Florida football kicks off its 114th season this weekend inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, and over the years of the program’s existence, there have been many traditions that have come and gone. But there is one that has survived the test of time better than most others: Mr. Two-Bits.
The big news is that Gator great Ahmad Black — who represented the Orange and Blue from 2007 to 2010 as a defensive back — will take on the role for the season-opener against the Long Island Sharks this coming Saturday in the 13th year of honoring the tradition with a big-name representative. He joins seven former teammates, including Percy Harvin, Brandon Spikes and Major Wright, who have received the honorary “Two-Bits” call.
An interesting wrinkle to the story is that Black welcomed a new member of his family on Tuesday with the birth of Ace Black, who entered the world a healthy 7 pounds and 7 ounces. Nonetheless, he looks forward to sweating it out with the Gator Nation on game day.
“It’s cool, man,” said Black, now 36 years old. “Any time you get to go to the Swamp again, it’s an amazing opportunity. Things people deal with on a daily basis get forgotten when you get to go cheer for your team. It’s just great to be around the fans that have grown to love and support you at Florida.”
About Florida football’s Mr. Two-Bits tradition
The titular character arrived on the scene in 1949 following the Second World War, after which George Edmondson had taken up the insurance business in Tampa. A friend lured him to Gainesville with a ticket to see Florida host The Citadel — a school he had once attended — in the season-opening game for both teams.
And thus spawned a three-quarter-century tradition.
His distinctive game day attire consisted of a long-sleeved yellow dress shirt, an orange and blue tie, white-and-blue-striped seersucker pants, and black-and-white saddle shoes. His consistency, both in appearance and in his enthusiasm, helped cement his legacy as a primary feature of Florida football.
Edmondson’s role as an unofficial mascot lasted until 2008, when he retired and passed the baton to a series of honorary Mr. Two-Bits who followed in his footsteps. He passed away in 2019, just a couple of weeks before his 97th birthday. Since then, legends of the University of Florida have filled the immense void left behind in every college football home game.
