Jumping in the end zone stands: An iconic Georgia-Florida victory tradition

ATHENS — Despite being a Jacksonville, Florida, native, Georgia’s Jordan Hall really isn’t sure how the tradition started.

Hall, a third-year defensive tackle, grew up an Alabama fan. It wasn’t until high school that he really understood the Georgia-Florida rivalry, and that was largely because of his high school games having to be played on Thursday because of the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.

His family would occasionally get together for tailgates and he’s always been in awe of the even red-blue split in EverBank Stadium.

But the tradition in the rivalry that Hall enjoys the most comes after a Georgia win, when he and his teammates all jump in the stands to celebrate a well-earned victory.

“I just found out about that when I first got here my freshman year. I wasn’t even able to jump in the stands,” Hall said. “You know, I was too big to get up there. I got a little bit more bounce now, so I feel like I’ll be able to do it this year.”

Hall dealt with leg injuries last season, preventing him from joining teammates like CJ Allen and Oscar Delp in the EverBank Stadium stands after Georgia’s 34-20 win.

Interacting and celebrating with fans is nothing new for Georgia, as Kirby Smart almost always thanks the Bulldog faithful.

Sanford Stadium, though, separates fans and players with the famed hedges. At road games, Georgia is often looking to get out of the hostile venue ASAP.

With Jacksonville, the team enjoys soaking up a few celebratory moments with those who made the drive down for the game.

“It’s just cool because people make the trip down there,” Georgia center Drew Bobo said. “It’s a long trip, and you’re just showing that you appreciate them. And it’s fun to do, just jump in the stands, take pictures with people, and I think it’s just a fun tradition that stuck.”

This tradition, like the rivalry itself, is likely to change when the game moves to Atlanta and Tampa, Florida, the next two seasons. When Georgia and Florida return to Jacksonville in 2028, the stadium will be completely different.

Still, tradition matters a great deal in this rivalry. Stories are passed from generations of Georgia fans and players. Bobo, Georgia’s starting center, fondly remembers the 2012 Georgia win over Florida, punctuated by Jarvis Jones’ iconic forced fumble. He watched the game with his grandparents while his dad was calling the plays for Georgia that day.

Mike Bobo’s, once again Georgia’s offensive coordinator, lone win as a player came as a senior in 1997. He arrived on Mark Richt’s staff in 2001, when Florida very much dominated the rivalry.

“He gets more worked up,” Drew Bobo said of his dad. “He gets worked up for all of them for a different reason, just because he’s played in games against these teams, so many games against most of the teams we’ve played. He has something that he remembers from each game that works him up about it.”

Smart, who also played in the rivalry, did not mention any specific memory that stands out from his many battles against the Florida Gators.

But in the event of a Georgia win, you will find him down near the Georgia student section, jumping into the stands, giving out high-fives and wagging his tongue in a revelatory way.

Smart has been more publicly celebratory in recent years, but he always makes it a point to celebrate a little more on the banks of the St. Johns River — be it in the stands or in the occasional viral locker room video.

“It’s been some really good battles, some great games,” Smart said. “Then played there three or four times, not sure how many times because we had one here. But I don’t think there’s anything that really sticks out. Some great wins and some tough losses.”

Multiple times this week, Smart has referenced the fact that Georgia players shouldn’t need any extra juice to get up for this game. It’s a rivalry, with the winner of this game playing in the last 10 SEC Championship games.

And in the event of another Georgia win, the resulting adrenaline should be more than enough to help clear the near 7-foot walls to get into the Georgia section of EverBank Field.