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One thing that college football has more of than any other sport, collegiate of professional, is pageantry. Every school has a host of time-honored traditions that fans partake in every Saturday in the fall.
Here are some of our favorite game day traditions in the SEC East. Let us know your favorites in the comments.
Florida — Mr. Two Bits
For decades, George Edmondson was one of the faces of Florida football. Known as Mr. Two Bits, he was something of an amateur cheerleader, he became known for his famous cheer: “Two bits! Four bits! Six bits! A dollar! All for the Gators stand up and holler!” Sure, it was a little corny, but Mr. Two Bits made it work. From popping up at tailgates to leading cheers from the stands or on the field during games, Mr. Two Bits did it all. He “retired” in 2008, but still makes an occasional appearance.
Georgia — The chapel bell
It used to ring constantly on campus, but now Georgia limits the ringing of its historic chapel bell to significant moments, namely after Bulldogs wins. After games, fans head toward the chapel, located on campus, to hear the bell ring. In 2007, after a win over Florida, the bell was rung so vigorously that it came loose from its bearings.
Kentucky — Call to the Post
At the Kentucky Derby, a bugler steps up and plays the “Call to the Post” to get the horses into the gate. At Wildcats games, UK does the same thing. Before kickoff, a member of the Wildcats band steps up to play the same tune on the trumpet, bringing the players to the field for kickoff. It’s not the most well-known tradition, but it’s a great touch that gives a nod to the state’s rich sporting history.
Missouri — Truman’s Taxi
Most stadiums have emergency personnel on hand; not many have antique firetrucks sitting near the field, though. Faurot Field keeps one on hand for the Tigers’ mascot, Truman, to ride in on. The vintage firetruck serves as Truman the Tiger’s shuttle into the stadium, and he rides past the legions of Mizzou fans and spins his tail. It parks him at his lair, where the mascot still does pushups for every point scored.
South Carolina — “Here’s a Health, Carolina!”
Plenty of schools sing their alma mater after football games, but few have as fun a tradition as the Gamecocks. After games, win or lose, the majority of players head to the corner of Williams-Brice Stadium shared by students and the band to sing South Carolina’s alma mater, “raising a health” to Carolina, lifting their hand to give a toast to the school. It’s where the phrase “Forever To Thee” you might have heard comes from, and it’s also caused some fuss when students have left early and skipped singing the alma mater.
Tennessee — General Neyland’s Seven Maxims
Robert Neyland is one of the greatest coaches of all time, and he came up with 38 game maxims for what it takes to be successful on the football field. Out of those 38, he narrowed down the seven most important. Despite coming up with his list in the 1930s, the maxims still generally apply to today’s game. Vols teams still recite the seven maxims in the locker room before games, and most fans know at least the seven, if not all 38.
Vanderbilt — The Admiral
Last year wasn’t a great year for the Commodores, meaning the Admiral didn’t get much work. What’s the Admiral? It’s a legit naval ship’s fog horn, placed at the top of Vanderbilt Stadium. Every time the ‘Dores score, Naval ROTC cadets sound the horn to let everyone within the blast radius know Vanderbilt just put points on the board.
A former freelance journalist from Philadelphia, Brett has made the trek down to SEC country to cover the greatest conference in college football.
