If you have been to a Wake Forest sporting event over the past few years, you have probably seen John Melton there, as well. You may not recognize the name, but it’s hard not to miss the lifelong Wake Forest fan when he is at the LJVM Coliseum, David F. Couch Ballpark or Allegacy Stadium. He screams his lungs out at levels that would have doctors concerned. His reddened hands are toughened from the constant clapping. He refuses to sit down, so he can dance himself onto the jumbotron — and, oh yeah, he dresses up in full superhero costume.
By day, Melton works for PET Dairy, driving semi-trucks across western North Carolina. By night (or whenever the Demon Deacons have a home game scheduled), he becomes Captain Deacon, the ultimate Wake Forest superfan.
Melton grew up in Statesville, N.C., about a 45-minute drive southwest of campus, and has been a Wake Forest fan since the age of six.
“We watched basketball and football religiously on Saturdays,” Melton said. “We always, always watched Wake Forest.”
Some of his earliest memories of fandom are still ingrained as he remembers all the ranked opponents the 1975 men’s basketball team beat on the way to a Big 4 Tournament Championship (No. 3 UNC and No. 1 NC State) and all the ranked opponents the 1979 football team beat on the way to a Tangerine Bowl appearance (No. 12 Georgia, No. 14 UNC and No. 13 Auburn).
Melton continued to root for the Demon Deacons during long stretches of middling success and frustrating results, like football in the 1980s and ‘90s or men’s basketball in the 2010s, but the fandom almost stopped in 2017.
Then 50 years old, Melton was diagnosed with high blood pressure, high cholesterol and Type 1 diabetes. His right coronary artery blocked 96% of blood flow (anything over 70% blocked is considered severe), and he was at a high risk of cardiac arrest. After getting medical stents put in and cutting out red meat, white bread and white rice from his diet, the then-220-pound Melton was able to lose over 90 pounds in less than six months.
My wife…thinks I’m a nut, which I am kind of all for. I’m that guy that kids hope their parents don’t turn out to be. My daughter hates it, but what she doesn’t realize is by doing that, it just adds fuel to the fire. That’s my one joy in life, embarrassing my kids.
— John Melton
Now 56 years old, Melton has photos from before and after the weight loss easily accessible on his phone. To him, those six months — and the additional months he spent putting 30 pounds back on to reach a healthy weight — represented more than a physical transformation but a mental one as well.
“I’ve been dressing up since 2017,” Melton says. “I had some health problems and when you get to a certain age, you don’t really care what other people think.”
Thus, his alter-ego Captain Deacon was created.
Often seen in Section 10 of Allegacy Stadium, the newly-created “Supporters’ Group” section of the LJVM Coliseum, by the visiting bullpen at David F. Couch Ballpark or wandering the various concourses, Captain Deacon has been attending Wake Forest home games since 2017. There have been various iterations of his costume, as Melton tries to come up with something different each year.
There’s the “old gold and black era”, a tie-dye-themed luchador outfit complete with bright boots, gloves and mask. There’s “Captain Wake Forest,” a spinoff of Chris Evans’ Captain America with a black and gold shield and set of armor. Ever wondered what it would look like if “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Hulk Hogan and the Demon Deacon had a baby? Look no further than Melton’s Instagram page.
This year’s version of Captain Deacon isn’t as eye-popping or prop-heavy as one’s past, but it is the most committed. Melton has purchased season tickets for four sports (football, baseball, men’s and women’s basketball) and has even brought the rubber, hand-painted Marvel Daredevil-esque suit out to multiple volleyball matches, both home and away.
Melton receives a fair deal of positive reception at games — numerous fans want to take photos with Captain Deacon. He also has pictures with women’s basketball Head Coach Megan Gebbia and Wake Forest Hall of Famer and nine-year NBA veteran Josh Howard. Melton loves the reactions he gets, but none more so than the ones from his family.
“My wife’s not with me [at the men’s basketball game against Charleston Southern] today, but she thinks I’m a nut, which I am kind of all for,” Melton said. “I’m that guy that kids hope their parents don’t turn out to be. My daughter hates it, but what she doesn’t realize is by doing that, it just adds fuel to the fire. That’s my one joy in life, embarrassing my kids.”
That, and cheering for Wake Forest.
