MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — A Boca Raton family that has cheered for the Miami Dolphins since 1988 will take center stage Friday night, leading the crowd chant before the team's preseason finale at Hard Rock Stadium.
Tommy Dubinski, named the Miami Dolphins' 2025 Fan of the Year, will walk onto the field with his kids to get the crowd fired up ahead of the game.
WATCH BELOW: Dolphins superfan family to lead crowd chant Friday night
"I'll be at the game (Friday) night with my kids, and I'll get to do the chant start. I said this is awesome, man. I wish it were a regular season game, but hey, I'll take whatever they give me," Dubinski said.
The honor caps off a remarkable year for the Dubinski family, whose Dolphins fandom stretches back decades — from the Orange Bowl to Hard Rock Stadium.
"I grew up going to the Orange Bowl, Pro Player Stadium; we've had season tickets since the new stadium opened. We had them before too at the Orange Bowl," Dubinski said.
Dubinski says his love for the Dolphins was instilled from the very beginning.
"I've been a Dolphins fan since birth, and I've been brainwashed since birth to be a Dolphins fan, and I've pretty much done the same thing to my kids," Dubinski said.
His mother, Lydia, has been part of that fandom throughout the years. While her health no longer allows her to attend many games, she remains a devoted fan.
"Mom can't really go to the games anymore because she has Alzheimer's and dementia, but she's still around and still watches the games and still cheering," Dubinski said.
Last season, the Dolphins surprised the family during a Week 9 game against the Baltimore Ravens on a Thursday Night, when Dubinski took the field and learned he had been named Fan of the Year.
"Everyone started clapping, and I didn't even know what I won until I held up the sign and saw that my mother and I were recognized," Dubinski said.
The Fan of the Year honor came with several perks, including a trip to the Super Bowl, which Dubinski attended with his wife and two children.
"That's when I was like, oh man, that's freaking awesome. The Dolphins hooked it up. I was able to go with my wife and two kids," Dubinski said.
Friday night's crowd chant marks the final perk tied to the Fan of the Year recognition — a fitting sendoff for a family that has bled aqua, orange and white for generations.
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