New England Patriots logo history
The New England Patriots introduced the current flying-head design in 1993, replacing Pat Patriot. Often nicknamed Flying Elvis, the logo shows a patriot’s profile with a star on the hat and red stripes trailing behind. The blue became darker in 2000, but the design itself dates to 1993.
Current New England Patriots logo vs. the old logo
New
Old
Pat Patriot is the crouching Revolutionary-era figure preparing to snap a football. The current logo removes the full body and football, keeping a streamlined head with a flowing flag-like shape. The classic figure is the distinctive old Patriots logo associated with the team’s red throwback uniforms.
Why is the Patriots logo called Flying Elvis?
Flying Elvis is a fan nickname for the stylized patriot-head logo. The profile, star and trailing red stripes give it a moving, flag-like appearance. Pat Patriot remains the name associated with the older snapping figure and the team’s mascot.
When did the New England Patriots start playing?
The franchise began as the Boston Patriots in 1960 in the AFL and became the New England Patriots in 1971. Pat Patriot became the team’s official logo in 1961 and remained through 1992. The current head was already in use before the championship era that began with the 2001 season.
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