Yellow shirt, striped tie, and socks to match. Dr. Patrick Ward starts every Friday before a home football game in Gainesville the same way, leading his Quantitative Methods class in a gator cheer while dressed as the iconic George Edmondson – or, as he is widely known, Mr. Two-Bits. 

Entering the Swamp 

An associate professor of Food and Resource Economics, Ward joined the University of Florida – and its sports fanbase – in the Fall of 2022. 

When I came to UF, it felt very natural to me to become a Gator fan.” Ward said. Even if I didn’t have the connection to the university from growing up a Gator fan or going to school here, I really quickly developed a passion for Gator athletics. And it’s great to be a Florida Gator because Florida Gators are great at just about everything.

A passionate educator and college sports fan – Ward holds season tickets to four UF sports: football, men’s basketball, baseball, and gymnastics, and attends the matches for many more. 

“Undoubtedly I get that from my father, who, like me, attended Purdue University for undergrad,” Ward said. “Growing up, we would always watch college sports, especially if there was a Purdue game on. I still cheer for my Purdue Boilermakers, but it’s nice to be able to attend so many Gator events in-person.” 

Who is Mr. Two-Bits? 

Like Ward, the original Mr. Two-Bits was never a University of Florida student, although he did become an honorary alumnus. George Edmonson became a Gator fan by chance, or some would say fate, when he attended a game in 1949 and rallied the crowd with his iconic cry of  “Two-bits, four-bits, six-bits, a dollar. All for the Gators, Stand up and holler!” 

Edmonson would continue to lead the Two-Bits Cheer for the Gators for over 30 years before his retirement. Though he passed away in 2019, his legacy lives on, and for the past several years a “Celebrity Two-Bits” has taken up the mantle for each home game in his honor. 

Ward was introduced to the legacy by his seatmates when attending his first UF football game. 

A New Tradition 

After a year of acclimation to Gainesville, Ward decided to kick off the new school year in Fall 2023 by creating a Two-Bits inspired tradition of his own for his students – dressing up as the iconic Edmonson for every Friday class before home football games. 

“I wear a tie every other day of the week, so it wasn’t that big of a stretch for me to do so,” Ward said. “So, I teach my quantitative methods class dressed like Mr. Two-Bits, and at the end of the hour I would dismiss class with a “Go Gators!” 

As an advanced-level course, the material can be difficult in Quantitative Methods. However, with his attire, demeanor, and engaging approach Ward makes the class accessible and fun.  

Food and Resource Economics undergraduate student Logan Lord describes him as “a man of the people, he provides the students an unforgettable experience in and out of the classroom.” 

Lord is certainly not the only the one, as Ward recalls the many reactions he has gotten to his Two-Bits attire over the last two years.  

“I get some smirks from people walking around campus,” Ward said. “I can’t tell if they think it’s cute or if some people think it’s a little cheesy. Probably a mix of both.” 

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