Dave Walters, band director for the Marching Southerners, set the standards of excellence for marching college and high school bands in Alabama and the southeast and in the process contributed as much as any athlete or coach to the growth of athletics at JSU. The Southerners represented Alabama in the Centennial Celebration and parade in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1976, and was the official band for the American Bowl in Tampa, Florida, in the 1970’s. Some say Walters was highly successful because of his ability to change with the times and delegate responsibility without giving up control.
