Logo of a college football team, used from 1993 until 2002, the Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs. They play in the Big South Conference where they’ve won 2 conference titles, and the program came into existence in 1970. Former Bulldogs who have played in the pros include Derrick Fenner, Gabe Wilkins, Jim Maxwell and Bobby Hopkins, who played in the USFL and was also a 13-time champion arm wrestler.
Logo of a college football team, used from 1965 until 1972, the Memphis Tigers. The school’s gridiron program first played in 1912 and they are currently members of the American Athletic Conference. They have racked up 8 conference titles as members of various leagues over the years. Former Tigers who have gone on to play pro football include Harry Schuh, Steven Gostkowski, Paxton Lynch, DeAngelo Williams, Tony Pollard, Antonio Gibson, Dick Hudson, Dontari Poe, Derrick Burroughs, Ken Irvin and Hall of Famer Isaac Bruce.
Logo of a future Division II college football team that plays in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, the Edward Waters University Tigers. The HBCU school is building a new stadium that meets NCAA standards in order to make the move. As tiny as the school is, it sent one player, Jim “Cannonball” Butler, on to play in the NFL, while another, Samuel Charles, played for the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena League. Another famous Tiger gridiron alumnus achieved success in baseball – former Negro League legend Buck O’Neil.
With this being Thanksgiving week, we’ll highlight a logo for an annual tradition, NFL football in Dallas. The league has had it’s annual game on that day in Detroit since 1934, but added the additional game in Dallas in 1966, and it’s become the second part of the annual Turkey Day celebration ever since, with a couple of exceptions in the 1970s when St. Louis hosted the second game. The NFL also plays a night game on Thanksgiving now. The Cowboys’ all-time record on the holiday is 31-22-1.
No, it’s not Bugs Bunny, it’s the old logo, used from 1971 until 1990, of a college football team, the South Dakota State Jackrabbits. A functioning gridiron program since 1900, the school currently resides in the Missouri Valley Conference. They’ve won 2 MVC titles, and 15 other conference championships as members of other leagues. Former Jackrabbits who have played pro football include Steve Heiden, Jim Langer, Pete Retzlaff, Adam Timmerman, Adam Vinatieri, Wayne Rasmussen and current players Dallas Goedert and Cade Johnson.
Used from 1965 until 1995, this is the logo of a college football team that resides in the Big Sky Conference, the Montana State Bobcats. Born in 1897, their program has claimed 16 Big Sky titles and 3 national championships at lower levels. They have been sending players on to pro football since the NFL’s inception, and that list of Bobcat alumni includes Cory Widmer, Jan Stenerud, Sam McCullum, Bill Kollar, Ron East, Jon Borchardt, Michael Person and Bob Schmitz.
Logo of a professional football team that plays in the East Division of the Canadian Football League, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Established in 1950, the franchise has won a total of 8 Grey Cup championships over the years. The Ti-Cats have 35 former players in the CFL Hall of Fame. That list includes Angelo Mosca, Damon Allen, Darren Flutie, Dieter Brock, Tom Clements, Tony Gabriel, Ron Lancaster and Bernie Custis, who is credited with being the first black quarterback in CFL history as he quarterbacked Hamilton in 1951.
Logo of a defunct football team that played a single season in the National Football League, the Phil-Pitt Steagles. As a result of losing many players to military service during World War II, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles franchises temporarily merged to form one team to compete in the NFL in 1943. Since the remaining players had to have draft deferments to be able to stay out of the military and play, the combined team players that were left included Tony Bova, who was blind in one eye and partially blind in the other, Ed Michaels and Ray Graves,who were both deaf, and John Butler, who had poor eyesight and bad knees. The team still managed a winning record for the year at 5-4-1.
Logo of a college football team that plays in the Mid-American Conference, the Akron Zips. The school played it’s first season in 1891 and has appeared in 3 bowl games and won 1 conference title. Former Zips who have gone on to play pro football include Chase Blackburn, Victor Greene, Charlie Frye, Dwight Smith, Domenik Hixon, Reggie Corner and Hall of Famer Jason Taylor.
Logo of a small college football team that plays in the Gulf South Conference, the University of West Alabama Tigers. Their program was formed in 1938 and won an NAIA national championship in 1971. They also have 11 bowl appearances, with 5 victories, in their long HBCU history. Tiger alums who have gone on to play pro football include Malcolm Butler, Deon Lacey, Seth Roberts, Charles Martin and Tyreek Hill.