It’s pretty generic, not very much of a classic and most likely temporary, but this is the logo of the NFL team formerly known as the Washington Redskins. The team, under pressure, retired the racist nickname recently. Until they decide on a permanent name for the franchise, they will go into the 2020 season as simply the “Washington Football Team”. Owner Dan Snyder did make a positive move this week, hiring Jason Wright as the first Black NFL team president in league history.
Logo of a small college football team that plays in the Division II South Atlantic Conference, the Lenoir-Rhyne University Bears. The school’s football program began play in 1907 and they’ve garnered 22 conference titles and an NAIA national championship in 1960. Despite it’s small school status, the Bears have sent 3 players – Craig Keith, John Milem and Terence Steward, to the pros, along with a long-time NFL assistant coach, Perry Fewell. The Bears produced another draftable pro prospect this season in safety Kyle Dugger.
It’s not exactly a “classic”, it’s the brand new logo of the Los Angeles Rams, a pro football team that plays in the NFL. The Rams will be moving into their brand new stadium in 2020 and decided to freshen up both their uniforms and logos for the move. The franchise relocated from Cleveland in 1946 and stayed until a move to St. Louis in 1995. They returned to L.A. in 2015. Some players from their glory years in the City of Angels include Bob Waterfield, Norm Van Brocklin, Tom Fears, Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch, Les Richter, Roman Gabriel, Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen, Roosevelt Grier, Eric Dickerson, Fred Dryer, Jackie Slater and Jack Youngblood.
Logo of a college football team that plays in the Big Ten Conference, the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers. Their program began play in 1882 and has won 18 conference titles and 9 national championships. The Gophers have produced an outstanding 7 Pro Football Hall of Famers – Carl Eller, Bronko Nagurski, Bobby Bell, Leo Nomellini, Charlie Sanders and coaches Bud Grant and Tony Dungy. Other notable former Gophers who have played in the NFL include Gino Cappelletti, Tyrone Carter, Eric Decker, John Williams, Rick Upchurch, Milt Sunde, Mike Mercer, Karl Mecklenburg, Gale Gillingham and Gordie Soltau.
Logo of a college football team that plays in the Ohio Valley Conference, the Eastern Kentucky Colonels. Their finger-lickin’ good program began play in 1891 and over the years they’ve won 21 conference titles and a pair of small college national championships. Former Colonels who have enjoyed careers in pro football include Yeremiah Bell, Tim Lester, Aaron Jones, Myron Guyton, John Jackson, Jason Dunn, Chad Bratzke and Wally Chambers.
Logo of a small college football team that plays in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference, the Bluffton Beavers. The Division III program played it’s first season in 1913 and currently plays its’ home games at Dwight Salzman Stadium in Bluffton, Ohio. The school has produced a pair of pro football players – Seth Burkholder, a kicker in the Arena League, and former Buffalo Bills’ star flanker Elbert “Golden Wheels” Dubenion.
Logo of a college football team that plays in the Big Sky Conference, the Montana Grizzlies. The school first fielded a team in 1897 and has claimed a pair of Division I – FCS national championships, in 1995 and 2001. Former Grizzly players who have gone on to play pro football include Jimmy Wilson, Doug Betters, Raul Allegre, Colt Anderson, Scott Gragg, Dan Carpenter, Guy Bingham, Trumaine Johnson, Mike Tilleman and Tim Hauck.
Logo of a defunct pro football team that played in the National Football League from 1930 until 1943, the Brooklyn Dodgers. The team played at Ebbets Field, sharing the stadium with the Dodger baseball club. They were renamed the Tigers in 1944 but folded after that season, with their players being dispersed to the Boston Yanks franchise. There are four Hall of Famers who played for the franchise – Red Badgro, Benny Friedman, Bruiser Kinard and Ace Parker.
Logo of a small college football team that plays in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, the Prairie View A&M Panthers. The school began play in 1907, and has claimed 11 conference titles and 5 Black college football national championships. The Panthers also hold the dubious record of having lost the most consecutive games, a total of 80 between 1989 and 1998. Some Panther alumni who have played pro football include Jim Kearney, Otis Taylor, Ken Houston, Sam Adams, Clem Daniels, Alvin Reed, Jim Lee Hunt, Jim Mitchell and Charley Warner.
Logo of a college football team that plays in the Big Sky Conference, the Idaho State Bengals. The program, which first began play in 1902, has captured 8 conference titles and a Division I-AA national championship in 1981. Numerous former Bengal players have gone on to play pro football, including Merrill Hoge, Jared Allen, Eddie Bell, Will Grant, Josh Hill, John Roman and Jim Wagstaff.