The Pittsburgh Steelers began as the Pittsburgh Pirates, named for the team’s original owner, Arthur (Art) Joseph Rooney, Sr., on July 8, 1933. The name changed in 1940 in an attempt to build local support and participation. When fans submitted suggestions, several suggested that the winning Steelers name reflected the city’s top source of employment, earning season tickets for their efforts.
A new look
However, the famous three-star logo of the Pittsburgh Steelers took a little longer to develop. Helmet logos first became popular in 1948 when the Los Angeles Rams became the first team to add a badge to team helmets. Rams player Fred Gehrke was also an artist and spent all of his free time that season hand-painting Ram’s distinctive horns on 70 leather helmets. The following year, Riddell, the maker of the famous plastic football helmet that is still used today, agreed to include the design on the helmet, prompting other teams to gradually add their own logos.
The Steelers’ only concession at the time to the new logo craze was adding player numbers and a black stripe to their distinctive gold helmets.
In 1962, Republic Steel of Cleveland approached the Steelers and suggested that they consider the Steelmark, the insignia used by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), as a helmet logo to honor Pittsburgh’s steel heritage. The Steelmark logo, a circle that encloses three hypocycloids (diamonds with inward curved edges) and the word STEEL, was created by US Steel Corp. (now known as USX Corp.) to educate consumers about the importance of steel in your everyday life.
The Steelers liked the idea presented by Republic Steel, even though the company was located in the city of its bitterest rival, the Cleveland Browns, and proudly sported the new logo on its helmets for the 1962 season. Afterwards After qualifying that year for their first postseason game, they changed the color of their helmets from gold to solid black, highlighting the new logo that they felt brought them good luck.
The team’s team manager, Jack Hart, originally applied the new Steelmark logo to the right side only, not knowing what it would look like on solid gold helmets. Even when they later changed the color of their helmet to solid black, the team decided to permanently retain the logo on only one side in response to the interest generated by the uniqueness of the logo. The Steelers remain the only NFL team to sport their logo on only one side of the helmet.
The embodiment of a proud tradition
A final change to the logo occurred in 1963 when the Steelers successfully petitioned AISI to allow them to change the word “Steel” within Steelmark to “Steelers.” The Steelers then added the gold stripe and player numbers and changed the face masks from gray to black, but otherwise the helmet has remained largely unchanged since 1963.
With the interest generated by having the logo on only one side of their helmets and the new success of the team (9-5 after many years of losing seasons), the Steelers decided to leave the helmet that way permanently. The Steelers logo has not changed since then, as befits a football team that values consistency and tradition.
Steelers Nation
The Steelers sport their home uniforms at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh’s North Shore neighborhood, and their legions of energetic fans, who travel from everywhere to watch the team play, proudly display black and gold as well.
