For this Delta State design, we’re celebrating the unique friendship between the school’s official and unofficial mascots. Delta State’s official mascot, the Statesman, has been around since the school’s founding, but the Fighting Okra slowly won over the hearts and minds of students and Delta State administrators since its introduction as an unofficial mascot in the 1980s. Though the Fighting Okra has gained more pop culture attention than the Statesman, both represent Delta State proudly at athletic events.