The 1961 Delta State Statesmen football team was an American football team that represented Delta State Teachers College (now known as the Delta State University) as an independent during the 1961 college football season. In their first year under head coach Horace McCool, the Statesmen compiled a 7–2–1 record and outscored opponents 210 to 83.^[1]

The team's assistant coaches were Gene (Chad) Chadwik, John Watts, and student assistant Benny Price.^[1]

The team played its home games at Delta Field in Cleveland, Mississippi.

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 16	at Florence State	Florence, AL	L 6–9	6,000	[2]
September 21	Arkansas A&M	Delta Field Cleveland, MS	W 34–0	3,500
September 30	at Jacksonville State	Paul Snow Stadium Jacksonville, AL	W 32–15	5,000	[3]
October 7	Southeast Missouri State	Delta Field Cleveland, MS	W 13–6	4,000
October 14	Troy State	Delta Field Cleveland, MS	W 48–0	4,000	[4]
October 21	at Howard (AL)	Seibert Stadium Homewood, AL	L 14–20	5,500	[5]
October 28	Tennessee–Martin	Delta Field Cleveland, MS	W 22–8	4,000	[6]
November 4	at Northeast Louisiana State	Brown Stadium Monroe, LAA	W 9–0	5,600–5,700	[7][8]
November 18	Louisiana College	Delta Field Cleveland, MS	T 6–6	1,500	[9]
November 23	at Ouachita Baptist	Williams Field Arkadelphia, AR	W 26–19	757	[10]
Homecoming

^[11]

The team tallied 3,446 yards of total offense (344.6 yards per game), consisting of 2,755 rushing yards (275.5 yards per game) and 691 passing yards (69.1 yards per game). On defense, the team held opponents to 1,282 yards of total offense (128.2 yards per game) with 911 rushing yards (91.1 yards per game) and 610 passing yards (61.0 yards per game).^[11]

Despite missing a game due to injury,^[12] left halfback Les Henning of Brookhaven, Mississippi, led the team in rushing (502 yards on 84 carries), receiving (141 yards on eight catches), total offense (502 yards), and punting (29 punts for an average of 36.0 yards per punt). Right halfback Billy Bowman led the team in scoring with 50 points on eight touchdowns and a two-point conversion.

Quarterback Sonny Hill completed 14th of 20 passes for 222 yards with four touchdowns and one interception.^[11] Hill broke his foot in the Southeast Missouri game and was replaced for the last half of the season by Chester Norris.^[1]