Meet the Founder

E. Davon Kelly, Founder

The genesis of The 13th Man begins with a deeply personal question from our founder, E. Davon Kelly:

"What happens to the boys who never made the team?"

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It was a question he couldn’t shake — one that followed years of success in business, coaching, and life. Davon had built a respected career, mentored athletes, and led teams. But that question pulled him back to the very place where his own journey began: the courts.

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It was there — on worn asphalt and under bright gym lights — that Davon learned the values that shaped him: discipline, confidence, teamwork, and resilience. Basketball was never just a game. It gave him access, belonging, purpose. It opened doors far beyond the baseline.

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But what about the boys who didn’t get picked? The ones who showed up with just as much potential, but without the right support, the right timing, or simply the right opportunity. Who believed in them?

As Davon reflected, he remembered the steady wisdom of his father, who often reminded him:
“When you’ve been given much, you give it back.”

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And Davon had been given much.

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So he made a decision: to show up for the young men waiting in the wings — the ones full of potential, hungry for mentorship, and deserving of a team that sees them, believes in them, and equips them to lead.

From that decision, The 13th Man was born — a movement to create access, build confidence, and offer life-changing mentorship to young men, especially those who too often go unseen.

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Today, The 13th Man is a living legacy of that vision — driven by Davon’s unwavering belief that every young man deserves someone in his corner who truly sees his greatness.