Sedrick Van Pran explains the impact of Georgia's rivalry with Florida
Georgia starting center Sedrick Van Pran didn’t grow up around the Florida-Georgia rivalry.
The junior is from Louisiana, not from The Sunshine State or Peach State, so he didn’t really learn a lot about the rivalry until arriving in Athens.
It’s safe to say he now knows just how important it is.
“You’re told about the rivalry. You’re told about just the history of what’s happened. But I think you have to take, I guess some ownership, in finding out for yourself,” Van Pran told On3’s Andy Staples. “So going back and watching some games and finding out the tradition of what’s happened. And then, to be honest, it grows even more when you play in it – when you play in it for yourself. And you’re kind of seeing some of the competitive things that are happening on the field. It kind of grows for you, as well.”
Sedrick Van Pran has been a part of the action against Florida twice so far, starting each of the past two years against the Gators.
Overall, he is 2-1 against Florida, as Georgia lost the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party in 2020 during Van Pran’s redshirt season.
He feels like he now has an excellent understanding of just how important this game is heading into his fourth Florida-Georgia matchup.
“I think that that’s just the biggest thing is understanding what’s being presented to you from the people when you get here, but also growing your own level of, I guess disdain, for [Florida],” Van Pran said.
The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party is one of the more unique games in college football.
The crowd is split 50-50, right down the middle, leading to a different environment than what you typically experience during a conference game.
Van Pran also spoke with Staples about what it’s like to play in the Florida-Georgia rivalry.
“It’s pretty cool. I think that’s the biggest thing. It’s pretty cool that it’s that split. It’s more of a… I can’t even describe what it’s like because it’s so different, so unique. You try to see if you can find as much red as possible, for sure,” Van Pran said. “Especially around our end zone there will be a lot of red. So the crazy thing is, when you go out there for warmups, there’s usually not so many people. And then by the time you come out for the game, the stadium’s packed. So it’s definitely interesting.”
The Bulldogs are looking for their sixth win in seven tries against Florida this weekend, while also checking off another box as they attempt to win a third straight national title.
Van Pran is hopeful Georgia will be able to control the game and keep the Gators crowd quiet on Saturday.
“There are ways that you can control the game on both sides. I think that ultimately, if you’re doing well, the other fanbase is controlled a bit,” Van Pran said. “But at the same time, with that 50-50 split, it does kind of minimize the maximum capacity of each side.”