SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549


                                    FORM 8-K


                             CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT
                          TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


      DATE OF REPORT (Date of earliest event reported): September 16, 2002


                               Delta Apparel, Inc.
                              --------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

                                     Georgia
                                   ----------
                          (State or Other Jurisdiction
                               of Incorporation)


               1-15583                                   58-2508794
         -------------------                       -----------------------
      (Commission File Number)                (IRS Employer Identification No.)


2750 Premiere Parkway, Suite 100, Duluth, Georgia                  30097
- -------------------------------------------------              ---------------
    (Address of principal executive offices)                    (Zip Code)


                                 (678) 775-6900
                         (Registrant's Telephone Number
                              Including Area Code)


                                 Not Applicable
                                 --------------
          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)







Item 5.  Other Events

         On  September  16, 2002,  the  registrant  announced  that its Board of
Directors  authorized the repurchase by the Company in open market  transactions
of up to an additional  $3.0 million of Delta Apparel  common stock  pursuant to
its Stock  Repurchase  Program,  bringing  the total amount  authorized  to $6.0
million.  The press  release  issued by the  registrant on September 16, 2002 is
attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated herein by reference thereto.

Item 7.  Financial Statements and Exhibits

(c)      Exhibits

99.1     Press Release of Delta Apparel, Inc., dated September 16, 2002.


                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934,
the  registrant  has duly  caused  this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.



                                      DELTA APPAREL, INC.



Date:  September 19, 2002              /s/ Herbert M. Mueller
                                      -----------------------------------
                                      Herbert M. Mueller
                                      Vice President and Chief Financial Officer






                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit Number   Description
- --------------   -----------
99.1             Press Release of Delta Apparel, Inc., dated September 16, 2002.






                                                                  EXHIBIT 99.1

DELTA APPAREL ANNOUNCES INCREASE IN AMOUNT AUTHORIZED FOR SHARE REPURCHASE

DULUTH,   Ga.--(BUSINESS   WIRE)--September  16,  2002--  Delta  Apparel,   Inc.
(AMEX-DLA)  announced that in a meeting held on Friday,  September 13, 2002, its
Board of  Directors  authorized  the  repurchase  by the  Company in open market
transactions  of up to an additional  $3.0 million of Delta Apparel common stock
pursuant to its Stock Repurchase  Program,  bringing the total amount authorized
to $6.0 million.

During the current fiscal year, the Company has purchased  7,020 shares of Delta
Apparel  common stock for an aggregate of $0.2  million.  Since the inception of
the program on November 1, 2000, the Company has purchased 122,020 shares of its
stock under the program for a total cost of $2.3 million.

In addition to purchases under its Stock Repurchase Program,  during fiscal year
2002 the  Company  purchased  338,143  shares at a purchase  price of $22.00 per
share in a Dutch  Tender  Offer.  The Company  paid $7.6  million for the shares
purchased, including expenses, pursuant to the Dutch Tender Offer.

Robert W. Humphreys, President and CEO, commented, "We believe the repurchase of
our shares is an excellent use of our capital.  At the current trading range, we
will  continue  the  repurchase  of our shares in the open  market as we believe
share repurchases at current prices are accretive to our per share earnings."

Delta Apparel, Inc. is a vertically integrated manufacturer and marketer of high
quality knit apparel.  The Company specializes in selling undecorated  T-shirts,
golf shirts and tank tops to  distributors,  screen  printers and private  label
accounts.  Delta  Apparel has  operations  in six states,  two  company-operated
sewing  facilities  in  Honduras  and one  company-operated  sewing  facility in
Mexico. The Company employs about 3,100 worldwide.

Statements  and other  information  in this press  release that are not reported
financial   results  or  other   historical   information  are   forward-looking
statements.  These are based on Delta Apparel's expectations and are necessarily
dependent  upon  assumptions,  estimates and data that the Company  believes are
reasonable  and  accurate  but  may  be  incorrect,   incomplete  or  imprecise.
Forward-looking  statements  are also subject to a number of business  risks and
uncertainties, any of which could cause actual results to differ materially from
those set forth in or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks and
uncertainties  include,  among others,  changes in the retail demand for apparel
products,  the cost of raw materials,  competitive conditions in the apparel and
textile industries, the relative strength of the United States dollar as against
other currencies,  changes in United States trade regulations,  the discovery of
unknown  conditions (such as with respect to  environmental  matters and similar
items) and other  risks  described  from time to time in the  Company's  reports
filed  with  the   Securities   and  Exchange   Commission.   Accordingly,   any
forward-looking  statements do not purport to be predictions of future events or
circumstances  and may not be  realized.  The  Company  does  not  undertake  to
publicly  update or revise  the  forward-looking  statements  even if it becomes
clear that any projected results will not be realized.

Contact: Delta Apparel, Inc.
         Herb Mueller      678/775-6948