It’s hard to miss Shelton Douthett decked out in a complete’Canes football uniform in the stands at Hard Rock Stadium.
The 37-year-old Miami Gardens native goes all out for the ’Canes every home game. You can say it’s because he’s one of the biggest UM fans, but it’s also because he’s a bigger fan of his brother, who passed away 16 years ago.
The brothers had gone to home games since the 1990s when his mother Gloria was given tickets in return for doing a security detail at the Orange Bowl. Wayne Kevin Douthett Sr., Shelton’s dad, took him and his brother, Wayne Jr., to a Miami vs. Syracuse game.
“It was like, love at first sight, and ever since then, it’s been all ’Canes, all the time,” Douthett said.
After years of home games, Shelton and Wayne took their first away trip to the Miami vs. FSU rivalry game in 2009.
“We won that game — Jacory Harris led that comeback in the fourth quarter. It was such a special moment, because that game ended up being the last one my brother ever saw alive.”
After the game, his brother Wayne was hospitalized with a case of pneumonia.
The brothers watched the Miami vs. Georgia Tech game a few days later on the TV in the hospital room while Wayne was being treated. That moment led to Shelton making a promise he would never forget.
“He pointed to the TV, and I was trying to get him to say [what he wanted] in his own words, because he was mentally handicapped,” Douthett said. “And I was like, ‘You know what? As soon as you get out of the hospital, I’ll wear [the ’Canes football uniform] to one game with you.’”
Wayne was discharged from the hospital, but the fluid returned to his lungs days later and he was readmitted to the hospital.
On Oct. 17, 2009, Shelton received a phone call at 3 a.m. that changed everything. Doctors told him Wayne had passed away.
“I felt lost, because my brother was my best friend,” Shelton said. “Even though he had a mental disability, I really didn’t see that. I just saw him as my brother.”
In the weeks after his brother’s death, Shelton said he felt lost. Between college, a full-time job, and long nights spent at the hospital, life suddenly felt empty without Wayne beside him.
The Douthett family created the Wayne Kevin Douthett Jr. Memorial Scholarship foundation, which benefited the school that supported Wayne throughout his life. But Shelton wanted to find his own way to keep his brother’s memory alive.
Shelton decided to keep his promise. Later that year, he drove up to Orlando to watch Miami play Wisconsin. He was filled with butterflies, and when he got to the game, dressed in a ’Canes football helmet, jersey and shoulder pads for the first time, he had no idea what was to come.
“I was a little nervous and I got a lot of stares,” Douthett said. “But once I told them the story, I ended up with almost $500 in donations for my brother’s scholarship fund. And the rest is history.”
Now, 16 years later, he is still turning heads in the stadium and inspiring more than 11K followers on his Instagram, @da12thman.
Over the years, Shelton has collected custom made cleats marked with the phrase “gentle giant,” and an official ’Canes No. 72 jersey. The 72 jersey was the ’Canes jersey number Wayne would wear to games and the one he was buried in.
“When I suit up, it’s almost like he’s giving me a hug,” Shelton said. “He comes with me every game in spirit.”
This year, Douthett lost another ’Canes fan who had inspired him his whole life. In August, Douthett’s father, Wayne Sr. passed away. Both Waynes are buried together, and both in their ’Canes jerseys.
Wayne Sr.’s funeral was held on Aug. 30, the day before UM’s home opener against Notre Dame. Shelton grieved in the best way he knew how — by attending the game. His father’s family came down for the funeral and supported him as he got dressed for the game.
“Its been really hard these past few weeks,” Shelton said. “But I get to share the love I have for my brother and for my father with everybody I come in contact with.”
Both the UM community and rival fans have embraced him and his mission of continuing his family’s legacy. Some parents have even told him he’s a big reason why their children have grown into ’Canes fans.
And he’s heard all of the jokes before — that someone missed the bus, or people questioning why he’s not on the field warming up. When he’s caught at a tailgate eating, he jokes to people that he has to get in his protein.
Through it all, his family has been his foundation. He describes his mother as an “unwavering rock of support,” and he says his sister, though she lives in Tampa and is an Auburn fan, supports him every step of the way. His wife, Jacqueline, has embraced the tradition, too.
“She’s my backbone in everything that I do,” Shelton said. “When we started dating, I told her ‘Oh, by the way, this is what I do with my Saturdays,’ and she said “Oh, I already knew. I Googled you.’”
The tradition has become bittersweet. It reminds Douthett about the happiest memories he had with his brother and father and also how he can’t make new ones with them.
He leans on the support of his family and his community when things are extra tough, knowing that every laugh, photo and memory keeps their spirits alive.
“I’ve thought about stopping sometimes, but something always tells me, ‘Keep going,’” Douthett said. “I love making people smile. And this is how I honor my brother.”