I didn’t know this tidbit, even though my parents both went to the University of Florida and I was born in Gainesville.  The cheer we all grew up yelling with our cheerleaders on Friday nights, “Two Bits, Four bits, Six bits, a dollar…”, etc.   started in 1949 at Florida Field when, an insurance salesman living in Tampa named George Edmondson, noticed the crowd around him start to boo as the Gators weren’t playing very well against The Citadel. Well,  George wasn’t having it, he jumped up and got the fans excited and cheering for their Gators, and so began the legend of Mr. Two Bits.

For ages now, Gator fans from all around the world, not to mention every high school football fan in the south, at least, became eternally grateful for the man who started every Gator home football game with the phrase “Two-bits, Four-bits, Six-bits, a dollar. All for the Gators, Stand up and holler!”

Though he was never, actually, a University of Florida student, the school named him an honorary alumnus in 2005 and he was also inducted into the U of F Athletics Hall of Fame. 

George and Jane Edmondson established the “Mr. Two Bits” Scholarship Fund, which benefits a University of Florida cheerleader every year.

2013 saw a new tradition begin in Gainesville. Some Gator fans and/or alums are introduced each week as a “celebrity or honorary Mr. Two Bits” to keep George’s tradition alive (see pictures above). 

Unfortunately, the beloved Mr. Edmondson passed away in 2019 at the age of 96. In case you were wondering, the Gators did in fact, beat The Citadel that day in 1949, 13-0. Rest in Peace Mr. Edmondson.