Steeler Helmets

[VitaminD]

It seems to me that I remember the Hawkeyes started to copy the look of the Steelers uniforms in the 70's or perhaps the 80's whenever Haden Fry first came to Iowa. I always figured he was trying to instill a winning mind-set by having his players wear unis practically identical to the Steelers who by then had become synonymous with winning and intimidation.

You may be right about that. That's the irony of it - the Hawkeyes changed to match the Steelers, and now people are asking the Steelers to readopt the "Iowa" look... which was theirs first.

Hayden Fry was all about psychological edges. He painted the visitor's locker room pink because it was said that surrounding someone with pastels and pinks made them less aggressive. Anything for an edge!

[TruColor]

Hayden Fry came up with the idea of copying the Steelers back in the early '80s. In the '70s, he had the idea of making North Texas wear Apple Green and use a logo we called the "Flying Worm":

North Texas was still wearing these in the early '80s (I was going there at the time), but they're all Hayden Fry.

[infrared41]

If you're so hung up on having block numbers on a black jersey with yellow arm stripes, go buy an Iowa jersey.

I love that there are so many people like me out there who want to talk about uniforms. This forum is great but I gotta say it cracks me up how some people can get downright nasty over someone else's opinion of a shirt. Wow. Thanks for the tip. Maybe I will buy a Hawkeyes jersye.

[Jungle Jim]

Wow! I absolutely LOVE those apple green uniforms! I think that's the only time I've seen that color used in a uniform. Beautiful!

[Bleujayone]

That "Flying Worm" logo looks almost identical to the USFL Washington Federals logo and colors. The only difference is the green and white are reversed! I guess we know where the USFL ripped it off from.

[TruColor]

Well, it's not IDENTICAL, but certainly similar:

EDIT: Yes, I realize I remote-linked from my own site!

[mac]

those North Texas jerseys are sweet.

[Lightningfan]

The story in Iowa is passed down now from generation to generation.

Hayden Fry wanting to instill a winning attitude in a losing program, (Also wanted to update a dated plain gold helmet with one black center stripe and black Iowa in a type of cursive font) contacted the Steelers and told them of his intention to copy their super bowl champion style and if they could give him info. They sent Terry Bradshaws uniform and apparently *permission to copy. The new unis were sweet. Almost identical. Numbers and all. Bigger numbers on back on helmet I think. Numbers on front of helmet also.

Only difference was the TigerHawk logo and putting it on both sides. They are classic and timeless. The helmet is still the same.(need to check if they still do the front and back numbers). And after a few years with wings on the shoulders of the jersey are no back to the classic look. Love them.

I would also like to see the Steelers wearing the original again. *Talk about a different era. NFL now sues anyone even thinking about using anything remotely close to their unis or logos.

They threatened to sue a HS in Belvidere IL as they used a logo similar to the TB Bucs. The old Bucs logo of Pirate with dagger in mouth. Did not matter the HS team was using it before Tampa Bay was in the NFL, HS did not want to spend money litigating.

And the kicker.....they did this just before the Bucs went to the pewter and new logo. As logo changes are planned at least a year in advance the NFL was threatening to sue a HS for using a logo they knew they planned to stop using for

the upcoming season.....when sports get too big they forget where they came from....do you think former USFL or WFL team owners right now would kill for a chance to be letting HS teams use their logos??

[Youppi!]

didnt the packers try to do that to georgia and grambling a couple years ago?(unsuccessfully)

[Michigan Dave]

A coupe of Iowa variations before they went back to the Steeler-version:

[MJWalker45]

Paradoxically, I think the italics define the uniform as more belonging to the Steelers. As VandyDelph just posted, the jersey is identical to Iowa's with the Varsity Block numbers.

Besides the logo on one side, the thing I always associated with the Steelers is the gigantic numbers on the fronts of the helmets. But it always looked disjointed that the font of the helmet number, which is so prominent, never matched the jersey number font. Unifying them - and choosing the font that stood out as unique - wa a great move. At the same time, they kept the colors and stripes that are classically Steelers.

Why they italicized the numbers slightly, I don't know. But it's about as much of a change as the Steelers should make, Nike or not.

They just need to take teh logo off the jersey, then it'd look fine

[MJWalker45]

didnt the packers try to do that to georgia and grambling a couple years ago?(unsuccessfully)

Apparently it was succesful with Grambling, who is supposedly breaking out a new G logo incorporating the Tiger this season.

[rmackman]

*Talk about a different era. NFL now sues anyone even thinking about using anything remotely close to their unis or logos.

They threatened to sue a HS in Belvidere IL as they used a logo similar to the TB Bucs. The old Bucs logo of Pirate with dagger in mouth. Did not matter the HS team was using it before Tampa Bay was in the NFL, HS did not want to spend money litigating.

And the kicker.....they did this just before the Bucs went to the pewter and new logo. As logo changes are planned at least a year in advance the NFL was threatening to sue a HS for using a logo they knew they planned to stop using for

the upcoming season.....when sports get too big they forget where they came from....do you think former USFL or WFL team owners right now would kill for a chance to be letting HS teams use their logos??

My 10 year old cousin's little league baseball team is the Glendale Lions. The Detroit Lions sent them a letter threatening them, so they changed their name. A FREAKIN LITTLE LEAGUE TEAM! THE NFL SUES 10 YEAR OLDS!

On another note check out this photo of Greg Lloyd...

If you notice he has block letters on his jersey but the rounded ones on his helmet.

Now that's a current photo of Jerome Bettis. The numbers on the helmet and jersey now match. I'd be willing to bet that's part of the reason for the initial change away from block numbers.

[Discrim]

didnt the packers try to do that to georgia and grambling a couple years ago?(unsuccessfully)

Apparently it was succesful with Grambling, who is supposedly breaking out a new G logo incorporating the Tiger this season.

actually, IIRC Grambling had forgotten to register trademark rights several years back and never got around to doing so until it was too late. the Pack didn't have as much of a hand in this as you'd think.

[TruColor]

Someone sent me a link to an article that stated that Grambling WAS going to be able to use the traditional "G" logo going forward.

I'll try to find the story.