Longtime Dade official recognized for efforts on and off the field by FHSAA Hall of Fame

Chances are if you’ve attended a high school football game in Miami-Dade County at some point in the past 37 years, you’ve seen him.

Perhaps you even yelled at him from the stands for blowing a call.

But whether he ever blew a call or not, there can be no denying the incalculable contributions and importance that Joe Underwood has made when it comes to Miami-Dade County high school football and beyond.

Whether on the field calling a game, teaching a TV Production class at Miami High for three-and-a-half decades while also serving as athletic trainer for a lengthy period of time, or organizing numerous charity events to raise money for different organizations, Underwood has put in countless hours trying to help kids move on to successful lives. And more than once battling his own health issues as well.

The Florida High School Activities Association agreed.

Last February, Underwood got the call from Gainesville and informed him that he had been voted into the FHSAA Hall of Fame. He will be one of six new inductees (two players, two administrators and two officials) to enter the Hall when the formal dinner is held at the Gainesville Hilton on Sunday.

“A very humbling moment and very nice moment for sure,” said Underwood when asked of his first reaction to the phone call. “It’s not an easy thing to do I guess as they only put six people in each year and only two officials. It’s a very selective process so to be counted among the people going in is quite an honor and something I’m very proud of.”

Underwood’s induction comes thanks to three people.

It was last summer that Hialeah Gardens Athletic Director Carlos Ochoa mentioned to him that he wanted to put in his name for induction. Former GMAC Executive Secretaries Cheryl Golden and Dung Nguyen each quickly followed with their support.

“They all wrote wonderful letters of recommendation on my behalf which was very nice,” Underwood said. “Dung getting involved was extra special because he started out at Miami High as my assistant athletic trainer before eventually becoming athletic director and then moving on to the GMAC. We’ve been very close for along time.”

Underwood is one of those rare people that would ask for 25 hours in a day if he could.

He just retired from Miami High in 2020 after 35 years teaching at the school. Underwood was also the athletic trainer during the heyday of former basketball coach Shakey Rodriguez and their run of five state championships in the late 80s and early 90s.

During all that time, he had a whistle in his mouth as well. His first high school game was in the fall of 1985 as a linesman. He would spend the next 15 years officiating in that capacity. Then in 2000, Underwood was promoted to head referee, or what everyone commonly refers to these days as the “white hat” because only the referee wears a white hat, all others a dark hat.

Four times Underwood has served as the head referee for high school state championship games (1999, 2004, 2007 and 2021). He headed up the crew for the 8A state title game between Venice and Apopka at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale last season.

During that same tenure, from the FHSAA to the GMAC he was a member or head of just about every officiating rules committee imaginable. When girls’ flag football became an officially sanctioned sport years ago, Underwood was tasked with literally “writing the rule book” for it.

Where did he get the officiating bug? Right from the family tree – his father, Warren.

“I think I was about 13 and living in Indiana and my dad was a head official in the upper level youth leagues,” Underwood said. “I stepped on to the field with him doing the lower level kids and I guess you could say I was pretty much hooked from he moment I put a whistle in my mouth.”

Underwood’s family moved to South Florida in 1969 when he enrolled at Stranahan High School in Fort Lauderdale as a sophomore.

“I wanted to do officiating so one day I went to Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale and of course, back in those days, I was a hippie kind of guy with the long hair and what have you and when I went to a couple guys at the fence and said I’d like to know more about officiating. They looked at me like, ‘no you don’t.’ I guess that took care of that. Twelve years later in 1981, I joined the GMAC so I always say Broward wound up costing me 12 years of officiating but I guess it all worked out in the end.”

In the late 90s, Underwood got involved with being the “red hat.” That’s the short title for the Media Liaison or TV Timeout Coordinator for televised football games frequently working either University of Miami or Dolphins home games.

But of all the many things Underwood has been involved with through the years, what he is most proud of is all the charitable foundations he has been able to help.

“When I was president of the football officials, I was really big into community service which I guess I learned through my days at Miami High and getting the kids to do it,” Underwood said. “I wanted our officials to do more than just being on the field in stripes making calls.”

So Underwood got busy.

He started one program, “Refs Can Help,” where all of his officials would bring three cans of food at the end of the season to donate to a local Food Bank.

Then there was “Reading Rules” where leftover football rule books got into the hands of middle school teachers for kids that were reluctant readers.

“As soon as they saw that it was a book involving football, they would get interested and read,” Underwood said.

But ask Underwood the one he’s most proud of and there’s no hesitation.

“Running Refs,” he said. “It’s where we get all of our officials to run 5Ks wearing their striped shirts and raise money to give it to several charitable organizations not only here in South Florida but around the world. We’ve given away over $15,000 to various causes including (former Miami Dolphin) Twan Russell’s literacy fund, Run For Something Better so kids could have running shoes and Tools For Schools in Galapagos Islands that provides school supplies.”

Underwood is grateful to be active these days despite a couple of health scares.

Underwood was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma back in 2004 which required a great deal of chemotherapy treatment but he managed to come out of it with a clean bill of health. Then came this past April when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer after a routine checkup.

“I underwent surgery on May 9 and fortunately they found it really early so I was able to make a full recovery with no chemo treatments,” said Underwood, who just turned 69. “I was so thankful for that because something like this really grounds you and makes you appreciate everything in life including all the little things on an everyday basis.”

So how much longer will we see Underwood’s white hat at high school games and red hat at Dolphins and UM games?

“My dad went until he was 72 so I want to at least match him,” said Underwood with a smile. “It’s something I still enjoy so as long as my health holds up, we’ll keep plugging away.”