Houston Oilers Logo PNG
The Houston Oilers logo has become a vivid reflection of the energy and spirit of American football. It embodies the passion, strength, and competitive excitement that united the city of Houston and the team, making them part of sports history and cultural heritage.
Houston Oilers: Brand overview
The story of the Houston Oilers began in 1960 when oil entrepreneur Bud Adams founded the team as part of the American Football League. Named to honor Houston’s oil-rich heritage, the team quickly became successful, winning the AFL’s first two championships behind quarterback George Blanda. Fans embraced them even more when the Oilers moved into the Astrodome, the world’s first indoor stadium. After joining the NFL’s American Football Conference, the Oilers enjoyed another memorable era—the passionate “Luv Ya Blue” years—under beloved coach Bum Phillips, though they fell just short of reaching the Super Bowl. In the 1980s, quarterback Warren Moon led a strong Oilers team famous for their innovative offense. However, stadium issues and declining attendance caused tensions, prompting Adams to relocate the franchise to Tennessee. Initially called the Tennessee Oilers, the team eventually became the Tennessee Titans, officially ending the Oilers’ legacy in Houston. However, professional football returned when the Texans joined the NFL, creating a new football identity for the city.
Meaning and History
What is Houston Oilers?
It is a professional football club that began its history in the American Football League (AFL) and later became part of the National Football League (NFL). Its name is associated with the oil industry, which the region is famous for. The team stood out for its colors—white and Colombian blue- and its run-and-gun play style, making it famous among American football fans. The matches were held at the legendary stadium, which fans nicknamed the “House of Pain.”
1960 – 1961
The first Houston Oilers logo had a slightly cartoonish style and a strong Texas influence. It depicted a burly guy who never skipped a workout: broad shoulders, muscular arms, and a firm grip on an American football. He wore the team’s blue uniform with yellow stripes, and on his chest was a large number “60” with the word “OILERS.” The whole look had an old-school feel, reminiscent of the good old sixties.
He was outfitted with real cowboy boots, spurs, and a giant Texas-style hat to ensure no one forgot where the team came from. If this guy came to life, he’d probably head straight for the oil fields—right behind him were oil derricks and refineries, a clear reminder of why the team was named the “Oilers.”
This logo lasted only one season, but it perfectly captured the spirit of that era and the team itself—football blended with Texas’s oil industry. The character’s appearance and attributes symbolized what the team stood for in its early days—tough sports and industry, both key parts of Houston’s identity.
1961 – 1968
The Houston Oilers emblem underwent some changes. The figure in the logo remained just as powerful and game-ready, but he now wore a real oil worker’s hard hat instead of a cowboy hat. This brought the team visually closer to Houston’s industrial reality.
The colors also changed—yellow was removed, leaving gray and blue as the dominant shades. The words “OILERS” and the number “60” remained on the player’s chest, but the outlines became sharper and the stripes on the sleeves more pronounced. Even the cowboy boots with sharp spurs were slightly redesigned, making them look neater.
Behind the football player, the familiar oil rigs and storage tanks were now drawn with greater clarity, making the image more precise. Previously, they looked more like rough sketches, but now they formed a realistic industrial panorama.
The club preserved the original concept of the logo while bringing it closer to real-world industry, emphasizing the direct connection between the team and the oil sector, from which it got its name.
1969 – 1971
By the late ’60s, the Houston Oilers decided it was time to move on from cartoon-style football players. The new logo became simpler and more serious—a black-and-white football helmet outline with an oil derrick inside. Everything was drawn with clean, confident lines, almost like an engineering blueprint.
The helmet had a minimalist look, depicting the facemask using just a few strokes. The faint outline of a player’s face could be seen inside, with hints of an eye and nose, adding a sense of motion and realism.
The oil derrick became the central symbol. It was drawn prominently, with its metal framework rendered in clear, geometric lines, reinforcing Houston’s connection to the oil industry and the essence of the team.
This shift in design helped the team adopt a more modern and serious image, replacing the playful, cartoonish style with a straightforward and recognizable visual identity that told the story of the club and the city.
1972 – 1979
In 1972, the Houston Oilers refined their colors and simplified the emblem’s lines. The familiar concept remained—a football helmet with an oil derrick inside. The entire emblem was done in the team’s two primary colors, blue and red, which had been associated with their uniforms and gear throughout their history. The outline of the football helmet was rendered in a deep blue.
The oil derrick inside the helmet was now red, with a thin blue outline, adding contrast and making the visual symbol more striking and bold. The changes reflected the design trends of the time—simpler lines, cleaner colors, and minimalism over intricate details.
1980 – 1996
1980, the Houston Oilers logo underwent a small revolution: the helmet was removed, leaving only the oil derrick. It was a bold move, as the team and the derrick were deeply connected.
The focus was now entirely on the symbol of the oil industry, which was shaped to resemble the letter “A.” The structure of the logo appeared strong and stable, with intersecting lines forming a solid framework. The derrick was symmetrical, with a broad base gradually narrowing toward the top.
The color scheme became lighter and softer, with Columbia Blue as the primary shade, framed by a clean white outline and a finishing red border. The red added vibrancy without overwhelming the design’s calm and balanced look.
The emblem was simple, making it easy to apply to jerseys, helmets, and other team gear, fitting seamlessly in any context—whether on the field during a game or as fan merchandise.
