1981 Southern Jaguars football team

The 1981 Southern Jaguars football team represented Southern University as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) during the 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by first-year head coach Otis Washington, the Jaguars compiled an overall record of 3–8, with a conference record of 2–4, and finished tied for fifth in the SWAC.