Game day is finally here! I awoke this morning with thoughts of my Sea Gal teammates and directors. All these remarkable women had a part in getting me here today, and I was determined to represent them well. I knew this would be a day to remember.
This morning all the cheerleaders gathered in our hotel lobby to take part in a very special Pro Bowl tradition. Each cheerleader is rewarded with a Pro Bowl ring to commemorate the experience. Our ring was specially designed by a Miami jeweler. It reads “Pro Bowl 2010” on the band and has a palm tree woven into the design to represent South Florida. Engraved inside each cheerleader’s ring will be her name and team name. We ordered our rings with excitement and pride. It is a ring that only our 2010 Pro Bowl class will hold, so it is an extra special reminder of the bond we have and the memories we share.
Later, we headed to Sun Life Stadium to prepare for what would be a historic NFL Pro Bowl game. The NFL staff reminded us of how important this game was to the league, that it would affect the league’s decisions about all future Pro Bowl games, and that we would forever be part of NFL history. With the all-star game in South Florida, it was the first time the bowl had been held on the mainland in 30 years. In addition, it preceded the Super Bowl as an NFL experiment to increase interest and viewership. The 2010 Pro Bowl was also the highest-attended Pro Bowl since 1959, when the game reportedly packed 72,250 fans into the stands of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Pro Bowl Cheerleader program was not founded until 1993, which means the 2010 game had the largest audience ever for the Pro Bowl Cheerleaders. Tickets to the South Florida game were sold out, and more than 70,000 fans filled the stadium.
We could sense this was a significant moment. Hours before kickoff, the fans gathered outside the stadium, enjoying all the pregame activities. We performed for the tailgating crowd and were greeted with cheers from each fan. We could feel the energy intensifying.
Moments before the game, our Pro Bowl directors shared a few words with us and thanked us for our hard work all week. Maria with E2K gave us another emotional speech, telling us we had reached the pinnacle of our careers as NFL cheerleaders. For some of us, the Pro Bowl would be the highlight of a great season; for others, the final bow as NFL cheerleaders. For all of us, this would be the last time we would perform as a team.
Before we knew it, the time had come for us to take the field. We could see a steady mist of rain falling into the stadium, but we didn’t mind. This was our moment, and we were going dance in the rain with excitement. We formed a circle in the tunnel to say a prayer, then huddled for a “Pro Bowl” cheer. We set our lines for our pregame performance and waited to be announced as the “2010 Pro Bowl Cheerleaders!” The music played and we danced onto the field, making each step stronger than the last. By the end of our routine, the rain had stopped.
We took the field again to form a line for the player entrance. Then, we split into our four squad lines to dance in each of the four corners of the stadium. We waved to the crowd, took photos and signed autographs. We performed feature routines during the first quarter break, the first two-minute warning, third quarter break and the last two-minute warning. The final two minutes of the game flew by us. At the end of the game, I noticed a few of my teammates’ eyes welling with tears. We all gave each other hugs, and soon we were all crying tears of joy for such an amazing experience and tears of sadness for it coming to an end. We put smiles on our faces for a few last photos, and we continued our tearful goodbyes as we left the field.
We gathered in the locker room to share our final thoughts after the game. One cheerleader remarked that even though we just met each other this week, it felt as though we had known each other for years. We were amazed at how close we had grown over a short period of time. One of our directors told us that she still keeps in touch with her Pro Bowl sisters, and that they hold reunions, stand in each other’s weddings and are there for the most important moments in each other’s lives.
This week will continue into Super Bowl XLIV for two of us: Holly with the Indianapolis Colts and Amanda with the New Orleans Saints. Best of luck, ladies!
Thank you to everyone who made this possible. I am so grateful to those who have given me this experience and to those who have shown their support. This is an experience I will always cherish, and I am honored to have been the Seahawks’ 2010 Pro Bowl Cheerleader.
