Bo McMillin had been the head football coach at Indiana University for 14 seasons. Jason Aikens is the curator of collections at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. He says McMillin brought a college mentality to the NFL and thought the Lions would look better — and play better — in IU’s crimson.
“[McMillin] switched the colors to red, red jerseys with silver pants,” Aikens said. “And for special games against special rivalries, he had the team wear black.”
But the new colors didn’t last long. Neither did Bo McMillin, who was replaced after three lackluster seasons. Buddy Parker took over in 1951, restoring the original colors, and the team’s roar. The Lions won back-to-back NFL championships in 1952 and ’53. They earned another title under George Wilson in 1957, when they added white jerseys for away games. Journalist and historian Bill Dow collects Lions memorabilia. He’s a big fan of the Honolulu blue.
Never knew the Lions wore red uniforms for a few seasons in the late 40s.
I did… but don’t go looking for photos… even though they are color restored fakes the ugly crimson will burn your eyes out. I litterally threw up all over myself and cried when i saw them. Disgusting.
I had often wondered where the name “Honolulu Blue” came from. I had assumed it was just what the color was called. I did not realize that he named the color. Very interesting.
Historic details are fantastic. Look up the history of Fanta the pop or if you prefer “soda” . That is another crazy story.
Another curious bit is… whoever heard of a blue lion?
If the Lions wanted to look like the cat, their colors would be something close to the Saints, tan/gold with black trim.
But here’s the key bit, (and I actually read it somewhere once but never heard it again) the Lions are not nicknamed after the animal directly, but the Lion as a symbol of royalty, which is seen traditionally all over the world. And blue and silver are also associated with royalty.
So the next time some fan of another team questions the blue lion, you can tell them. Or not.
. That is another crazy story.
