No frills: Jaguars go old school with new uniform look
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- The old-school Jacksonville Jaguars are going to look like they play in 2018.
The Jaguars unveiled new uniforms and helmets Thursday, switching to a "no-nonsense" style that matches the team's blue-collar identity.
The franchise showed off their new duds at the team's annual state of the franchise presentation.
"True to our current identity and what we want to represent for years to come, our new uniforms are no-nonsense, all business and unmistakably Jaguars," team owner Shad Khan said.
The "official" unveiling actually came a day after workers at Jacksonville International Airport inadvertently put up life-size posters of current players wearing the uniforms.
"Obviously that was on (Tom) Coughlin time," said team president Mark Lamping, referring to Coughlin's longtime rule that being on time means being early.
"Your kids get up on Christmas morning and they see those gifts under the tree, you're as excited and surprised as the kids, right?" Lamping added. "We had a lot of people work hard on the uniform unveiling, so channel your young child. We know what's coming, but let's act surprised and excited."
The Nike Vapor Untouchable uniforms feature much cleaner lines, which some might consider plain. They have three jersey and pants options -- black, white and teal. The all-teal combination, including matching socks, can only be worn during Thursday night games.
The high-gloss black helmets replace the two-tone widely mocked the past five years.
"I know the two-tone helmets weren't popular," said Khan, who admittedly failed when he opted for an "edgy" helmet design in 2013.
The 71-year-old Coughlin, the team's executive vice president for football operations, played a leading role in designing the new, throwback look. He said he wanted to see a return to tradition.
"To a player, the uniform means everything," Coughlin said. "When you put that uniform on, you not only represent your franchise, your team, your community. You represent your family. You represent your parents, your wife, your children, everything packed into one because your name is on the back of that uniform."
The new appearance seems to be a perfect fit for Jacksonville's on-field style. The Jaguars want to run the ball and play solid defense, a combination that helped the team reach the AFC championship game last season for the first time since 2000.
"That's spot on," Khan said. "They're classic. They're simple. They're powerful. They're agile. They're winning. ... Our new uniforms are no-nonsense, all business and unmistakably Jaguars."
Here are some other things to know about the team's state of the franchise address:
--The Jaguars will be the first team in the NFL to have a dog park inside the stadium. The 2,000-square-foot area, operated by Pet Paradise, will open this fall in the south end zone and will feature artificial turf, a pool and palm trees. Fans can leave their dogs there and go watch the game or stay in the park with their dogs.
--The Jaguars have partnered with Grunt Style apparel brand to create a military-themed interactive area in the north end zone.
--There will be a Spanish-language broadcast of all Jaguars games beginning this fall through a partnership with Tico Sports. The Jaguars are trying to tap into a growing Hispanic population in the area.
--Revenue from playing in London accounted for 11 percent of the team's local revenue in 2017, making the annual overseas trip a critical aspect of the team's financial viability.