rayonsports.com

Logo of a team that plays in the National Hockey League, the St. Louis Blues. This logo was used from the team’s inaugural year in 1967 until 1984, and a variation of it has been in use to this day. The Blues were part of the six team expansion in ’67 when the league added to their “original six” franchises by adding six more clubs who became known as the “additional six”. They were the most successful of the six new franchises early on, reaching the Stanley Cup finals in their first 3 years under coach Scotty Bowman.

Logo of the National Football League’s 1990 college player draft. The draft wasn’t the major event then that it is now, but that year’s draft had some memorable moments. The Atlanta Falcons had the top pick but traded it to the Indianapolis Colts, who chose QB Jeff George, a move they probably regretted. The ’90 draft produced a number of notable players, including Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith, Shannon Sharpe, Cortez Kennedy and Junior Seau. Another Hall of Famer, John Randle, was signed as a non-drafted free agent that year by the Vikings.

Not a team logo, but the logo commemorating the golden anniversary of the pro football championship game, Super Bowl 50. The game has grown into the biggest sporting event in the world, and is almost a national holiday. The league decided to drop the Roman numerals usually used for each game, and painted the 50 yard line in each NFL stadium in gold to commemorate the 50th also. The logo includes the gold number 50, and also the Vince Lombardi trophy that is awarded to each year’s winning team.

Logo of the Morgan State Bears, a college football team that began play in 1898 and currently plays in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The school has a proud gridiron tradition despite their small school status, having four Pro Football Hall of Famers among their alumni – Len Ford, Leroy Kelly, Willie Lanier and Roosevelt Brown. Frenchy Fuqua, Raymond Chester and Cornell Gowdy are other former Bears who moved from the small black college to the pros.

Used from 1947 until 1956, this is a logo of a college football team that plays in the Big Ten Conference, the Illinois Fighting Illini. The school’s program, which began play in 1890, has claimed 5 national championships and 15 Big Ten titles over the years. Although not a football power in recent years, Illinois boasts 6 Pro Football Hall of Famers among their alumni – George Halas, Red Grange, Shorty Ray, Dick Butkus, Ray Nitschke and Bobby Mitchell. Other notable pro players include Doug Dieken, Bill Brown, Jeff George, Tony Eason, Ernie McMillan, Ed O’Bradovich, Preston Pearson and Simeon Rice.

Used from 1966 until 1979, this is a logo of a college football team that plays in the Mid-American Conference, the Bowling Green Falcons. They first began play in 1919, and won a junior college national championship in 1959. They’ve claimed 12 conference titles over the years also. BGSU players who’ve gone on to play pro football include Bernie Casey, Martin Bayless, Bob Reynolds, Bob Schnelker, Phil Villapiano and Shaun Suisham.

Logo of a major college football team, the Louisiana State Tigers, used from 1977 until 2002. L.S.U. plays in the Southeast Conference and their program has existed since 1893. They’ve won a total of eight national championships, either shared or outright, and produced a Heisman Trophy winner, Billy Cannon in 1959. Besides Cannon, former Tigers who have gone on to the pros include three Hall of Famers in Steve Van Buren, Y.A. Tittle and Jim Taylor, along with Mel Branch, Ryan Clark, A.J. Duhe, Alan Faneca, Kevin Faulk and Dalton Hilliard.

Logo of a small college football team, the McNeese State Cowboys, who play in the Southland Conference, and first fielded a team in 1940. They’ve won 14 conference titles over the years, while Cowboy alumni who’ve gone on to play pro football include B.J. Sams, Don Breaux, Leonard Smith, Buford Jordan, Flip Johnson, Kavika Pittman and Tom Sestak.

Logo of a college football team that plays in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, the Alcorn State Braves. The school fielded its’ first team in 1921, and they have won a total of 15 conference titles, including the last two in 2014 and 2015. The Braves have had many players go on to play pro football, including Donald Driver, Steve McNair, Isaac Holt, Jimmie Giles, Roynell Young and Lawrence Pillers.

Logo of the Birmingham Vulcans, a pro football team that lasted almost one season in the old World Football League. They replaced the Birmingham Americans, who had been WFL champions in the league’s first season in 1974, after that team failed financially. The Vulcans continued the winning tradition, as they posted a 9-3 record, the best in the league, until the entire league ceased operations before completing its’ ’75 season. Since their record was the best of the teams still in the league, they were declared champions for ’75 when the WFL folded.