Pittsburgh Steelers Logo PNG
The Pittsburgh Steelers logo reflects the history of the city and the club. It is based on the emblem of the United States Steel Corporation, symbolizing the main components of the steel industry and the club’s close connection to the city.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Brand overview
| Founded: | July 8, 1933 |
| Founder: | Rooney family |
| Headquarters: | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Website: | steelers.com |
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team competing in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference’s Northern Division. Its history dates back to the regional sports club J.P. Rooneys (formerly the Hope-Harvey Football Club and Majestic Radios), founded by Art Rooney in 1921.
Although football was extremely popular in Pittsburgh, a “blue law” prohibited any sports competitions on Sunday. As city authorities planned to repeal this law in the fall of 1933, Art Rooney applied for an NFL franchise. His request was granted on May 19, 1933, after paying an entry fee of $2,500. Thus, J.P. Rooney joined the League under the name “Pittsburgh Pirates.” The name was taken from the local baseball team.
In 1940, the club and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette held a contest to name the team. A group led by Joe Bach, a former coach of the “Pirates,” chose “Steelers” from other options, which was later approved by Art Rooney. This name was a tribute to Pittsburgh’s largest industry – steel production. Each winner (twenty-one people) received a prize of $5 and annual access to all regular season home games.
World War II made it impossible to replenish the roster, so the “Pittsburgh Steelers” merged with other franchises. In 1943, they merged with the “Philadelphia Eagles,” forming the “Phil-Pitt Eagles,” widely known as the “Steagles.” In 1944, the “Pittsburgh Steelers” and the “Chicago Cardinals” founded the “Card-Pitt” team, nicknamed the “Carpets” or “Car-Pitts.” The franchise returned to its name in 1945.
It is believed that the Rooney family owned a controlling stake in the club throughout its history. Indeed, for a long time, it was founded and owned by Art Rooney; from 1988, the club belonged to Dan Rooney, his son, and since 2017 the club has been owned by Art Rooney II, his grandson. In December 1941, Art Rooney sold the “Steelers” to New York businessman Alexis Thompson for $160,000. Then Art Rooney bought a 50% share of the “Philadelphia Eagles” owned by Bert Bell. Thompson, Bell, and Rooney divided the drafted players between the two clubs.
In January 1941, Alexis Thompson renamed the franchise Iron Men and decided to move it to New York. Naturally, Art Rooney was against such a decision, so he proposed an exchange. On April 3, 1941, they made a deal: the “Eagles,” led by Art Rooney and Bert Bell, went to Pittsburgh and became the “Steelers,” while the “Iron Men,” owned by Alexis Thompson, moved to Philadelphia under the name “Eagles.” Although the Pittsburgh club performed as the “Steelers,” it was initially called the Philadelphia Eagles Football Club, Inc. Since all these events occurred in the offseason and the “Steelers” did not miss any games in Pittsburgh, the NFL considers the sports history of the “Steelers” continuous.
Meaning and History
The Pittsburgh Steelers logo boasts an incredibly interesting history intertwined with the club’s history itself. From 1933 to 1944, the team changed its name several times, leading to a change in the logo. In the late period of history, the name “Pittsburgh Steelers” has not changed, but the “Steelers” logo has been updated five times. Almost every logo featured black and gold colors – the official colors of the franchise. This color palette was borrowed from the black-gold tri-color flag of Pittsburgh.
What is Pittsburgh Steelers?
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a franchise from the northern part of the AFC, formerly known as the Pittsburgh Pirates, Phil-Pitt “Steagles,” and Card-Pitt. Among its achievements are six Super Bowl championship titles and over twenty divisional championship titles. The team played its first season in 1933.
1933 – 1939
The debut logo of the “Pittsburgh Pirates” was the city’s coat of arms. It looked like a complex heraldic shield in the form of an “expanded hide” with a three-towered castle at the top. The shield also housed three golden bezants with eagles rising on wings. These were symbolic elements of the Great Seal of the United States, denoting magnanimity, dominion, and authority. The middle of the shield was trimmed with a wide horizontal band with a blue-white checkerboard pattern. The background was black.
1940 – 1942
Having changed its name to the “Pittsburgh Steelers,” the club had to change its logo. The new “Steelers” emblem was elliptical, resembling an American football. The emblem depicted steel mills with smoking pipes, a foundry, and a steelworker. The images were blurry and schematic. The ellipse was trimmed with a white border, which housed the word mark, written in black letters. The inscriptions “Pittsburgh Steelers” and “Football Club,” written in capital letters, were placed at the top and bottom, respectively.
1943
In 1943, the team merged with the “Philadelphia Eagles” and was renamed the “Phil-Pitt Eagles.” This was the first time the franchise changed its color palette, abandoning the gold color. The 1943 emblem featured a black eagle flapping its wings with a black helmet in its talons. The inner contours were outlined with uneven white lines. The oppressive palette and imagery conveyed the heavy mood of World War II.
1944
Another merger occurred in 1944. After joining the “Chicago Cardinals,” the “Pittsburgh Steelers” franchise was renamed “Card-Pitt.” The new name became the key element of the new logo, which was a dark red inscription “Card-Pitt” on a white background. The words, typed in capital letters, were written in a bold old-fashioned font with wide perpendicular serifs at the ends of all characters except “C.”
1945 – 1961
In 1945, the club became independent again. It reverted to its previous name, “Pittsburgh Steelers,” and the 1940-1942 logo. The “Pittsburgh Steelers” logo contained a geometric figure in the shape of a ball, combining the themes of football and Pittsburgh’s steel industry.
1962 – 1968
The next logo was introduced in 1962. The complex composition was replaced by a steelworker deflecting a football. The Pittsburgh Steelers logo featured a caricatured steelworker dressed in construction attire: boots, a shirt, overalls, and a protective helmet. The smiling character stood on a bent leg, balancing on a steel I-beam with arms spread to the sides. The second leg was extended forward to deflect a football. The yellow-golden image was outlined in black.
1969 – 2001
In 1969, the Cleveland company Republic Steel suggested the “Pittsburgh Steelers” use the American Iron and Steel Institute’s logo as an emblem. The emblem was developed by the Pittsburgh company U.S. Steel and originally contained its name, but the franchise’s owners did everything possible to get permission from AISI to add “ers” to “Steel.” The inscription was placed on the left center. On the right were three four-pointed asteroid stars – hypocycloids (yellow, blue, and red) in the form of curved diamonds with sharp angles. They signified that steel would shine from hard work and rest and expand the possibilities provided by the surrounding world. All elements were taken into a silver ring.
2002 – today
The 2002 Pittsburgh Steelers logo remained virtually the same: the colors became more saturated, and the dark gray ring was outlined in black. The asteroids represent the raw materials used in steel production: bright yellow (coal), red (iron ore), and blue (scrap metal). These are standard designations in the steel industry. The Astroid logo turned out to be the brightest, as its design was influenced by the city of Pittsburgh itself, widely known for its abundance of steel mills.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Interesting Facts
The Pittsburgh Steelers, a football team from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, started in 1933 and are known for being good and having many fans.
- Super Bowl Wins: They’ve won the Super Bowl six times (IX, X, XIII, XIV, XL, and XLIII), which is as many as any team in the NFL. They’ve been good for a long time.
- The Steel Curtain: In the 1970s, their defense was so strong they called it “The Steel Curtain.” Players like “Mean” Joe Greene helped them win many games and Super Bowls.
- Immaculate Reception: A famous play happened in 1972 when Franco Harris unexpectedly caught a pass, helping them win a playoff game. People still talk about it.
- Consistent Coaches: Since 1969, they’ve only had three head coaches, which is uncommon. This has helped them stay successful.
- Fans and the Terrible Towel: Their fans love the team and show it by waving a yellow towel called the “Terrible Towel” at games. It’s a big part of being a Steelers fan.
- Heinz Field: Their stadium has a great view and is known for a giant ketchup bottle display that “pours” ketchup when the team is close to scoring.
- Rooney Family: The team has always been owned by the Rooney family, starting with Art Rooney. They care a lot about the team and the city.
- Big Rivalries: They have strong rivalries with teams like the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns, which makes for some exciting games.
- Hall of Famers: Many Steelers players, like Terry Bradshaw and Franco Harris, have made it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame because they were good.
- Helping Out: The team does many good things in the community, especially through their charity work, which focuses on helping kids and families.
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ story is about being good at football, having traditions like the Terrible Towel, and being a big part of their community.
Font and Colors
The modern emblem of the Pittsburgh Steelers contains its nickname and three four-pointed stars inside a white circle, enclosed in a light gray ring. It is an exact replica of the American Iron and Steel Institute’s emblem, developed by U.S. Steel. The football team first used this symbol in 1969 at the recommendation of the Cleveland company Republic Steel. It did not change the original design and added only the letters “ers” to the existing word “Steel.”
The inscription is located on the left side. On the right are the hypocycloids – rhombuses with concave sides and pointed angles. Each element symbolizes Pittsburgh as a center of the steel industry, as the city is home to some of the largest steel mills in the USA.
The word “Steelers,” depicted inside the silver ring, is written in a sans-serif font. One of its distinctive features is the slanted top part of the letter “t.” The spacing between characters is minimal. The black inscription stands out brightly against the white background. Next to it are asteroid stars in blue, red, and yellow.
Each shade represents a certain type of raw material from which steel is made. Blue symbolizes scrap metal; red represents iron ore, and yellow, accordingly, coal. These are universally accepted designations – known to everyone working in the steel industry.
Pittsburgh Steelers color codes
| Black | Hex color: | #000000 |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 0 0 0 | |
| CMYK: | 70 50 50 100 | |
| Pantone: | PMS Process Black C |
| Gold | Hex color: | #ffb612 |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 238 173 30 | |
| CMYK: | 0 25 100 0 | |
| Pantone: | PMS 1235 C |
| Red | Hex color: | #c60c30 |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 213 10 10 | |
| CMYK: | 10 100 100 0 | |
| Pantone: | PMS 186 C |
| Royal Blue | Hex color: | #00539b |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 0 83 155 | |
| CMYK: | 100 68 0 12 | |
| Pantone: | PMS 287 C |
| Gray | Hex color: | #a5acaf |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 155 161 162 | |
| CMYK: | 5 0 0 30 | |
| Pantone: | PMS 429 C |
FAQ
What does the Pittsburgh Steelers logo represent?
The graphic sign that served as the Pittsburgh Steelers logo was created for the United States Steel Corporation steel company. Therefore, all elements symbolize the steel industry and its main components. The blue hypocycloid represents steel scrap, the orange one – iron ore, and the yellow one – metallurgical (coking) coal.
What is the “Steelers” logo called?
There is no official name for the Pittsburgh Steelers emblem. But the emblem on which it was based is called Steelmark. The owner of this symbol is the American Iron and Steel Institute.
What diamonds are depicted on the “Steelers” emblem?
The emblem of the Steelers does not depict diamonds but hypocycloids with four protrusions. By their shape, the four-pointed figures most resemble asteroids.
What was the first logo of the “Steelers”?
Initially, the team used the coat of arms of the city of Pittsburgh as its logo. It was a black heraldic shield with three eagles taken from the Great Seal and a blue-white checkerboard pattern. At the top was a castle with three towers.