JSU: Former Sonic Boomer puts loyalty on road

by Takia White
Source | Tri State Defender

Special to the Tri-State Defender
From marching with the Sonic Boom of the South to attending home and away games years before the Southern Heritage Classic, Lindsey Horton represents the deep-rooted spirit of a Jacksonian.

Horton, a deputy chief with the Jackson Police Department, will be one of many die-hard Jackson State Alumni who will be in attendance at this year’s Southern Heritage Classic. As a member of Blue Bengals and a board member of the JSU Tiger Fund, Horton represents an avid group that travels across the country in support of their team. “If the weather is suitable for the team to play, it’s suitable for us to sit and watch,” said Horton.
The passion behind the support of the school can be described differently. As for Horton his passion is pure and simple. “It’s mere proximity to my upbringing. I grew up 5 blocks away from the school, which could be considered part of the campus now. I could hear the band playing and the coaches blowing whistles from my home. I was in walking distance from the college and even my elementary school. I’ve always had a strong affinity for the school.”
Many of the school’s travel fans met during their tenure at Jackson State and have formed lifelong friendships. One such group consists of Patricia Dillon; Horton and his wife LaaWandaa; Rodney Phillips, former Jackson State football player and former NFL player and his wife Brenda; and Pamella White. This group, like many, has attended numerous sporting events and other functions together displaying the bond and pride they share for their beloved school.
Having missed only two Southern Heritage Classic games, Horton is excited about this weekend’s contest.  Both schools are coming to the gridiron with a 1-0 start in the season. “The classic is a perfect match for the two schools. They are natural rivals…both are tigers and both are blue and white,” says Horton. “Memphis is perfect…it’s a direct shot from each school and a halfway point.”
With a degree in Criminal Justice (1976) and a degree in Urban Studies (2001), Horton has many fond memories of his alma mater. He played the drums for the Boom’s War and Thunder percussion section. He’s also a proud member of Omega Psi Phi and the founder of the JSU Karate Club, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.
Horton has hopes for JSU – a school that has “grown bigger and larger than any of us imagined as an HBCU.
“I hope it continues to educate young people and increase student enrollment of all genders and races, especially African-American men.”