Delta State’s official mascot is the Statesman – a regal, top-hatted figure meant to represent Mississippi legislators – but the university has since embraced an unofficial counterpart to the Statesman, an anthropomorphic okra wearing boxing gloves. In the 1980s, the student body “chose” the Fighting Okra as their preferred mascot, which Delta State administrators eventually embraced. Today, both mascots appear at official Delta State athletic events, celebrating the school’s unorthodox mascot tandem.