Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Meet 2015 Student 'Mr. Two Bits' - Michael Cizek
Chris Harry
/
Senior Writer
His first UF game at The Swamp was a 7-year-old sitting in the Tennessee section. That was 12 years ago. Saturday night, Michael Cizek will be the honorary "Mr. Two Bits" before the Gators take on East Carolina.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Michael Cizek was seven years old when he went to his first Florida football game at The Swamp. He sat in the Tennessee section. The Volunteers won.
“I was a short little guy, so what I remember most about that game is not being able to see anything,” recalled Cizek, now a UF sophomore finance major. “But that was my first Gator game. My next one was the Idaho game.”
That one, the 2014 season opener, was delayed nearly three hours due to thunderstorms, then lasted one play before it was stopped again and ultimately cancelled. Welcome to freshman year, kid.
Cizek became a football fixture for the balance of the Gators' schedule last season. He came a long way -- literally and figuratively -- to get there.
Two years after his inaugural Florida Field experience, Cizek's family moved from Jupiter, Fla., to Everett, Wash., but young Michael's orange and blue roots -- which traced to his grandparents days as UF students -- only strengthened.
They're about to get even deeper.
Come Saturday night, Cizek's passion for the Gators will play out for all inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to see as the 2015 winner of the honorary “Mr. Two Bits” student contest. Cizek will be on George Edmondson duty after his below video was voted best among the entries submitted for the second annual student showdown.
Being on the field and under the lights won't be an altogether new experience for Cizek. As a freshman, he played sousaphone in the “Pride of the Sunshine” marching band.
There won't be 325 “Mr. Two Bits,” though. Cizek will be the only one, though he'll be joined on the field with 50 other students selected to form the end zone tunnel to bracket and cheer on the Gators during their pre-game entry.
“Every time I set foot on that field it's a meaningful experience for me,” said Cizek, whose grandfather, John Hayes (Class of '63), was honored by the College of Journalism as an Alumni of Distinction in 1998 following his career in broadcast news. “Whether it's a game day or just movie night at The Swamp, it's never a small team. It's a privilege to walk on that treasured grass.”
And Cizek may even add a little twist to the routine.
So if you're a short little guy, in the visiting fans section, you may want to stand on the bleachers.
“I have an idea,” Cizek said. “And you're definitely going to want to see this.”
Use your tippy-toes, if need be.
