For the roughly 96 million people watching Super Bowl LV, the game itself wasn’t exactly a thriller.
Tampa Bay dominated, Kansas City struggled, and by the fourth quarter the result felt inevitable. Then suddenly, everything changed.
Out of nowhere, a man in a bright pink women’s swimsuit sprinted onto the field. Yuri Andrade charged from the 40-yard line toward the end zone as security scrambled.
Along the way, he yanked his black shorts halfway down, revealing a thong wedged deep in his backside. The crowd erupted. His 15 seconds of chaos became the most memorable moment of the night.
What most people didn’t know was that Andrade didn’t act alone. The stunt was carefully planned with help from two friends. One was a Florida-based pornographer.
The other was a part-time San Diego surfer who would later be known as “Decoy Doug.” And while the moment looked hilarious on TV, the story behind it gets far messier.
A hotel room, a plan, and a bad idea
Like many questionable ideas, this one started in a Tampa hotel room.
That’s where Douglas Charles Schaffer Jr., sometimes calling himself “Decoy Doug,” met up with Andrade and their longtime friend Vitaly Zdorovetskiy.
Zdorovetskiy is no stranger to chaos. He’s rushed the field at the World Cup final, interrupted the World Series, climbed the Hollywood sign, and pulled pranks that repeatedly landed him in trouble with police.
Some of his stunts involved fake bomb scares and other wildly irresponsible antics.
This time, he wanted publicity for his pornography website. His pitch was simple. Andrade would streak in a pink swimsuit with the site’s name printed across the front. If everything worked, the internet would do the rest.
There was also money involved. Andrade and his friends placed bets with an offshore gambling site that a fan would interrupt the game.
If the plan succeeded, they could have walked away with nearly $400,000.
The problem was logistics. Andrade couldn’t just run onto the field and hope for the best. He needed a distraction. That’s where Doug came in.
Becoming the decoy
When Andrade first pitched the idea, Doug wasn’t thrilled. “It’s kind of gnarly,” he admitted later. But another friend told him it would be “legendary stuff.”
Andrade also offered to pay him, though Doug has never said how much. Eventually, he agreed.
Suddenly, Doug found himself heading to the Super Bowl. Inside the hotel room, the group mapped out the stadium and planned their timing.
Zdorovetskiy had already spent around $12,000 on tickets, which added pressure to make the stunt count.
For most of the game, they blended in like normal fans. They bought merch, drank, and waited. Zdorovetskiy ignored interview requests later.
Andrade responded with a very loud “F- off” when a friend answered his phone. That pretty much summed up his media strategy.
Fourth quarter chaos
When the fourth quarter started, it was go time.
First, they recruited a stranger sitting nearby. They handed him Andrade’s phone and offered $300 to film everything and return the device later. Surprisingly, the guy agreed.
Then they moved toward the fence. Doug remembers the moment clearly. “My boy was like, ‘All right, it’s time to go,'” he said.
Andrade broke left. Doug knew his role. He approached a security guard and asked if he could take a photo near the fence, even though he didn’t have a camera. As soon as he got close enough, he jumped.
He dropped about 12 feet onto the field. Adrenaline flooded his body. His vision narrowed. Everything went blurry.
“I was sober,” Doug said. “But it all kind of went black around the edges.”
He ran. Then he remembered the most important part. He needed to get caught.
Doug slowed just enough for security to swarm him. The tackle was brutal. As he hit the ground, he heard the roar of the crowd and knew the plan had worked. Andrade was free and sprinting toward the end zone.
Later, Rob Gronkowski even commented on the moment. “The slide into the end zone was pretty incredible,” he joked. “He actually scored.”
Arrests, fame, and fallout
Both Doug and Andrade were arrested and charged with misdemeanor trespassing. Each received 100 hours of community service and one year of probation.
Doug now does his service at a Boys and Girls Club in Florida. He says he enjoys helping the kids.
Zdorovetskiy faced no charges, since he never actually stepped onto the field.
Doug insists Andrade is a good guy, but admits they’ve gone down very different paths since that night.
Andrade’s pink swimsuit moment went viral exactly as planned. Doug’s role barely registered. The stranger who filmed the stunt even returned the phone later that night.
The gambling site refused to pay out after Andrade admitted the betting scheme during a radio interview. Still, Andrade leaned into the attention.
Dwayne Johnson even gave him a shout-out for wearing neon yellow sneakers from his new line. Andrade proudly reposted it on his King Yuri Instagram account.
Despite promising a judge he wouldn’t streak again, Andrade absolutely did. He wore the same pink swimsuit while snowboarding in Colorado and posing on cliffs near alpine lakes. Those videos went online too.
When things got darker
After the Super Bowl buzz faded, Andrade tried rebranding himself. He launched a website claiming he’d become a cannabis consultant in Northern California. That’s when things took a darker turn.
In January, a local Mendocino news outlet reported Andrade was a person of interest in a possible home invasion tied to an illegal marijuana grow. The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office confirmed a disturbing call came in from Gualala on January 18.
The caller claimed armed individuals were inside his home, one allegedly carrying an AR-15. He escaped before deputies arrived. Authorities later found 1,900 pounds of processed marijuana at the property.
The caller identified “Yuri” as the person trying to kill him, according to police. Captain Gregory Van Patten said the situation appeared to be a dispute within the cultivation operation, not a random robbery.
The case was referred to the district attorney for potential charges including unlawful marijuana cultivation, criminal threats, firearm brandishing, and physical assault.
No arrests have been made. No warrant has been issued.
Meanwhile, Florida authorities say Andrade remains in good standing on probation. A friend claimed he was in Las Vegas, though that tip didn’t sound especially reliable.
Decoy Doug today
Doug is back in Florida, though he still spends time in Oceanside near San Diego. He surfs, promotes parties, and works with a friend who stages music events. He’s still on probation and seems completely unbothered by it.
This year’s Super Bowl plans are simple. He’ll probably watch from a friend’s couch, unless someone buys him a ticket.
Doug has zero regrets. Being the decoy was the highlight of his life. “I’ll tell my kids about that s-,” he said proudly.
Still, he wouldn’t mind a little more attention right now.
“If any chicks are interested,” Doug added, “I’m on Instagram.”
Yuri Andrade today
Yuri Andrade, best known for sprinting across the field in a pink one-piece at Super Bowl LV, has passed away at just 35 years old, according to a message shared by a close friend.
The news has hit especially hard for people who knew Andrade beyond the viral moment.
While the streaking incident became a global joke and meme, those close to him say he was a genuinely kind and warm-hearted person.
For many fans, it was one of the funniest Super Bowl moments in years. For those who later spoke to him, it was clear there was more to him than a viral stunt.
Details surrounding Andrade’s death remain limited. According to a post shared on his official Instagram account, he passed away in California back in April.
The message was posted by a friend, who explained that police have asked family and close friends to remain silent while an investigation is ongoing. At the end of the statement, the friend also said Andrade’s Instagram account would be handed over to his attorney.
So far, no official cause of death has been released.
The sudden loss of Andrade at such a young age has left many stunned. As tributes continue to appear online, one thing is clear. A moment that once made millions laugh now carries a much heavier weight.
Featured image credit: Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office
