Lehigh Football: Uniforms Through the Years

Leading up to the 150th meeting of college football's most-played rivalry when Lehigh meets Lafayette at Yankee Stadium in November, Lehigh Athletics will take a historical look back at Lehigh's football uniforms through the years.

2010 – present – Lehigh's current uniforms made their debut in 2010, kicking off a season that would culminate in the first of back-to-back Patriot League championships.

The biggest change to the jerseys was a change from a single shoulder stripe to a triple shoulder stripe, along with the return of TV numbers. The shoulder stripes on the brown home jersey consist of a white-gold-white pattern, while on the white road jersey the pattern is gold-brown-gold. The size of the Lehigh wordmark on the chest became smaller and simpler with the wordmark and numbers on the home jersey appearing solid white and on the road jersey solid brown.

For the first time since the early 1980s (with the exception of the 2008 Lafayette game), Lehigh wore white pants. The Mountain Hawks wore white pants both at home and on the road in 2010. On September 17, 2011, Lehigh debuted brown pants on the road in a 34-22 win at Princeton. Lehigh wore brown pants in five of its seven road games in the 2011 championship season, including both of its NCAA playoff games at Towson and North Dakota State.

In 2012 Lehigh wore the brown pants for its first four road contests, but in the season finale the Mountain Hawks (as they did in 2008 and 2010) went white over white for their win at Lafayette. The 2013 season saw Lehigh opt for brown pants over white pants by a 4-2 margin, while in 2014 the Mountain Hawks went white-on-brown for their first two road tilts, and white-on-white for the last three.

The helmet remained unchanged with a logo-less gold shell and a brown facemask.

10717 — QB Chris Lum '12 in the home uniform

10718 — Brown pants debuted at Princeton in 2011

2004 – 2009 – This six-year period featured subtle tweaks to the look Lehigh sported on the gridiron in the eight previous seasons.

The biggest change during this time period was the removal of TV numbers on the jerseys. In its place, sleeve stripes were re-introduced with a single white stripe appearing on both shoulders of the home jersey (and a brown stripe on both shoulders of the road jersey). Lehigh's L-Hawk logo appeared on both sleeves, while the Patriot League logo moved to the left shoulder.

Outlines were removed from the Lehigh wordmark on both the home and road jersey's with the home threats featuring LEHIGH in solid white and the roads in solid brown.

The helmet remained unchanged, logo-less gold shell with brown facemask. The pants remained gold, both home and away, with the hawk logo removed from the hips.

This look was consistent for 66 of the 67 games played by Lehigh during this period. The one exception was the 2008 Lehigh-Lafayette game, where Lehigh countered Lafayette's black-on-black uniform combination by wearing its white practice pants for a white-on-white look. Lehigh went on to win meeting 144 31-15, snapping a four-game Lafayette winning streak in what would become the first of five consecutive victories for the Mountain Hawks.

10631 — Marques Thompson in the
whites at Yale in 2004

10632 — Anthony Graziani in 2005
home game

10633 — Lehigh went white over white
against Lafayette in 2008

1996 – 2003 – Lehigh's football jerseys and pants underwent an overhaul prior to the 1996 season. Sleeve stripes worked their way out of style, but the gold introduced ten years earlier remained.

10527 — Nick Martucci '99 in the 1997 uniform

Beginning in 1996 Lehigh's home jerseys were solid brown, with white numerals and white TV numbers on the shoulders. Above the numbers on the front of the jersey was the Lehigh wordmark, with the individual letters outlined in gold. Road jerseys featured the reverse, with brown numbers on white jerseys, and with the Lehigh wordmark in brown, outlined in gold.

Pants remained gold, but now featured a variation of Lehigh's logo on both hips. Around this time Lehigh introduced a logo of a hawk with its wings spread, with a green mountain in the background with a Lehigh wordmark above the hawks' wings. The logo on the pants featured this mark, without the Lehigh wordmark. Helmets remained unchanged from 1995, gold shells with no stripes or logos, and a white facemask.

The only noticeable changes to this uniform set came in 1997, when a Patriot League logo patch was added to the left sleeve, and in 1998 when the facemask color changed from white to brown.

These were the uniforms worn by Lehigh during its string of four consecutive Patriot League titles between 1998-2001, including the 1998 and 2000 teams that matched the 1977 squad for the school record with 12 victories.

10528 — Ron Jean '00 runs against
Lafayette in 1999

10530 — Phil Stambaugh '00 in
the road whites alongside
coach Kevin Higgins

10531 — Jermaine Pugh '04 carries the ball
versus Lafayette in 2003

1985 – 1995 – This 11-year period marked the reintroduction of gold into Lehigh's color scheme. Nearly 30 years later, gold remains part of Lehigh's look.

In 1985 Lehigh unveiled a new look as the team sported brown jerseys at home, featuring white numbers and three equally-sized white stripes on both sleeves. White TV numbers appeared on the shoulders, above the sleeve stripes. The road jersey featured the inverse with brown stripes and numbers on a white jersey.

Gold pants debuted in 1985 and remained in place through the 2009 season. From 1985-1994 Lehigh's gold home and away pants featured brown-white-brown striping down the sides.

Lehigh's helmet shells returned to gold for the first time since the early 1950s. The new helmets featured a brown-white-brown striping pattern down the center and a white facemask. On each side of the helmets was a new version of the interlocking LU in white, placed in a brown oval. In these uniforms, Lehigh posted victories over Lafayette in 1985, 1987 (final game at Taylor Stadium), 1990 and 1991.

These uniforms remained unchanged until 1992 when the TV numbers were removed from the uniforms. Lehigh won its first Patriot League championship in these TV number-less jerseys in 1993. In 1994, the front jersey number was lowered and the block Lehigh word mark appeared on the front of the jersey.

The 1995 season brought significant change to the helmet and pants. The brown-white-brown striping disappeared from both the pants and helmet as both were now solid gold. Facemasks remained white. These were the uniforms worn in Lehigh's historic double overtime 37-30, Patriot League championship-clinching win over Lafayette in 1995.

10437 — Marty Horn '86 earned MVP
honors in the new uniforms
in 1985

10438 — 1986 captains Joe Uliana (73) and
Mike Kosko (90)

10441 — QB Bob Aylsworth '96 in
Lehigh's 1995 uniform

1981 – 1984 – Lehigh's football uniforms would get an 80's style makeover, beginning in the 1981 season. The Northwestern style stripe patterns that were prevalent in the 1950s, 1960s and late 1970s remained, but instead of being located on the sleeves, the striping pattern moved to the shoulders of Lehigh's football jerseys.

10232 — A look at the helmet worn in 1983 and 1984

Beginning in 1981, Lehigh's home uniform consisted of a brown jersey with the white Northwestern stripes across the shoulders and white numbers, while the road uniform featured the opposite, brown stripes on a white jersey. TV numbers moved from the shoulders to the bottom of the sleeves. Lehigh celebrated its 100th season of football in 1983, with Lehigh's special 100th season logo replacing the TV numbers on the left sleeve.

The three-stripe pattern also made its way to Lehigh's pants as the Engineers wore white pants both home and away with three brown stripes down the sides, with the middle stripe thicker than the outside stripes.

In 1981 and 1982, Lehigh wore the same helmets as in the late 70s consisting of a white shell with the Lehigh wordmark on each side and two brown stripes flanking a thicker, lighter brown stripe. Lehigh migrated to a much simpler look in 1983 and 1984, going to a solid white shell and white facemask with no helmet striping. The Lehigh wordmark that appeared on the sides of the helmet was modified and modernized.

10233 — 1983 captains John Shigo (54)
and Lance Williams (65)

1977 – 1980 – An incredibly successful four year run for the Lehigh football program was met with a return to a retro look from another successful era. Northwestern style sleeve stripes were re-introduced beginning with the 1977 season. A more modern update over the 1950s version, the home uniform consisted of brown jerseys with white northwestern sleeve stripes and white numbers with the road uniforms featuring white jerseys with brown stripes and numbers. Game pants were white with a solid brown stripe down the outside of each leg. In addition, a minor change was made to the helmets with the brown interlocking LU replaced with a LEHIGH wordmark. The shells remained white with a white stripe flanked by brown stripes and the facemasks also remained brown.

With their updated uniforms, Lehigh captured the Division II National Championship in 1977, shutting out Jacksonville State 33-0 in the Pioneer Bowl in Wichita Falls, Texas. Lehigh went 4-0 against Lafayette during this four-year span. In addition to its national title, Lehigh reached the newly formed Division I-AA national championship game in 1979, losing to Eastern Kentucky, and also reached the Division I-AA playoffs in 1980.

The only tweak during this four year span came the following year as the previously white stripe in the middle of the helmet was replaced with a brown stripe that was lighter in color than the traditional brown stripes that flanked it. This helmet style carried into the early 1980s.

10096 — Mike Rieker '78 passing in
1977 Division II
National Championship game

10097 — 1978 MVP Steve Kreider '79 with
the trophy and helmet with light
brown center stripe

10098 — 1979 Captains (L-R) Eric Yaszemski, Rich Andres and
Jim McCormick

10099 — QB Larry Michalski '82 delivers
a pass in a 1980 game

1966 – 1976 – This 11 year span highlights the final ten years of Fred Dunlap's head coaching tenure through the first year under head coach John Whitehead. After slow start to Dunlap's tenure Lehigh emerged as a strong team in the East in the early to mid-1970s, as the Engineers won the Lambert Cup in both 1973 and 1974. A series of quality quarterbacks began to shine for the Brown and White, beginning with Kim McQuilken '74 and continuing with Joe Alleva '75 and Joe Sterrett '76.

9930 — Kim McQuilken '74 hands off in
a 1971 game

The northwestern style sleeve stripes that synonymized the last 20 years went on hiatus. The 1966 squad took the field in solid brown and solid white with numbers of the opposite color. Pants were white with brown stripes down the sides. The interlocking LU logo began to appear on the white helmets, which featured a solid brown stripe down the middle.

In 1969, the brown jerseys featured white sleeve cuffs, while the single stripe down the middle of the helmet was replaced by a series of thick brown-white-brown stripes. By 1972, the white jerseys featured brown sleeve cuffs.

White pants with the brown stripes down the sides became a constant during this period as did the interlocking LU on the helmets. Lehigh would make tweaks in 1977, reverting back to an element from its past in what became a memorable season.

9932 — Jack Rizzo '72 carries the ball
in a 1971 game

9933 — The 1975 Lafayette game program
featuring current AD Joe Sterrett '76

1956 – 1965 – The period between 1956 and 1965 was a successful one for the Lehigh football program. Lehigh captured its first two Lambert Cups, awarded to the top college football team in the east, in

7124 — Hall of Fame QB J. Daniel Nolan '58
models the northwestern stripes

1957 and 1961. During this ten year run, Lehigh posted an impressive 7-1-2 record against Lafayette. One of the two ties was the historic 100th meeting, a 6-6 affair in Easton in 1964.

The uniforms of this time period were similar to those of the period before it. Brown jerseys with white northwestern-style sleeve stripes and white jerseys with brown northwestern-style stripes. The exception to this rule may have been the 1961 squad, which was photographed in solid white sans sleeve stripes.

Helmets began to feature more during this time frame as well with the thorough incorporation of facemasks. The helmets during this period remained white with a solid brown stripe down the middle. Uniform numbers appeared on the sides of the helmet, while facemasks varied from gray metal to white plastic.

The northwestern stripes would disappear for a while, beginning in 1966, but as we'll get to in a few weeks, they will return for a very successful period of Lehigh football.

9671 — 1957 - Lehigh's first Lambert Cup
Championship team

9672 — The 1961 Lambert Cup Champions
sans sleeve stripes

9673 — The 1964 team that played the 100th
Lehigh-Lafayett game

1946 – 1955 – The early Lehigh football uniforms were known for their sleeve stripes. An earlier entry discusses a nearly 40 year period of five thin sleeve stripes on the Lehigh football jersey in the late 1800s and the first 33 years of the 20th century.

A different style of sleeve striping returned in 1946 and remained in use on-and-off for nearly 35 years.

A striping design consisting of three white stripes, with one wide stripe enclosed by two narrow stripes had been used for basketball stockings as early as 1915 and had also made its way into football hosiery by the early 1920s. In the late 1920s, Northwestern University began to use this striping pattern on its football jerseys. Northwestern is believed to be the first school to use this striping pattern, which is now commonly known as "northwestern stripes."

The first record of northwestern stripes at Lehigh can be seen in the 1946 team photo, where the Engineers donned white jerseys with brown northwestern stripes and brown numbers on top of tan pants, and later, white pants. Northwestern striped stockings were also used at times throughout the years. The brown version featured white northwestern stripes and numbers and was paired with white pants. In the late 40s the helmets also began to change towards the plastic-style shells that are still prevalent today.

Hall of fame back Dick Gabriel '51 captained Lehigh to its only undefeated season in 1950, with the Brown and White wearing northwestern stripes on the jerseys. Helmets were white with a single brown stripe down the middle.

With the exception of a 10-year run in the late 1960s and early 1970s, northwestern stripes became the uniform of choice for Lehigh football.

9475 — The 1946 team in its northwestern stripes

1934 – 1945 – The period of the mid-1930s through the World War II years of the early could easily be regarded as the period between sleeve stripes. The nearly 40 year-run of multiple thin sleeve stripes ended in 1933 and by the mid-1940s a new kind of sleeve striping would emerge (but more on that in our next installment).

In the first year post-thin sleeve stripes, 1934, Lehigh uniforms consisted of brown tops with a white yoke across the shoulders. That year would mark the first of three consecutive wins for Lehigh over Lafayette on the gridiron, a rare bright spot for the Brown and White, who won just five times against Lafayette from 1919-1949 as the Leopards were able to build a sizeable advantage in the series.

Lehigh's 1935 and 1936 squads offer one of the first looks at a white Lehigh uniform. The white jerseys feature brown yoke on each shoulder and brown numerals adorn the front and back. The leather helmets of the time are white, with a brown stripe down the middle and an extra layer of brown padding across the forehead.

The next six rivalry games featured five Lafayette wins and one tie, with Lehigh's uniforms transitioning to a simpler look. Lehigh's 1942 squad, which tied the Leopards 7-7 was photographed in solid white jerseys with brown numbers and pants. There were also solid brown jerseys with white numbers. Due to the United States' involvement in World War II, Lehigh and Lafayette met twice in both 1943 and 1944, but Lehigh would not defeat its rival again until its undefeated 1950 season.

9258 — Joe Walton '37, hero of
the 1936 Rivalry game in
the mid-late 1930s uniform

1910 – 1933 – For nearly 40 years from the 1890s to the 1930s, brown shirts with thin white sleeve stripes were the look of choice for Lehigh's football team. As we documented in our last entry, the thin white sleeve stripes made their debut in 1893 and were the look of choice for Lehigh through most of the next 40 years. After dabbling in thicker stripes late in the first decade of the 1900s, Lehigh reverted to thin stripes in 1910, pairing the sleeve-striped jerseys with brown socks featuring one thick stripe. For the following two seasons, Lehigh's striped shirts were paired with hose that featured three thin white stripes. The sock stripes were reduced from three to two from 1914-1919. This time period was highlighted by a strong 11-year run from 1910-1920 in which Lehigh, under the direction of coach Howard (Bosey) Reiter and then Tom Keady rolled off 62 wins, compared to 33 losses and five ties. Lehigh was 6-5 against Lafayette during that 11 year run, highlighted by a 78-0 win in 1917, Lehigh's largest margin of victory in the history of the Rivalry.

The first two years of the 1920s saw Lehigh revert to solid brown uniforms and socks before bringing back the stripes in 1922. The following year, vertical chest striping began to appear on the front of Lehigh's jerseys, with that look replacing the sleeve stripes in 1924, 1925 and 1927. The thin sleeve stripes would return for one final six year run from 1928-1933.

Another development in the early 1930s was the addition of numbers to the front of the jerseys. While numbers on backs of the jerseys debuted approximately a decade before, Lehigh's 1931 squad was the first to be photographed in jerseys with numbers on the front.

Photographic evidence exists of a game played against Penn in 1930, in which Lehigh wore numbers on both front and back. Lehigh also appears to be wearing a solid alternate uniform due to Penn's use of multiple thin sleeve stripes.

9016 — Hall of Famer V.J.
"Pat" Pazzetti '15
in Lehigh's 1912 uniform

9046 — Lehigh's 1917 squad defeated Lafayette
78-0 in Lehigh's largest victory in the
history of the rivalry

9047 — Vertical chest striping debuted in 1923
and is prevalent here in 1925

9048 — The 1931 football team - numbers on the
front of jerseys are believed to have
debuted one year earlier

Late 19th – early 20th centuries – Lehigh's look changed often as would be expected in the early years of the program. In the late 1880s, white button up vests were the style of choice. The Brown and White reverted to its striping roots in 1893, beginning a 40-year run where for the most part, thin white stripes on brown sleeves and stockings were the look of choice for Lehigh football squads. Lehigh ushered in the 1900s with the thin sleeve stripes as the uniform of choice. The years 1907, 1908 and 1909 featured a shift towards thicker brown and white stripes on both sleeves and hose, before Lehigh reverted to what would become its classic "thin" stripe look in 1910.

1884 Football Team — 1884 Lehigh Football Team

1884 - We begin at the beginning with Lehigh's first football team. Richard Harding Davis, a member of Lehigh's first football team convinced Lehigh to spent $52 for 11 brown and white striped jerseys which were accompanied by brown and white stocking caps. Lehigh and Lafayette met twice that season, with Lafayette prevailing in both games 50-0 and 34-4.

Lehigh University Athletics

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