Legend says that the Reddie Spirit was born the night in 1914 that the student body came together under the pine trees of Henderson after fire destroyed the main buildings. The students vowed to stay together and rebuild their school.
No doubt the name Reddie does date back to the color jerseys the first football players wore. Early student publications refer to the players as the “Red Jackets” or “Red Men.” And the first edition of the Oracle on October 6, 1908, has the story of Nellie Hartsfield having the honor of naming the team the “Red Jackets” and receiving an annual pass to the games.
Eventually, though, student newspaper reporters called them simply “Reds.” Over time, that became the “Reddies.” Was it, perhaps, because the name fit better into pep songs?
Henderson students have chosen the Reddies (spirit) as a team name over that of a traditional mascot. The logo associated with athletic teams at Henderson, the spirit logo, is taken from an early football letterman’s jacket, which has an H with the word Reddies featured in an upward slant in the center.
Reddie spirit is not limited to athletes, however; it applies to the entire student body.
It’s hard to say exactly where or exactly when Henderson students became known as the Reddies, but the tradition of honor, loyalty, courage and pulling together is a long one, a binding one and a quality that the students value.