History of the Browns Helmet

1946 – '51 The Browns debut in the All-American Football Conference with plain white leather helmets and continued to wear them until 1951.  

1950 – '51 The Browns introduce leather helmets painted solid orange in order to comply with NFL requirements stating that teams wear helmets that contrast with the white football used in night games. (Also used at least twice for day games)

1952 – '56 The Browns transition to more modern orange colored plastic shell helmets with a single white stripe painted down the center. In 1954, all facemasks that appear on helmets are gray in color. Prior to that time both brown and gray facemasks were used depending on availability.

1957 – '59 For three seasons, the Browns add brown jersey numbers to all of their helmets.

1960 For one season only, the Browns add two brown stripes that flank the existing white center striped helmets along with the brown jersey numbers on the side.

1961 – '74 The jersey numbers were removed from the helmets.

1975 – '95 All facemasks on helmets are changed to white in color.

1999 – '05 When the Browns returned to the NFL they did so in the same style of helmet that they left with in 1995.

2006 – '08 An alternate jersey is worn for three seasons and the helmet that coincides with it is identical to the helmets that were worn from 1957-'59. They are solid orange in color with a single white stripe down the middle and jersey numbers on the side.

2006 – '14 In honor of the team 60th Anniversary, all facemasks on helmets are changed back to gray in color.