What Is the Pittsburgh Steelers Logo?
The Pittsburgh Steelers logo is the Steelmark: a circle holding three four-pointed stars, known as hypocycloids, in yellow, red and blue. The word Steelers sits beside them. The team first wore it in November 1962 and has kept it on the helmet since.
It belongs to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the NFL team founded in Pittsburgh in 1933 as the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The circle with the three hypocycloids and the wordmark is available as the Pittsburgh Steelers logo SVG.
Pittsburgh Steelers Logo Facts
| Introduced | November 1962; "Steelers" in place of "Steel" from 1963 |
| Symbol | Three four-cusped hypocycloids in a circle |
| Logo type | Emblem: the hypocycloids and name inside a circle |
| Earlier mark | The coat of arms of the city of Pittsburgh |
| Owner | Pittsburgh Steelers |
What the Pittsburgh Steelers Logo Means
The logo is borrowed from the steel industry, the trade the team is named after. The Steelmark was created for U.S. Steel and is owned by the American Iron and Steel Institute.
In its original form it carries the single word Steel, surrounded by the three hypocycloids. The hypocycloids first came with a slogan: steel "lightens your work, brightens your leisure, and widens your world."
Over time the colours took on a second meaning, standing for the ingredients of steelmaking:
- yellow for coal
- orange for iron ore
- blue for scrap steel
The team's version draws the shapes thicker and turns the orange one red.
Pittsburgh Steelers Logo History
The team's first logo was the coat of arms of the city of Pittsburgh. Later marks included:
- a football with the smoky city skyline
- a construction worker holding a pennant on a chain
- a worker punting a football off a steel beam
The idea for the Steelmark came from Robert Sexton, a Pittsburgh employee of Republic Steel. He suggested that the team adopt the industry's emblem.
The logo made its debut in November 1962, in a game against the Washington Redskins. At first the team used the mark with the industry's wording.
In 1963 it petitioned the American Iron and Steel Institute and was allowed to add "ers", turning Steel into Steelers.
The One-Sided Helmet
The Steelers wear their logo on only one side of the helmet, the right. Owner Art Rooney told equipment manager Jack Hart to put it there as a test on the team's gold helmets.
The look caught on, and the team never added a second logo. No other NFL team wears its helmet logo this way.
For more teams like the Steelers, browse our sports logos.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do the three shapes on the Steelers logo mean?
They are hypocycloids taken from the steel industry's Steelmark. Their colours came to stand for coal, iron ore and scrap steel, the ingredients of steel.
Why is the Steelers logo only on one side of the helmet?
Art Rooney had equipment manager Jack Hart put it on the right side as a test. The team kept it that way because of its popularity.
Who suggested the Steelers use the Steelmark?
Robert Sexton, a Pittsburgh employee of Republic Steel. The team first wore the mark in November 1962.
Why does the logo say Steelers and not Steel?
The industry's Steelmark reads Steel. In 1963 the team won permission from the American Iron and Steel Institute to add "ers".
What were the Steelers called originally?
The Pittsburgh Pirates, the name the team used from its founding in 1933 through 1939.