Collinsworth To Be First 2018 "Mr. Two Bits"
Tuesday, August 28, 2018 | Football, Chris Harry
But there's an alternate reality.
"As players we're all like Pavlov's dog," said former All-America and All-Pro wide receiver Cris Collinsworth. "We hear a whistle, we react."
And so it was, when that whistle blew back in Collinsworth's playing days at Florida, his head would turn toward the stands. And, yes, sometimes, situation permitting, he'd watch as George Edmondson, a.k.a. "Mr. Two Bits, executed his iconic routine — whistling the crowd to attention, hushing the section, then leading them in his chant — during Gator games.
Now, Collinsworth will take a turn.
One of the greatest players in Florida history, and now one of the most accomplished television sports broadcasters of his generation, Collinsworth got the celebrity "Mr. Two Bits" call for Saturday night's 2018 opener and Coach Dan Mullen debut against Charleston Southern. He'll join the likes of Steve Spurrier, Danny Wuerffel, Dara Torres, Chris DiMarco and the 2006-07 national-championship men's basketball team as former Florida superstars who have returned to do the traditional pregame honors made famous by Edmondson, now 96. The celebrity "Two Bits" began in 2013.
UF marketing folks reached out to Collinsworth, set to begin his 10th season as color analyst for NBC "Sunday Night Football," with the help of his former teammate, John Brantley. Because of the way the network schedule fell, Collinsworth, who lives in northern Kentucky, was able to commit. He's excited about returning to his alma mater for the first time since watching his daughter graduate from UF in 2012.
Brantley forwarded some YouTube links of previous "Two Bits" knockoff performances to prime his old friend for the task.
"I'm trying to make sure I don't mess it up," Collinsworth said. "When you're Mr. Two Bits, I think you're pretty much one-and-out. It's like throwing out the first pitch. If you mess it up, there's no second chance. So I better get it right."
Collinsworth, now 59, did a lot of things right at Florida Field back in his playing days (1977-80). Blessed with terrific size and speed, he came to UF as a quarterback and threw an NCAA-record 99-yard touchdown pass against his Rice in his first game, but eventually was moved to receiver. He caught 120 passes for 1,937 yards and 14 touchdowns, while rushing for a couple TDs and returning 30 kickoffs, as well. In his final game as a Gator, Collinsworth caught eight passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns, and was named MVP of the Tangerine Bowl, a 35-20 defeat of Maryland in Orlando. The win gave Florida an 8-4 record one year after the team finished 0-10-1, still the greatest single-season turnaround in NCAA history.
The Cincinnati Bengals selected Collinsworth in the second round of the 1981 NFL Draft. He played in both the Super Bowl and Pro Bowl as a rookie. In eight seasons with the Bengals, he caught 417 passes for 6,698 yards and 36 touchdowns. Collinsworth retired at the age of 29 after the '88 season, with his final game a last-second loss to San Francisco in Super Bowl XXIII.
He was inducted in the UF Athletic Hall of Fame in 1991.
And he'll be the first to work the "Swamp" into a Two Bits frenzy in 2018.
"Wish me luck," Collinsworth said. "Better yet, say a prayer for me."
Johnathan Galante Press Conference 2-6-26
Friday, February 06
Gerald Chatman Press Conference 2-6-26
Friday, February 06
Rusty Whitt Press Conference 2-6-26
Friday, February 06
Buster Faulkner Press Conference 2-4-26
Wednesday, February 04
