Miami Hurricanes honoring Jose Fernandez with helmet stickers

ATLANTA, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- Mark Richt has injected his spirit into the University of Miami football program en route to a 3-0 start.

But former Miami Marlins ace Jose Fernandez's spirit will live on forever, on the Coral Gables campus and beyond.

After Fernandez's fatal boating accident last week, the Hurricanes football program will honor the late pitcher with special helmet stickers Saturday. The Hurricanes kick off at noon against Georgia Tech at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

The Hurricanes will wear signature white helmets, with an orange stripe down the middle. On the opposite side of its hurricane helmet stickers, the team will wear a circular black sticker with the initials "JF" and No. 16.

"This past Sunday, we lost a big piece of our community. Tomorrow, we honor his memory. #JDF16," the @CanesFootball Twitter account tweeted Friday.

The 24-year-old was regarded as one of baseball's best pitchers. He earned two All-Star nods in a four-year career with the Marlins.