Long before T.D. strutted across Hard Rock Stadium, pumping up the Dolphins faithful on game days, there was Denny Sym, known by many as “Dolfan Denny.” His various getups were distinguishable from anywhere in the Orange Bowl, with maybe the trademark being a vibrant, rhinestone-decorated orange outfit from head to toe and a matching cowboy hat on his head. Sym was present at the franchise’s very first game in its inaugural 1966 season. And for the next 33 years, Sym, who died in 2007, led chants at Dolphins home games, originally in the stands and then on the sideline as the team’s unofficial mascot. Sym’s first games at the Orange Bowl were like any other fan. During the week, the Davie resident was working as an engineer at Southern Bell. But on Sundays, he was situated in the west end zone with a much more standard attire – “a regular pair of shorts, a T-shirt and a bright orange hat I bought at the concession stand,” he told the Miami Herald in 1983. A member of some of the great Miami High football teams in the early 1950s, Sym played in the state’s all-star game as a senior and earned a scholarship to Tennessee, where he majored in engineering. Going to games at the Orange Bowl was cathartic for the self-described “frustrated coach.” #miamidolphins #dolfans #dolfandenny #finsup #miami #nfl #perfectseason 🔗 You can read the full story at the link in our bio ✍️: Daniel Oyefusi 📸: Miami Herald file