Logo of a college football team that plays in the Southeast Conference, the Vanderbilt Commodores. Their program began in 1890, and they won a couple of unofficial national championships in the 1920s. Former Vandy players who’ve gone on to pro careers include Phil King, Bill Wade, Tom Moore, Pat Toomay, Corey Chavous, Jay Cutler, Corey Harris, Hunter Hillenmeyer and Will Wolford.
Logo of a college football team that plays in the Big Sky Conference, the University of California, Davis Aggies. UC-Davis first fielded a team in 1915 and has won 30 conference titles, mostly in the Northern California Athletic Conference, which they were members of from 1925 until 1992. Former Aggies who’ve gone on to play pro football include Ken O’Brien, Rolf Benirschke, Mike Wise, Colton Schmidt, Casey Merrill, Mike Moroski and Daniel Fells.
This is a pair of classic logos of a major college football program, the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Both have been used since 1973, but the one on the left, with the orange-clad cowboy drawing his pistols, has been gradually phased out in the era of political correctness and replaced with the lasso-swinging one instead. The school’s gridiron program began in 1901, and they have won 1 national championship (in 1945) and had 1 Heisman Trophy winner (Barry Sanders). Besides Sanders, former OSU players who’ve gone on to pro football careers include Thurman Thomas, Jon Kolb, Dexter Manley, Jerry Sherk, Kevin Williams, R.W. McQuarters, Terry Miller, Russell Okung and current players Dez Bryant and Dan Bailey.
We recently featured the logo of the Temple University Owls, and here’s another Owl logo, that of the Rice Owls, another college football team. Rice’s football program began in 1912, they have been members of the old Southwest Conference and the Western Athletic Conference, and currently play in Conference USA. Former Owls who have gone on to play pro football include Buddy Dial, Tobin Rote, Billy Howton, King Hill, Don Maynard, J.D. Smith, Tommy Kramer, Frank Ryan, O.J. Brigance, Earl Cooper, Darryl Grant, Larry Izzo and Bert Emanuel.
Logo of a college football team, used from 1960 until 1971, the Temple Owls. The school, located in Philadelphia, started it’s football program in 1894 and currently plays in the American Conference. Former Owls who’ve gone on to play pro football include Bucko Kilroy, Joe and Dan Klecko, Nick Mike-Mayer, Todd Bowles, Raheem Brock, Jim Cooper, Randy Grossman, Kevin Ross, Steve Watson and current players Muhammad Wilkerson and Tyler Matakevich.
Logo of a Division III college football team that plays in the Ohio Athletic Conference, the Baldwin-Wallace Yellow Jackets. The school’s football program has been in existence for 106 years, and won the Division III national championship in 1978. B-W alumni who’ve gone on to pro football include Norb Hecker, Tom Goosby, George Young and Bob Barrett.
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.