Chris Barker
Chris Barker, a South Florida native, has never missed a home, away, or preseason game in 21 years (since 2003) and has not missed a home game in 26 years (since 1997). Even at a young age, being a Dolphins fan was Chris' favorite pastime. Growing up in Broward County, his older sister took him and his mom to their first game when he was younger. He knew from that day that watching on the TV was not enough, and he could not miss another game.
Initially, Chris started expressing his love for the Dolphins' through social media. He has quite the following on Twitter with just shy under 6k followers, and all his posts are filled with Dolphins news and his unwavering support/love for the fins @mrDolfanatic.
In his life, Chris has had many surgeries that have made him not feel his best some days. Holding his chin up, Chris started to socialize as an outlet for his medical situation. With Facebook, he would regularly host Facebook Lives to allow people to experience Dolphins games that others couldn't. He hoped to create an opportunity for people to feel like a part of the Dolphins family, and through his passion, he has created many relationships over the years of being a fan.
He never takes his experiences for granted and knows how lucky he is. When he can, he'll give away autographed items that he has gotten from being on the field and has given to an auction event for servicemen/police, family man for his son, etc.
His Current Favorite player is Jerome Baker, and his favorite of all time is Dan Marino. Every game, Jerome Baker makes an effort to take a selfie with him on the field. He truly is part of the Dolphins family, and no Dolphins' game is complete without him.
Dedication is an understatement for Chris, as he's been through the ups and downs of the team throughout the years and never wavered once. He attends Dolphins' games with his mother, a mother-son tradition. He's always had confidence in the Dolphins and has shown up for every international game. The first home game he attended was Dan Marino's last game in Jacksonville.
Whenever the team is not in season he is thinking ahead to next season and planning how to make sure he's able to attend each game, whether that be by flight, hotels, tours, events, etc. There are no days off for the Fan of the Year, and the excitement to see his favorite team has no off-season.