Fansided

Ranking the 10 most iconic college football traditions

By Phil Poling

COLLEGE STATION, TX - NOVEMBER 24: Texas A&M Aggies student section at Kyle Field on November 24, 2018 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
COLLEGE STATION, TX - NOVEMBER 24: Texas A&M Aggies student section at Kyle Field on November 24, 2018 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /
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21 September 2013: Gator fans cheer and do the Gator Chomp during the NCAA football game between the University of Tennessee Volunteers and University of Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL. (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/Icon SMI/Corbis via Getty Images)
21 September 2013: Gator fans cheer and do the Gator Chomp during the NCAA football game between the University of Tennessee Volunteers and University of Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL. (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/Icon SMI/Corbis via Getty Images) /

No. 8: Florida, Gator Chomp

Florida’s Gator chomp is one of the most recognizable gestures in sports, not just college football. It’s obviously more effective when the Gators are consistently winning but can turn into a hurtful taunt for UF much like Horns down for UT.

There is a right and wrong way to execute the Gator chomp, though. It’s right over left, arms locked at the elbows. Doing it any other way will have Florida fans questioning your allegiance.

The Gator chomp was traced back to 1981 when a UF band member, Monty Musgrave, first made the gesture. As the band played the notes to “Jaws,” cheerleaders instructed fans to chomp down and clap, keeping in time with the music as it quickened.

Even in the Florida heat, the Gator chomp snowballed into what it is today – one of the most iconic sports gestures. You’ll see the Gator chomp at NFL games, the Olympics, anywhere a Gator does anything, really.