Logo of a former team that played in the Arena Football League, the Philadelphia Soul. The franchise, famously owned by a group including Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and Ron Jaworski, lasted from 2004 until 2019 and over that span played in 5 Arena Bowl championship games, winning 3. Some Soul players include 2 Arena League Hall of Famers – Mike Hohensee and Clint Dolezel, as well as Chris Jackson, Dwayne Hollis, Matt D’Orazio, Mike Brown and Kent Richardson.
It’s Thanksgiving week, so our classic logo is another version of the Detroit Lions’ Turkey Day logo. The tradition of a Thanksgiving Day game in the Motor City began way back in 1934, when Lions’ owner George Richards scheduled the holiday game to attract more fans. Although the NFL and college teams had played games on Thanksgiving prior to 1934, the Lions’ contests drew more attention as Richards owned a major affiliate of the NBC Radio Network, and was able to negotiate a deal to have the games broadcast live across the nation.
A logo of one of the original football teams to compete in the early days of the NFL, the Portsmouth Spartans. The franchise was founded in 1928 and joined the NFL in 1930. After struggling financially the team was moved to Detroit in 1934 and renamed the Lions. The team’s first NFL roster included some interesting names like Spider Johnson, Dud Harris, Sod Ryan, Tiny Lewis and Frosty Peters.
Used from 1965 until 1969, this is a special alternate logo of a football team that originated in the old American Football League, the Denver Broncos. The team compiled a dismal 20-48-1 record during that 5 year period, cementing their status as the worst team in the AFL’s 10 year history. Some players who were members of those sorry clubs include Mickey Slaughter, Jacky Lee, Lionel Taylor, Cookie Gilchrist, Abner Haynes, Al Denson, Goose Gonsoulin, Willie Brown, Floyd Little, Bob Scarpitto and Rich “Tombstone” Jackson.
Logo of a team that plays in the NFC South Division of the National Football League, the Atlanta Falcons. This particular logo, featuring a menacing falcon, was adopted in 2003 and is the primary logo used today. The 2003 season marked the end of the coaching tenure of Dan Reeves, as he was fired during the year and replaced by interim coach Wade Phillips. Notable players on that 2003 team included Michael Vick, Peerless Price, Ray Buchanan, Jay Feely, Sam Rogers and Warrick Dunn.
Used for only a single season in 1975, this is a helmet logo of a National Football League team, the New York Giants, affectionately known as the “Disco Giants” logo. They were coached by Bill Arnsparger that year and finished in fourth place in the NFC East standings with a 5-9 record. Players who were on the roster that season for the club include John Mendenhall, Ron Johnson, Doug Kotar, Craig Morton, Bob Tucker, Spider Lockhart, Brad Van Pelt and Jack Gregory.
From SportsLogos.Net, this is the earliest logo of the NFL’s Green Bay Packers. Dating from the league’s inaugural season of 1921, the logo refers to the club by it’s original name, the Acme Packers. NFL teams in the early days were often sponsored by companies and may have included company employees. That original Packer team included player/coach Curly Lambeau, and was heavy in players from Lambeau’s alma mater, Notre Dame. Some former Irish from that roster are Norm Barry, James Cook, Grover Malone, Frank Coughlin, Dave Hayes and Emmett Keefe.
Used from 1994 until 2001, this is a logo of the Arizona Cardinals, who play in the NFC West division of the National Football League. The team moved from St. Louis to the desert in ’94, and the Cards’ logo included the Gateway Arch, a staple of St. Louis, so a new one had to be made to represent the team. They were briefly known as the Phoenix Cardinals, but when they changed to Arizona they included the state flag in the logo. Players who were on the team’s ’94 roster include Ricky Proehl, Michael Bankston, Larry Centers, Ernest Dye, Seth Joyner, Clyde Simmons and Aeneas Williams.
Courtesy of SportsLogos.net, this is a vintage logo of a professional football team that plays in the NFL, the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was used from 1945 until 1961. The franchise was founded by Art Rooney, using money he won at the horse track. The franchise struggled during the years this logo was used, posting only a single winning season. Some Steeler players in that era include Jim Finks, Ernie Stautner, Bill McPeak, Ray Mathews, Dale Dodrill, Jack Butler, Earl Morrall, Mike Sandusky, Bobby Layne, John Henry Johnson, Buddy Dial and Tom Tracy.
This is a 75th year anniversary commemorative logo of a team that plays in the NFC West division of the National Football League, the San Francisco 49ers. The team celebrated this “diamond” anniversary in 2021, having been an original franchise of the All American Football Conference that began play in 1946. The AAFC merged with the NFL beginning in 1950, and the 49ers, along with the Cleveland Browns and the original Baltimore Colts, were absorbed into the more established league. The original ’46 49er team was coached by Buck Shaw and included players Frankie Albert, Bruno Banducci, Bill Fisk, Norm Standlee, Dutch Elston and Alyn Beals.