Courtesy of Jackson State Athletics
JACKSON, Miss. | Jackson State will induct the newest class of the JSU Sports Hall of Fame on campus on Friday night. The class includes five different sports and 14 different individuals including the following HBCU football legends from Jackson State:
Tim Barnett – Football
A star at Jackson State, Barnett went on to play for Kansas City. During his time at Jackson State, Barnett scored nine touchdowns in 1989 before adding another eight in 1990. After his HBCU football career, he became a manager for K.C.A.T.A. before retiring in 2018. An active member of the Masonic Lodge Amos Johnson #148, Barnett is a member of the Kansas City Chiefs Ambassadors and now, the JSU Sports Hall of Fame.
Cephus Jackson – Football
He attended Jackson State and played football from 1964 to 1968, where he was the defensive captain, his senior year earning All SWAC honors. In 1968, he was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams, a year when the team set a record with 11 players chosen in the NFL Draft. Jackson spent one year on the Rams’ taxi squad playing for the Orange County Ramblers and another year in the New Orleans Saints organization playing for the Richmond Road Runners.
Sylvester Morris – Football
Became the school’s all-time leading receiver and set several school records in the process including most touchdowns in a game, most touchdowns receiving in year, and most yards receiving in a year. In 1998, Morris was voted SWAC offensive player of the year, First Team All-SWAC, and the SWAC Player of the Year. During his senior year, he was voted First Team All-American for 1AA by Burger King. In 2000, the Kansas City Chiefs selected Morris as their first-round draft pick and the 21st overall pick selected in the draft. Sylvester went on the start 13 of 15 games, with 48 receptions for 678 yards.
Larry Jones – Football
A native of Jackson, he is a former walk-on at Jackson State football who earned a scholarship after trying out in 1970. Playing at center, he helped his HBCU win three SWAC championships from 1971 to 1973. He served as team captain in 1972 and 1973, earning First Team All-SWAC honors in 1972. He was also a member of the track and field team where he was named First Team All-SWAC in the discus in 1971.
Derek Perkins – Football
A native of Mendenhill (Miss.), Perkins was an All-SWAC performer in 1979. After he attended Jackson State, he started one of the first Christian group homes in Mississippi before later moving to Pasadena (Calif.) where he started Harambee Ministry and did youth and famiky outreach for over 30 years. He then moved back to Mississippi to watch his son, Jon Michael, play for the Tigers. He continues in ministry and has a novel out called “Rabbit Road.”
Leon Sherrod – Football
Arriving at Jackson State as a quarterback in 1972, Sherrod moved to wide receiver where he led the conference in receiving in 1976 and was named all-conference. He was also named to the Pittsburg Courier All-American and Black Mutual Network All-American teams that year. After his collegiate career, he signed as a free agent with the Buffalo Bills and he was named to the JSU All-Century team in 2011 before induction to the JSU Sports Hall of Fame.