Frank suggested camping chairs. That way the game could pack down and travel. They added a fabric basket to the back to act as a target and included PVC-style goalposts above the backrest. A football and a set of flags completed the set. When folded, the chairs zip into a carrying case. When unfolded, they form the two goals. The final game was named QB54.
Two people play at a time. Each sits or stands near their chair and throws the ball at the opposite goal. Landing the ball in the basket is a touchdown. Field goals are kicked off the seat. Catches and deflections are allowed, but tackling isn’t. The first to 54 points wins.
Michael took the lead on launching the business. He set up a Shopify store and listed the product on Amazon. They found suppliers to manufacture the chairs overseas using metal tubing and nylon fabric, and they had the goalposts made separately. Sets are assembled and packaged for direct shipping. Most orders go through their website, but QB54 is also stocked at a few large retailers.
The company is based in Kendall Park, New Jersey. Michael still handles operations, while Frank contributes to design and development. They hold patents on the chair-goal configuration and have trademarked the game’s name. According to the Silvas, they put years of revenue back into production before ever paying themselves.
QB54 remains a small, family-run company with one product. The Silvas still play the game, mostly in backyards, parking lots, and tailgates—just like they always have.
