detroit lions vs. st. louis rams the season begins consistency up front ...

1998: In what turned out to be Barry Sanders
fi nal season, the Lions changed their look on the
road, wearing blue pants with a white stripe between
two silver stripes.
1999: The Lions returned to wearing silver
pants (with white stripe between two blue
stripes) on the road.
2000-02: In 2000, the Lions moved the numbers
that were on the sleeves up to the shoulders.
The Lions wore a patch commemorating the
fi rst game at Ford Field September 22, 2002
against the Green Bay Packers.
2003: The home jersey has a thick silver
stripe between two thin blue stripes with
white trim and two thin black stripes. The
numbers are white with silver trim and outside
black trim. The away jersey has a thick
blue stripe between two thin silver stripes
with white trim and two thin black stripes. The
numbers on the away jersey are blue with silver
trim and outside black trim.
The helmet has one vertical white stripe between
two blue stripes and two thin black stripes on the outside.
The Leaping Lion has white trim and outside black trim and the
facemask is black.
The pants have one vertical thick white stripe between two blue
stripes and two thin black stripes.
2005: The Lions introduced a new black alternate
jersey featuring Honolulu Blue numbers
with silver and white trim. The alternate jersey
can be worn in as many as two regular season
games and one preseason game.
2008: To commemorate the Detroit
Lions 75th Season, the team wore a
patch on the home and away jerseys. Additionally,
the Lions wore the franchise’s classic “throwback”
uniform sans 75th Season patch for two games.
LIONS COMPREHENSIVE BRAND
On April 20, 2009, the Detroit Lions unveiled a new comprehensive
brand that includes a new logo and new uniforms. As part
of the new comprehensive brand, the Lions also introduced a
new logotype and a new proprietary font, “NFL Lions.” The new
logotype is additional imagery that presents the Lions brand
and will be featured in such prominent places as the endzone
marking at Ford Field. The classic Honolulu blue, white and
black colors remain unchanged.
HOME HONOLULU BLUE JERSEYS
Numerals were customized specifi cally for the Lions uniform.
They are Honolulu Blue, trimmed in silver and black.
Above the new numerals is the new Lions logotype.
On the collar, there are three trim lines of equal width, with
two black trim lines outside a silver trim line.
The sleeves are a new knit sleeve that features a wide silver
trim, inside two smaller white trims and those all inside
two black trims of equal width as the white trim. The new
material is improved and more fl exible for players. The trim
is part of the knit-sleeve material, which was changed from
the previous silk-screened sleeve.
Numerals remain on the shoulders but are now in the customized
Lions jersey numerals.
Players’ nameplates on the back of the uniform have slightly
modifi ed block letters from the previous block letter names
on the back of the uniform.
ROAD WHITE JERSEYS
The road jerseys are the traditional “road whites,” with blue
numerals trimmed in silver and black.
On the road jerseys, the collar is in the same black and silver
trim pattern as the home uniforms.
Sleeves are of the same new knit-sleeve material that are
on the new home uniforms. The trim on the sleeves includes
a wide Honolulu blue trim, inside two smaller silver trims
and those are all inside two black trims of equal width as
the white trim.
HELMET
The helmet now features the new logo on each side. It is the
most signifi cant change since the Lions logo was fi rst placed
on the team’s helmet in 1961.
The facemasks will remain black, but the new Lions logotype
will be included on the front and the back of the helmet.
At the top middle of the helmet, the striping pattern has been
modifi ed. Instead of a thick white stripe, two Honolulu blue
stripes and a very thin black accent stripe, the helmet striping
pattern is now a 5/8-inch Honolulu blue stripe, two 3/16-inch
white stripes and two 3/16-inch black stripes. The striping
pattern is the same striping pattern as the team’s game pants.
PANTS AND GAME SOCKS
The game pants will remain in the team’s traditional silver.
Like the striping pattern on the helmet, the pants vertical trim
on the side of the legs are now a thick Honolulu blue stripe
inside smaller white stripes, which are all inside black stripes
that are the same width as the white stripes.
The game socks, which are the same for the home and road
uniforms, now have a 5/8-inch black stripe on the calf midline.
The top half is Honolulu blue and the bottom half is white.
NIKE ELITE 51 UNIFORMS
2012: The NFL launched its new partenrship with Nike in April
2012, and now the Lions uniform not only features the NIKE
logo but also features the new Nike Elite 51 technology. The
collar changed from black and silver piping to a solid blue.
Designed and engineered from the inside out, the new Nike Elite
51 uniform focuses on creating a system where the baselayer,
padding, jersey and pant work in concert. New innovations include
integrating Nike Flywire Technology into the neckline to reduce
weight and provide lockdown fi t over pads, increasing sleeve
articulation for better range of motion, and integrating new fourway
stretch fabrication to provide a streamlined shrink-wrap fi t.
The Nike Elite 51 key features:
LIGHTER –The Nike jersey and pant, wet or dry are on average
20% lighter
NIKE FLYWIRE - Eliminates layers, reduces weight, and provides
lockdown fi t
ZONED MESH VENTILATION – Provides cooling zones for optimal
thermoregulation
ZONED STRENGTH - High tenacity, stretch material, for light
weight lockdown strength.
CUT FOR MOBILITY – Four-way stretch, hydrophobic materials
enable range of motion wet or dry.
STRETCH TWILL NUMBERS – Four-way stretch even on numbering
system
CUSTOMIZABLE BASELAYER PADDING – Nike Pro Hyperstrong
baselayer with integrated lightweight, Defl ex padding off ering
customizable fl exible protection.
DEFLEX PADDING - Lightweight, flexible impact protection
integrated into top “hit zone” areas
ALUMINUM D-RING BELT - Aircra -grade aluminum D-ring
belt reduces weight.
The uniform also features the Nike Vapor Game Sock – a highly
innovative sock designed specifi cally for football. The knee-high
design combines compression, Nike Pro inspired cushioning, mesh
venting and structure precisely where needed.