{{short description|American cheerleader}} {{Infobox dancer | name = Melvin Sutton | image = | alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software --> | caption = | birth_date =circa 1994<ref name="JTheoden_2021"/> <!--calculated from age of 27 in 2021 --> | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | occupation = {{unbulleted list |Cheerleader |Dancer}} | years_active = | known_for = | notable_works = | education = {{unbulleted list |Winston-Salem State University |University of the Arts}} | former_groups = Carolina TopCats }} '''Melvin Sutton''' is an American cheerleader. He was one of the first male members of the Carolina TopCats.
== Early life and education == Sutton grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina and attended Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School, where he was a member of the track & field team.<ref name="wssu">{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=2015 <!-- from title --> |title=2015 Cheerleading: Melvin Sutton |url=https://wssurams.com/sports/cheerleading/roster/melvin-sutton/69 |access-date=October 1, 2025 |website=Winston-Salem State Rams |publisher=Winston-Salem State University |at=Bio |publication-place=Winston-Salem, North Carolina}}</ref> He studied rehabilitation studies at Winston-Salem State University and was a member of the WSSU Rams Powerhouse of Red & White cheerleading squad.<ref name= wssu/> He earned a master of fine arts degree in dance from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.<ref name="JTheoden_2021">{{cite news |last=Janes |first=Théoden |date=October 15, 2021 |title=How 3 young men overcame stereotypes, made history as Panthers' first male cheerleaders |url=https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/article254783102.html |access-date=October 3, 2025 |website=The Charlotte Observer |publisher= |location=Charlotte, North Carolina}}</ref>
== Career == In 2021, Sutton became one of the first three male cheerleaders, alongside Chris Crawford and Tre' Booker, to make the Carolina TopCats, the NFL cheerleading squad for the Carolina Panthers.<ref name= charlotte>{{cite web |last= Melvin-Rodriguez|first= Melissa|date= October 15, 2021|title= Male Cheerleaders Make History for Panthers Cheer Squad|url= https://www.charlotteobserver.com/latest-news/article255024537.html/1000|website= The Charlotte Observer|location= Charlotte, North Carolina|publisher= |access-date= October 1, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |date= September 25, 2021 |title= 3 men make history as first males to be on Panthers' Top Cats dance team final roster|url= https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/3-men-make-history-first-males-be-panthers-top-cats-dance-team-final-roster/SFXN5IK3JNDBXM267377YMCXVY/|website= WSOC-TV|location= Charlotte, North Carolina|publisher= |access-date=October 1, 2025}}</ref>
== See also == * Justine Lindsay
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sutton, Melvin}} Category:Living people Category:21st-century American dancers Category:African-American male dancers Category:Carolina Panthers personnel Category:Dancers from North Carolina Category:NFL cheerleaders Category:American cheerleaders Category:Sportspeople from Raleigh, North Carolina Category:University of the Arts (Philadelphia) alumni Category:Winston-Salem State Rams cheerleaders Category:Year of birth missing (living people)