The Red and Black

The first crowning was announced to the thousands of fans in Sanford Stadium, applauded and photographed.

The second was quiet, out of the spotlight of the 100-yard stage.

And while most completed passes take place between the hedges, the crown was passed over them -- a transfer that welded together two brothers more than ever before.

Ashby Saddler, 20, from Charlotte, N.C., was born with Down Syndrome, a genetic anomaly affecting roughly one child in every 800 to 1,000 births, according to the National Down Syndrome Society's Web site (www.ndss.org).

And though his condition is rare, what's rarer is that Ashby has a twin brother who is not affected by Down Syndrome -- Latham Saddler, the University's 2003 Homecoming King.

In February 2002, Ashby was crowned homecoming king of Providence High School, the second largest high school in North Carolina, and his brother drove up to see it.

"As soon as Ashby won he took the crown off, put it on my head and said, 'This is for you,'" Latham said.

Latham, who calls his brother his soft spot, said that was the first time he cried since he'd been in college.

"(The crown) didn't even mean anything to him, he just wanted to make me proud," he said.

And up until Saturday, Latham had been waiting to return the favor.

"When I won, I went over to the hedges and took the crown off and gave it back to him. It was a really special time for me -- very spur of the moment, but I wanted to put the crown back where it belonged," Latham said.

Latham handed it over, saying "here you go, king."

Ashby said he was excited to be able to repeat the exchange.

"I am very proud of him," Ashby said. "I felt the same thing he felt when I won."

Latham said he's learned more from Ashby than anyone else in his life.

"People with Down Syndrome don't worry about all the heavy stuff we do. They just focus on the positive things in life ... and this was just proof of how he sees things," he said.

Ashby said he knew his brother was going to win all along, and it really meant a lot for him to see it.

"He's the best brother in the world," he said.

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