“Two bits! Four bits! Six bits! A dollar! For the Gators, rise and shout!”
When you hear those words chanted with the right rhythm, envision a man in a yellow shirt igniting the spirits of 90,000 fans, pride swelling in your chest, and a warm smile spreading across your face – you might just be a member of the Florida Gator family.
Whether you deck yourself out in the iconic orange and blue or simply enjoy a thrilling college football matchup on the tube, Gator customs, cheers, and songs are a cherished part of the Florida experience (unless, of course, you’re cheering for the rival team).
Florida’s most storied pre-game spectacle is without a doubt the Two-Bits cheer, a spontaneous tradition that emerged from an unexpected source.
George Edmondson, affectionately known as Mr. Two Bits to the Gator Nation, first ventured to a game in 1949, invited by a friend with extra tickets. Witnessing the crowd’s disapproval of the struggling team left him disheartened. In a video reflection, Edmondson recounted, “When the announcer declared, ‘Heeeeere come the Gators!’ they’d rush onto the field and everyone would boo. They’d introduce the coach, and everyone would boo. I exclaimed, ‘Good heavens, what are all these boos about? They’re just kids out there playing; let’s cheer for them. … Let’s cheer every time they do something wrong. … Everyone knows two bits, four bits from high school—let’s do that.'”
Upon seeing the Gators fumble, Edmondson gathered those around him to join in the cheer, aiming to boost the team’s spirits. Initially, others assumed they were drunk, but the cheer caught on like wildfire. The Gators triumphed over The Citadel in that game, and the tale of the Two-Bits cheer was born.
“It was truly extraordinary,” Edmondson remembered. “And it just kept growing and building until it became what it is today.”
Mr. Two Bits became an integral presence at The Swamp for over 60 years, never accepting any form of compensation for his role. He retired from leading the cheer in 2008 and passed away in 2019 at the age of 97, but his legacy endures—just as integral to game days as the Gator chomp.
The timeless inspiration of his legacy is immeasurable, according to my childhood best friend, Elizabeth Yawman, who graduated from the University of Florida in 2016 and was inducted into the UF Hall of Fame in 2017 for her leadership and service as a student. She also served on local alumni boards after graduation.
“George and his wife, Jane, established a Mr. Two Bits Scholarship for UF cheerleaders, and he was named an honorary alumnus and inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame,” she recounts. “There’s also a mural of him—in his iconic game-day attire of a yellow shirt, orange-and-blue striped tie, whistle, and 2-Bits sign—inside Gate 1 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.”
Today, the University enlists students and VIPs (including NFL stars, Olympic athletes, and esteemed alumni) to take the lead on the Two-Bits cheer and energize the crowd, all in the spirit of Florida pride, as Edmondson himself envisioned.
“People often ask me what I gain from doing this,” the late Edmondson once shared. “I don’t receive free tickets, parking, or pay—simply because that’s how I prefer it. If I were compensated, I’d feel an obligation to what I’m doing, but what I do is from the heart.”
That’s just one more reason why it’s fantastic to be a Florida Gator.
