Introducing Caeleb ‘Mr. Two Bits’ Dressel

American swimmer Caeleb Dressel is used to performing on the big stage, having earned SEC and NCAA Swimmer of the Year last college swimming season, while most recently being named ‘Male Swimmer of the Meet’ at the 2017 World Championships. This weekend, however, the Florida Gator will be in the spotlight of a different sort, leading the traditional pre-game cheer at Saturday’s Florida home football game at ‘The Swamp’ against Tennessee.

Steeped in tradition, the traditional Gator chant began way back in 1949 when fan George Edmondson spontaneously led that year’s season opener against The Citadel with a morale-boosting cheer. The cheer was about adding up bits (a ‘bit’ an eight of a dollar, so 8 of them would indeed total one dollar) and, with Florida winning that day’s game after having gone on a 5-game losing streak, ‘Mr. Two Bits’ was born.

Since 2014, a current Florida student has been selected to be the guest Mr. Two Bits for one game per season. Past honorees have included NFL Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith and profession golfer Chris DiMarco.

“I know all about the tradition and everything behind it, so this is going to be very exciting for me,” Dressel told floridagators.com. “I’m completely humbled and honored.”