For most football fans, supporting their team means wearing a jersey or waving a foam finger. But for Miami Hurricanes superfan Shelton Douthett, fandom is a family affair—and an opportunity to keep his brother’s memory alive in an extraordinary way.
Every home game, Douthett dons a full Hurricanes uniform from helmet to cleats, a tradition born from both passion and pain. The ritual began in 2009 at the Champs Sports Bowl, Miami’s first bowl game after the passing of Douthett’s brother Wayne due to pneumonia complications. Wayne’s final wish? For Shelton to suit up in his honor.
“Doing something expressive normally made me nervous,” Douthett confesses. “But then I thought to myself, ‘How could I honor my brother in my own way?'” The answer was clear: by embodying the spirit of the team that had brought their family together for years.
A Family United by Football
The Douthett family’s love for Miami football runs deep. Shelton’s mother Gloria, a retired Miami PD officer, would often snag tickets to games at the iconic Orange Bowl. It was there in the late ’90s that the whole clan caught Hurricane fever.
The whole family fell in love with the Canes right there. We were all individual people, but Hurricanes football brought us together.
Shelton Douthett
That shared passion took the brothers on a fateful road trip in 2009 to see Miami take on Florida State. Mere weeks later, Wayne would be hospitalized with a lung infection, his health rapidly declining. But even from his hospital bed, Wayne had one thing on his mind: seeing his brother suit up in orange and green.
Tragically, Wayne passed away before that wish could be fulfilled. Shelton was devastated but determined to pay tribute to their bond the only way he knew how—by transforming himself into a living monument to their shared love of the U.
Game Day Rituals
Now, Douthett’s game day routine has become almost sacred. The night before, he carefully selects his uniform to match the Hurricanes’ colors. On his helmets, you’ll always find Wayne’s jersey number: 72.
Before each game, Douthett makes a short pilgrimage to his brother’s grave site to “have a little conversation with him.” He then proceeds to the stadium, walking the entirety of Hard Rock as if Wayne is striding alongside him.
I put the helmet on as soon as I walk in and it doesn’t come off until it’s over with. I take it all in, ’cause this is what me and him used to do.
Shelton Douthett
Smiles and Support
If Douthett’s getup raises eyebrows, it also raises spirits. He notes that most fans, even of opposing teams, cheer him on once they hear his story. The Hurricanes have even honored Douthett as Fan of the Game, a distinction he wears as proudly as any jersey.
I love what I do. I love the smiles it brings, and I love honoring my brother and the Canes.
Shelton Douthett
Perhaps most importantly, Douthett has the unwavering support of his wife Jacqueline, parents Gloria and Wayne Sr., and the wider Hurricane community that has embraced him as one of their own.
In a sports world often marked by division and trash talk, Shelton Douthett’s story is a poignant reminder of the unifying power of fandom and family. More than a costume, his uniform is a testament to the unbreakable bonds of brotherhood—bonds that endure beyond the final whistle, beyond the stadium lights, and beyond life itself.
