Colts

Row 1: 1950 (NY Yanks), 1951-52 (NY Yanks/Dallas Texans), 1953, 1953
Row 2: 1953, 1954-55, 1956
Row 3: 1957-77, 1978-94, 1995-2003
Row 4: 2004-19 (left 3 helmets), 2020-present
Note: Some football historians do not consider the NY Yanks, Dallas Texans, and other incarnations to be continuous with the Baltimore Colts franchise started in 1953.

Disputed Team Lineage

  1. 1913-14: Dayton St. Mary’s Cadets – Founded.
  2. 1915: Dayton Gym Cadets – Name change.
  3. 1916-29: Dayton Triangles – Joined NFL in 1920.
  4. 1930-43: Brooklyn Dodgers – The Triangles were failing. The team was purchased by a new owner, merged with the Orange Tornados, and moved to Brooklyn.
  5. 1944: Brooklyn Tigers – Name change.
  6. 1945-48: Boston Yanks – The Brooklyn team merges with the Boston Yanks.
  7. 1949: New York Bulldogs – The team moves to New York. In order to take advantage of a tax write-off, the team owner asked and was granted designation as a new franchise, even though most of the assets and ownership were the same.
  8. 1950-51: New York Yanks – Name change.
  9. 1952: Dallas Texans – A group of Dallas business owners purchase the assets and player contracts, and move the team to Dallas.

After 1952, the Dallas Texans folded and Baltimore was awarded an expansion team. An ownership group purchased the assets and player contracts of the Texans. Regardless, neither the NFL nor the Colts recognize the lineage going back to the Triangles. Interestingly, the Colts’ colors are the same as the original Triangles (the first team) and the Dallas Texans (the last team).

Pre-1949 helmets were leather will not be included here, but are included in the checklist at the end of this site.

1950-52: NY Yanks / Dallas Texans

  • 1950 (New York Yanks) – Columbia blue helmet with a white stripe
  • 1951 (New York Yanks) – Dark blue helmet with white stripe and tapered silver stripe
  • 1952 (Dallas Texans) – Dark blue helmet with white stripe and tapered silver stripe

1953

The first year for the team known today as the Colts was 1953. The team wore three helmet styles in 1953:

  1. White, with blue cross-stripe
  2. White, with blue stripe. This was worn again in 1954.
  3. Plain blue
Colts 1953 helmet. From Bills Sports Maps

1954-56

The 1954-55 blue helmet with the white horseshoes on the back is available in the Throwback Series 1 and Throwback 2-bar sets. The 1954-55 helmet was worn as a throwback in 2010.

In 1956, the blue helmet above was switched to white with a grey facemask. The horseshoes were also blue. Riddell did not manufacture a helmet in this style. The Colts wore the white 1956 helmet as a throwback in 2004.

1957-present: Colts White Helmet

Image from Bills Sports Map

1957-77

The standard Colts helmet with the blue horseshoe and blue stripe started in 1957. The only things that have changed have been slight alterations to the color of the blue horseshoe and the facemask color.

For all of their attention to detail, Riddell made some errors and inconsistencies with pocket pro helmets. However, the blue variations for the Colts are correct and match the eras for which the pocket pro was made.

The 1967-77 style helmet has a grey facemask and is in the Throwback Series 2 and Throwback NFC 1969 2-bar sets. This Colts helmet has a “69” on the back. The horseshoe is royal blue.

1978-94

In 1978, the Colts switched to a bright royal blue horseshoe and white facemask. Riddell has not manufactured a pocket pro for this helmet. The photo below is a custom.

1995-2003

This helmet is the same as previous versions, except for the blue facemask. It is in the original pocket pro sets.

2004-19

In 2004, the Colts switched to a grey facemask and a darker speed blue color. This helmet is in the revolution and speed sets.

2020-present

In 2020, the Colts updated the helmet to a wider speed blue horseshoe logo and darkened the speed blue stripe and logo color. The grey facemask was retained. This is available as a Speed helmet.

Super Bowl Helmets

Custom Colts Pocket Helmets

Pocket Helmet Checklist

  • 1953: White helmet, blue cross stripe, leather facemask
    • No factory pocket helmet
  • 1953: White helmet, blue stripe, leather facemask
    • No factory pocket helmet
  • 1953: Blue helmet, leather facemask
    • No factory pocket helmet
  • 1954: White helmet, blue stripe, lucite facemask
    • No factory pocket helmet
  • 1954: Dark blue helmet, white stripe, lucite facemask, white horseshoes on back of helmet
    • No factory pocket helmet
  • 1954 (pre-season): Dark blue helmet, white stripe, lucite facemask (same as regular season helmet but with no horseshoes)
    • No factory pocket helmet
  • 1955, 2010 throwback: Dark blue helmet, white stripe, grey facemask, white horseshoes on back of helmet
  • 1956-57, 2004, 2021 throwback: White helmet, blue stripe, grey facemask, blue horseshoes on back
    • No factory pocket helmet
  • 1957-77: White helmet, royal blue horseshoe logo, royal blue stripe, grey facemask
  • 1978-94: White helmet, bright blue stripe, bright royal blue horseshoe logo, white facemask
    • No factory pocket helmet
  • 1995-2003: White helmet, bright royal blue horseshoe logo, bright royal blue stripe, blue facemask
  • 2004-19: White helmet, speed blue horseshoe logo, speed blue stripe, grey facemask
  • 2020-present: White helmet, wider and darker speed blue horseshoe logo, darker speed blue stripe, grey facemask

Super Bowl:

Other Indianapolis Colts Helmets
These pocket pro helmets were not officially made by Riddell. They only exist as custom helmets.

Sources

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