Seattle Seahawks Logo PNG
Among the American football teams, the only team from Seattle is the Seattle Seahawks, whose emblem vividly and accurately reflects the meaning of the name. The mascot on the Seattle Seahawks logo reveals the meaning of the name, demonstrating the main feature of the club – the pursuit of victory.
Seattle Seahawks: Brand overview
| Founded: | June 4, 1974 |
| Founder: | The Paul Allen Trust |
| Headquarters: | Renton, Washington, U.S. |
| Website: | seahawks.com |
The Seattle Seahawks, the only National Football League team based in the Pacific Northwest region of the USA, debuted in 1976 as part of NFC West, but a year later, they swapped conferences with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and moved to AFC West. The team emerged as a result of the NFL expansion during the merger with the American Football League.
On June 15, 1972, the company Seattle Professional Football Inc., led by Ned Skinner and Herman Sarkowsky, announced its intention to acquire a franchise for Seattle. To expedite the process, the company’s executives began building the Kingdome stadium. The NFL only made concessions two years later – on June 3, 1974. The official agreement to join the professional league was signed on December 5, 1974.
The group of owners was led by Lloyd W. Nordstrom, who represented the Nordstrom family as owners of the controlling share package. Membership in the NFL cost them $16 million. Lloyd died of a heart attack on January 20, 1976, a few days before the Seattle Seahawks’ debut.
In 1975, Seattle’s professional football organized a contest among fans to choose a name for the club. Fans sent in more than 20,000 options – of which about 1,700 were unique. The name Seahawks (“Sea Hawk”) was proposed 151 times. It is associated with the osprey – a fast and agile predatory bird that fiercely defends its territory. According to General Manager John Thompson, this word expresses aggression and is not associated with any other major league team.
In 1988, Ken Hofmann and Ken Behring bought the franchise, paying $178 million. In January 1996, Behring decided to move it to Los Angeles – supposedly due to the high risk of earthquakes in Seattle. He had already moved the office when it turned out that the “Seattle Seahawks” had to play at the Kingdome stadium until 2005. The move fell through, and the co-owners sold the team. In 1997, it was acquired by Paul Allen – one of the founders of Microsoft. After his death in October 2018, the club became the property of the Estate of Paul Allen.
Meaning and History
All emblems of the “Seattle Seahawks” are dedicated to the sea hawk. It is an illustration of a ceremonial transformer mask in the form of a bird’s head among Native Americans. Initially, this style resembled the aesthetics of Native American tribes of the Northwest coast – Tlingit, Chinook, coastal Salish, Haida, and Kwakwaka’wakw. Later, designers modernized the graphic sign, giving it aggression and dynamics.
What is Seattle Seahawks?
The Seattle Seahawks is the only NFL franchise that has changed conferences twice since the merger of the two leagues. It was formed in 1964 when a group of activists from Seattle Professional Football Inc. decided that the city needed its own professional football team.
1976 – 2001
When the team debuted in the NFL, its logo featured a Kwakwaka’wakw native mask. The drawing, like the ritual object, is characterized by symbolic abstraction. The osprey’s head is turned to the right. It consists of several elements in white, green (“forest green”), and blue (“royal blue”) colors. The bird’s eye is a filled circle; the eyelids are open semi-circular stripes, and the beak is an arc pointing downwards.
2002 – 2011
On March 1, 2002, NFL Properties artists modernized the primitive logo. They simplified the design, removed the eyelid lines, and gave the sea hawk an aggressive look. The pupil is now shifted forward, the eyebrow is curved, and the shape of the beak is smoother than in the original version. The left side of the head is cut at an angle to create an illusion of movement. The palette also changed: the blue color approached a light tone (“Seahawks blue”), and the forest green was replaced with dark blue (“Seahawks navy”) and lime green.
2012 – today
Ten years after the redesign, the team updated the logo again. The lower left corner became dark gray (“wolf gray”). This shade was used instead of “seahawks navy,” which completely disappeared from the picture. The emblem, as before, depicts an osprey’s head in profile. It symbolizes the football club’s aspiration for glory and success. The stern look is taken from Egyptian mythology, where hieroglyphs in the form of a falcon are often found.
Seattle Seahawks: Interesting Facts
The Seattle Seahawks are an NFL team known for loud fans and exciting football games. They started in 1976, and since then, they’ve been a big part of the Pacific Northwest.
- How They Started: The Seahawks joined the NFL in 1976 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, bringing pro football to the Pacific Northwest.
- The Name: “Seahawks” was chosen from a contest with over 20,000 ideas. It stands for osprey, a bird representing toughness, speed, and connection to the sea.
- The 12th Man: The Seahawks fans are called the “12th Man” because they’re so loud they’re like having an extra player. Their home stadium is one of the loudest, and they even retired the number 12 jersey to honor the fans.
- Winning the Super Bowl: They won their first Super Bowl in 2013, beating the Denver Broncos 43-8, showing they were great on offense and defense.
- Legion of Boom: In the early 2010s, their defense was called the “Legion of Boom” because they were so good and hit so hard. This group was a big reason they were so successful.
- Super Loud Fans: In 2013, their fans set a world record for the loudest noise at a sports stadium.
- AFC and NFC Games: The Seahawks have played in both the AFC and NFC Championship Games since they’ve been in both conferences, which is unique.
- Pete Carroll’s Leadership: Since 2010, coach Pete Carroll has led the team to many wins, including twice to the Super Bowl.
- Mascot and Colors: Their mascot is an augur hawk named Taima, and their colors are “College Navy,” “Action Green,” and “Wolf Grey,” inspired by the nature around them.
- Helping the Community: The Seahawks do many good things for people in the Pacific Northwest through their charity, especially focusing on helping kids with health and education.
The Seattle Seahawks have made a big mark in the NFL with their great players, loud fans, and commitment to their community.
Font and Colors
On all emblems of the Seattle Seahawks team, a sea hawk is depicted – and not just any, but in the form of a ceremonial mask of the Native Americans of the Northwest coast. According to historical records, it once belonged to the local inhabitants of the Kwakwaka’wakw tribe, who used similar items during their rituals. The logo reflects the cultural heritage of the region and the aesthetics of Native American tribes.
The prototype for the current emblem was the 1976 version. It, in turn, was copied from a real object. In the new millennium, NFL Properties artists changed the design to move away from the mask image. The modern interpretation of the osprey’s head seems caricatured. At the same time, the redesign gave the logo a lack of dynamism and aggressiveness.
The bird’s eye is a reference to Egyptian mythology. In Egyptian writing, there were hieroglyphs in the form of a falcon, on which the emblem creators decided to focus their attention. The image of the sea hawk itself symbolizes the aspiration for success.
The Seattle Seahawks brand name is not highlighted. The absence of original fonts is not very noticeable because the graphic part itself looks unusual. In the first version of the logo, two colors were used: royal blue and forest green. On March 1, 2002, new shades came to replace them: lime green, seahawks navy, and Seahawks blue. In 2012, wolf gray was added to the palette, replacing the sea.
Seattle Seahawks color codes
| College Navy | Hex color: | #002244 |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 0 21 50 | |
| CMYK: | 100 65 0 60 | |
| Pantone: | PMS 289 C |
| Action Green | Hex color: | #69be28 |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 105 190 40 | |
| CMYK: | 57 0 84 0 | |
| Pantone: | PMS 368 C |
| Wolf Grey | Hex color: | #a5acaf |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 155 161 162 | |
| CMYK: | 5 0 0 30 | |
| Pantone: | PMS 429 C |
FAQ
Where did the “Seattle Seahawks” logo come from?
The “Seattle Seahawks” logo is based on the illustration of a ceremonial mask of one of the Indian tribes. This cultural relic was used during rituals. The stern look of the bird is a tribute to Egyptian hieroglyphs, as Egyptian writing had pictograms in the form of an eagle.
Did the “Sea Hawks” change their logo?
The “Seattle Seahawks” changed their logo in 2012, but these changes were not revolutionary. Designers made minor edits to the details – primarily in the color scheme.
What does the “Seattle Seahawks” logo represent?
The football team’s logo depicts the head of a sea hawk. Moreover, artists stylized it as a mask of the Native American population – tribes living on the Northwest coast. The drawing consists of wide, smooth lines separated by white voids.
How did the “Seattle Seahawks” get their name?
The executives of Seattle Professional Football Inc., who won the NFL franchise, decided to entrust the naming to the fans. Thousands of people participated in the naming contest and suggested more than 20,000 options. The name “Seahawks” was repeated 151 times, and the team owners liked it because it was not associated with other league members.
