Miami fan Shelton Douthett pays tribute to brother in special way - ESPN

Butterflies filled Shelton Douthett's stomach when he dressed in a full Miami Hurricanes uniform as a fan for the first time. He went back and forth about whether he wanted to wear it in public, but he felt the presence of his brother, Wayne, in the uniform. It became his reminder that Wayne would always be with him in spirit — and as his armor.

Shelton had never been to a bowl game, but at the 2009 Champs Sports Bowl, a tradition was born. He now wears the uniform to every Miami home game to honor his brother, who died in Oct. 2009 due to heart complications related to pneumonia.

«Doing something expressive normally made me nervous, but then I thought to myself, 'How could I honor my brother in my own way?'» Shelton told ESPN.

Shelton, a Miami Gardens native, took advantage of the bowl game being in Orlando. As he walked through the lot in his full Miami uniform — including a helmet, cleats, pads and gloves — fans stared at him in confusion. Multiple fans approached Shelton and asked why he wore the complete combination.

He didn't care what opinions others had of him dressing in full uniform — the only thing that mattered was that he fulfilled one of Wayne's final requests.

Following Miami's 20-14 loss to Wisconsin, Shelton went home with $500 donated by fans from both sides, which went to Wayne's memorial scholarship fund.

«It was a lot of butterflies, but the memory of my brother got me through it. It was my own way of saying that he's still with me through this tough time,» Shelton said. «It was a lot of nerves, but I got over it quickly.»

The Douthett family had a different type of love for Miami football.

Gloria Douthett, the mother of Shelton and Wayne, is a retired police officer for the City of Miami Police