Logo of a college football team that plays in the Missouri Valley Conference, the Southern Illinois Salukis. The school’s football program began play in 1905, and they won their first bowl game in 1947, defeating North Central in the Corn Bowl. The Salukis have sent many players on to careers in pro football, including Jim Hart, Carl Mauck, Houston Antwine, Bart Scott and Brandon Jacobs.
Logo of a team from the National Football League, the Washington Redskins, used from 1937 until 1951. The team played as the Boston Braves until moving to Washington in ’37, and had a very successful run on the field in their first decade in the nation’s capital, playing in 5 NFL championship games between 1937 and 1945, winning 2 of them. One of the all-time legends in pro football history, Hall of Fame quarterback and punter Slingin’ Sammy Baugh, played for the ‘Skins during this era.
Logo of a college football team that plays in Conference USA, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. The school has won 12 conference titles at various levels over the years since it began play in 1908. Former WKU players who have gone on to success in pro football include Virgil Livers, Dale Lindsey, Romeo Crennel, Rod “He Hate Me” Smart and Joe Bugel.
Logo of a college football team, the University of Maryland Terrapins, who now play in the Big Ten Conference after a long stay in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The program has existed since 1892, while this logo was used from 1970 until 1996. The Terps won one national championship, in 1953, and have sent many players on to pro football, including Gary Collins, Vernon Davis, Boomer Esiason, Frank Reich, Stan Jones, Tony Greene, Jermaine Lewis, Dick Modzelewski and Frank Wycheck.
Used from 1972 until 1999, this is the logo of a college football team that plays in the Atlantic Coast Conference, the North Carolina State Wolfpack. The program was founded in 1892 and is one of the oldest in the country. Former NC State players who went on to pro football fame include Alex Webster, Jim Ritcher, Mario Williams, Haywood Jeffires, Roman Gabriel, Torry Holt and Philip Rivers.
Logo of a pro football team that played in the old Continental Football League for one season (1967), the Akron Vulcans. The league itself was formed to compete with the National Football League, and existed from 1965 until 1969. The Vulcans played only 4 games in that ’67 season before folding because of financial hardships. Their owner, Frank Hurn, had bought the team using borrowed Chicago mafia money and never was able to show any profit. The team’s three coaches for their short existence were all former NFL legends – Doak Walker, Lou Rymkus and Tobin Rote. The logo is somewhat similar to that of today’s Tennessee Titans of the NFL.
Logo of a football team that played in the now-defunct World League of American Football and the NFL Europe leagues, the Frankfurt Galaxy. They were the only franchise to remain intact in the same city for the 2 leagues’ existence. The Galaxy were a very successful entity, having appeared in the World Bowl championship 8 times, winning 4 titles. The team’s first 2 head coaches were Jack Elway, father of Hall of Fame QB John Elway, and Ernie Stautner, another NFL Hall of Fame legend.
Logo of a now defunct college football team, the Wichita State Shockers, used from 1972 until the program was shut down in 1986. The team encountered a lot of bad luck over the years, losing all 3 bowl games they played in, and losing 31 team members in a plane crash in 1970. Former Shockers who had success in pro football include Ted Dean, Earl Edwards, Miller Farr, Jumpy Geathers and Bill Parcells.
This is an alternate logo of the Boston Patriots from their old American Football League days in the early 1960s. They eventually “regionalized” into the New England Patriots when they moved into a new stadium in Foxborough in 1971. The team has had amazing success in recent years but never won a championship in the AFL years, although some of the franchise’s most iconic players played during this era. They include Babe Parilli, Gino Cappelletti, Bob Dee, Jim Lee Hunt, Nick Buoniconti, Jim Nance and Houston Antwine.
Logo of a college football team that plays in the Big Sky Conference, the Weber State Wildcats. The school first fielded a team in 1962, and they joined the conference the following year and have been members ever since. Wildcat alumni who have gone on to play professional football in the NFL include Mike Humiston, Jamie Martin, Tom Neville, Bob Pollard, Alfred Pupunu and Roger Ruzek.