Gator Great Grossman Returns As ‘Mr. Two Bits’

Former University of Florida quarterback Rex Grossman returns to The Swamp on Saturday to be the honorary “Mr. Two Bits” as the Gators (4-5) host the LSU Tigers (6-3) at 3:30 pm.

Rise to Fame

Grossman did not enter the University of Florida as a starter. In fact, he redshirted his freshman year, then competed for playing time with two other quarterbacks, Jesse Palmer and Brock Berlin.

Grossman got his first start for Florida on Oct. 7, 2000, against the LSU Tigers after starting quarterback Jesse Palmer sprained his ankle. Throwing for 276 yards and three touchdowns in his first start, Grossman and the Gators trumped LSU 41-9.

From there, he led the Gators to an SEC championship win over Auburn, 28-6 and was named MVP of the SEC Championship game.

Grossman explained that being able to come off the bench and play well mid-season changed his life as he was able to seize his opportunity in the spotlight. Noting them as probably the best three weeks of his life, Grossman noted being able to perform well when he finally got the opportunity to play was a huge factor in his future success:

Leaving a Legacy

The following year, in 2001, Rex Grossman led the Gators to a 10-2 record.

Grossman threw for at least 300 yards in 10 of 12 games in 2001. His only sub-300-yard games included 290 yards in UF’s 37-13 victory over Florida State and 248 yards in their 56-23 defeat of Maryland in the Orange bowl.

Grossman’s legendary season also included a 44-15 win over the LSU Tigers, in which he threw for 464 yards and five touchdowns.

Despite leading the league in yards per passing attempt and passing completion percentage, the Indiana native ultimately finished runner-up in the 2001 Heisman race behind Nebraska’s senior quarterback Eric Crouch.

Grossman led the Gators to an 8-5 record (6-2 against SEC opponents), threw for 3,402 yards and 22 touchdowns in the 2002 season before deciding to skip his last year of college eligibility and declare for the NFL draft.

Drafted by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 2003 NFL draft, Grossman led the team to a conference championship and Super Bowl XLI appearance in 2006.

The Florida legend attributes much of the team’s success to Steve Spurrier, describing how the coach developed quarterbacks and taught them to read defenses.

Coming Home

Rex Grossman likes to come back to visit The Swamp at least once a year but hasn’t gotten the chance to return since 2022. Serving as the honorary “Mr. Two Bits” for the game against LSU on Saturday gives him a perfect opportunity to return as the Gators face an opponent Grossman outscored 92-60 in his three years at Florida.

Grossman has always felt at home in Florida. In the spring of 1998, he visited both UF and FSU and confirmed his gut feeling, realizing that the University of Florida with Steve Spurrier was where he belonged.

Along with “Mr. Two Bits”, the University of Florida named the 2001 SEC Player of the Year (and Heisman runner-up) their “SEC Legend”, as Rex will join the 2024 SEC Legends Class honored during the SEC Championship Game weekend in Atlanta, Georgia.