San Diego Chargers logos and uniforms

This is a history of the logos and uniforms of the San Diego Chargers.

Logos and Uniforms

Except for color changes, the Chargers have basically used the logo of an arc-shaped lightning bolt since the team debuted in 1960. During its period in the AFL, the club also used a shield logo that featured a horsehead, a lightning bolt, and the word "Chargers".

From 1960 to 1973, the team's uniform design consisted of either Electric blue ("sky" or "powder" blue, but technically called Collegiate blue) or white jerseys, both with gold lightning bolts on the shoulders. The helmets were white and had both the arc-shaped lightning bolt logo, in gold, and the player's number. At first, the team wore white pants before switching to gold in 1966.

In 1974, the sky blue was changed to dark royal blue. The helmet was also changed to dark blue and the players' numbers were removed. From 1978 through 1983, the Chargers wore their white jerseys at home, coinciding with the hiring of coach Don Coryell, but Coryell switched the Chargers to their blue jerseys at home starting in 1984. With the exception of the 1991 season and other sporadic home games since, San Diego wears its blue jerseys at home.

In 1985, the Chargers started using navy blue and returned to wearing white pants. The team's uniform design was next revamped in 1988. It featured an even darker shade of navy blue. The lightning bolts on the jerseys and helmets were white with gold trim. In 1990, the team started to wear navy pants with their white jerseys. The Chargers went with all-white combinations in 1997 and 2001, only to have the blue pants make a comeback. On October 27, 2003, the Chargers wore their navy pants with their navy jersey for a "Monday Night Football" game vs. the Miami Dolphins that was played at Sun Devil Stadium, then the home of the Arizona Cardinals, due to wildfires in southern California. This remains the only game in which the Chargers have worn the all-dark combination.

Since 2002, the Chargers have used the early-1960s uniform design as alternate jerseys, in which an overwhelming amount of Charger football fans and of other teams as well wish to bring back arguably the best uniforms in the history of the game. Right now, the team will continue to use a variation of them (see below) as an alternate jersey.

On March 9, 2007, the Chargers unveiled on their web site their first uniform redesign since 1988. The team formally unveiled this new uniform set, which will mix old and new styles, in a private team-only event on March 14. Navy blue remains the primary color on the home jersey, but the familiar lightning bolt was reverted to yellow, but now with navy and Collegiate (powder) blue trim, the latter color a nod to the 1960s uniforms and has been moved to the sides of the shoulders from the top, and includes a new numbering font and word mark in white with yellow and light blue trim. The pants also will have a redesigned lightning bolt in yellow with light blue trim on a navy stripe. Additionally, the team pays tribute to other uniform features from their history by wearing a metallic white helmet with a navy face mask with the newly revamped bolt in yellow with navy, white and light blue trim and white pants. The road white jerseys with navy pants and alternate light blue jerseys to be worn with white pants have also been redesigned with the new scheme.

Logo Gallery