Honoring "Mr. Two Bits" With Honor
Wednesday, November 10, 2021 | Football, Chris Harry
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Joshua Avera is the first member of his family (and his parents' family, and their parents' family) to leave their hometown of Jacksonville to attend the University of Florida. The Averas (and this one stings, particularly in 2021) are longtime Georgia fans.
Heck, Josh's older sister is currently in grad school at the University of Alabama. It's been that kind of season.
"I handle it the best way I can," Avera said this week. "I'm proud of my Gators."
The feeling is mutual. He's a first-generation Gator but as a U.S. Army ROTC Cadet he is sixth-generation military, with ancestors who fought in the Spanish-American War. Avera for the last four years also has worked as an emergency responder for Jacksonville Beach Ocean Rescue.
Serving is important to him.
"I've always wanted to do something that meant more for others than what I might have wanted to do for myself," he said. "Serving my country means a lot to me, but I've always wanted to push myself both physically and mentally and keep myself busy. I've been an adventurous kind of guy all my life and want to take on responsibility in tough situations."
Cue the pressure of the "Mr. Two Bits" cheer.
Yes, taking up arms comes with more stress, obviously. But the responsibility of pumping up the fans Saturday at Spurrier/Florida Field for the date between the Gators (4-5) and Samford (4-5) will fall to Avera and a couple of his fellow ROTC companions as part of the annual "Saluting Those Who Serve" game held in conjunction with Veteran's Day. Here's betting they'll take that seriously, too.
Avera, a senior and sports management major, will share "Two Bits" duties with Midshipman Brandon Roberts, a fifth-year mechanical engineering major, and Air Force Cadet Eric Stadtfeld, a senior majoring in geography with a minor in Japanese.
The three do not know each other, but eventually will meet and begin formulating a strategy for how to best execute their tandem maneuvers. Either of them would certainly be qualified to take charge of the operation.
"If they need someone to do that, I'm more than happy to volunteer," Avera said. "Either way, I'm sure we'll figure it out."
And the crowd, in turn, will respond in kind.
"Obviously, this is always a big game, our 'Saluting Those Who Serve' game. I'm a huge supporter of our military and our service people all around the world," UF coach Dan Mullen said. "If you think about it, I get to come here every day and live my dream, get to come be the head coach of the Florida Gators and get to do that because of the sacrifices that people make serving our country here and abroad so we can live our dreams. It's a great opportunity for us to thank those guys, those that serve, here in the 'Swamp' for this game."
Heck, Josh's older sister is currently in grad school at the University of Alabama. It's been that kind of season.
"I handle it the best way I can," Avera said this week. "I'm proud of my Gators."
The feeling is mutual. He's a first-generation Gator but as a U.S. Army ROTC Cadet he is sixth-generation military, with ancestors who fought in the Spanish-American War. Avera for the last four years also has worked as an emergency responder for Jacksonville Beach Ocean Rescue.
Serving is important to him.
"I've always wanted to do something that meant more for others than what I might have wanted to do for myself," he said. "Serving my country means a lot to me, but I've always wanted to push myself both physically and mentally and keep myself busy. I've been an adventurous kind of guy all my life and want to take on responsibility in tough situations."
Cue the pressure of the "Mr. Two Bits" cheer.
Yes, taking up arms comes with more stress, obviously. But the responsibility of pumping up the fans Saturday at Spurrier/Florida Field for the date between the Gators (4-5) and Samford (4-5) will fall to Avera and a couple of his fellow ROTC companions as part of the annual "Saluting Those Who Serve" game held in conjunction with Veteran's Day. Here's betting they'll take that seriously, too.
Avera, a senior and sports management major, will share "Two Bits" duties with Midshipman Brandon Roberts, a fifth-year mechanical engineering major, and Air Force Cadet Eric Stadtfeld, a senior majoring in geography with a minor in Japanese.
The three do not know each other, but eventually will meet and begin formulating a strategy for how to best execute their tandem maneuvers. Either of them would certainly be qualified to take charge of the operation.
"If they need someone to do that, I'm more than happy to volunteer," Avera said. "Either way, I'm sure we'll figure it out."
And the crowd, in turn, will respond in kind.
"Obviously, this is always a big game, our 'Saluting Those Who Serve' game. I'm a huge supporter of our military and our service people all around the world," UF coach Dan Mullen said. "If you think about it, I get to come here every day and live my dream, get to come be the head coach of the Florida Gators and get to do that because of the sacrifices that people make serving our country here and abroad so we can live our dreams. It's a great opportunity for us to thank those guys, those that serve, here in the 'Swamp' for this game."
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