Football season is a time to celebrate for many people across the entire United States. The sport is a giant in the US and has some of the most energetic fans around. The start of the football season is like Christmas to NFL fans. And what’s Christmas without decorations and presents? Certain components make the game feel that much better. From beer, to grilling good meat, to wearing the right gear, being a football fan has numerous items that become a must. And as you watch a game, there is another component of football that just makes it feel right: cheerleaders.
From the peewee leagues all the way to the National Football League (NFL), cheerleaders shout and cheer from the sidelines with joy, rooting their respective teams on. The cheerleaders learn their craft at a young age and perfect it through high school. Often times, during their high school years, cheerleaders carry great pride and create their own team bonds. They are a big part of the half time show and when games aren’t close, many fans can be seen checking out the cheer squad and their talents. By college, football cheerleaders are a special group of athletes who get cameos on national television prior to, and after, commercial breaks.
In the NFL, professional cheerleaders aren’t just beautiful figures on the field. They are highly trained dancers. Sure, they are gorgeous and they make the games that much better for male fans who have a wandering eye during time outs and breaks. But cheerleaders can bring it. Not only that, many of these cheerleaders have professions and lives outside their demanding cheerleading jobs. Whether in the cold or in the heat, cheerleaders always show up and they have to perform. We sifted through a ton of photos and scouted with great care to create the Top 10 Most Beautiful NFL Cheerleaders list.
10. Ashley P. – Dallas Cowboys
Ashley is a member of the famed Dallas Cowboys cheerleading squad. She has been cheerleading a long time. She started in the fourth grade and entered competitions all the way through freshman year in college, winning the Worlds with Cheer Athletics in 2009. She cheered at Baylor University for four years. She describes herself as “outgoing, witty, charismatic, compassionate and congenial.” She dreams of being a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars. If you get there, Ash, I’ll definitely tune in!
9. Candace – Denver Broncos
Candace is originally from Richfield, Ohio. She has been with the Denver Broncos for four years. She has traveled all over the world with the Broncos squad, visiting soldiers at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center and the Wounded Warrior Project in Germany. In addition to being an awesome dancer, Candace can hang drywall, insulation and do roofing. Candace, if I’m remodeling, I’m definitely calling you!
8. Liz – Texans
Liz is in her fourth year as a Texans cheerleader. The Texans’ cheerleading squads are always impressive and Liz leads the way. She is a hairstylist who loves the color orange and her favorite holiday is Halloween. She is big on cross-fit. Liz can’t live without her brush, an accessory she must have nearby at all times. She is one of four girls in her family and her favorite food is donuts. Liz, I must say, when I eat donuts I don’t look anywhere near as fit as you though!
7. Katelyn – Chargers
Katelyn is a San Diego Chargers cheerleader on NFL sundays and when she isn’t impressively strutting herself on the football field, she is a gymnastics instructor during the week. Katelyn hasn’t moved far from her home town of Yorba Linda, California. This California girl definitely does a nice job and looks more than fit to handle both of her gigs. Her gymnastics training works just fine with her moves on the football field.
6. Charo – Redskins
Charo is originally from Columbia, Maryland. She is one of the captains of the Washington Redskins’ cheer squad. She fell in love with dance at the age of five. She attended the Ballet Royale Institute of Maryland and began her career with classical ballet. She continued on to jazz, tap, contemporary dance, modern and hip hop. She is a well-rounded dancing machine and shows it for the Skins fans. The good news for Skins fans is that Charo is still dancing the sidelines giving them something to look at while the team struggles consistently on the field.
5. Sara – Rams
Sara began dancing when she was just five, and has since studied tap, jazz, ballet, contemporary dance, hip hop and musical theater. She continued all the way through her 18th birthday. A member of Dynamic Edge Dance Center’s competition team, Sara has been dancing in competitions regularly all her life. Sara is focused on becoming a pediatric nurse in the future, citing her love to help children. Her hobbies include dirt biking, boating, tubing and fishing. The Rams may want to adopt her competitive spirit on the field because it’s been a long while since they’ve made an impact in the standings.
4. Alicia Marie – Eagles
Alicia Marie is a cheerleader for the Philadelphia Eagles and everyone pays attention when she hits the field. She has been on the squad for three years now. Her second job is as a history teacher (My history teachers never looked like her). She attended college at Villanova University. Look for Alicia heating up the field Sundays in Philly along with Chip Kelly’s up-tempo offense.
3. Jessica – Jaguars
The Roar of the Jaguars is an impressive group of cheerleaders that collectively rank as one the hottest cheer squads in the league year after year. Jessica is one of those “impact” players that makes the rough Jaguars season that much more palatable for Floridians. She has been with the squad for three years and is a regular fan favorite. In addition to her time dancing on the field, she spends her days as a nanny.
2. Cynthia – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This is Cynthia’s second season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Outside of work, she is a project engineer for Power Design. Her favorite quote is “reach for the sky.” Cynthia stays in shape by hitting the gym six days a week (and it definitely shows!). Outside of her jobs, Cynthia is a tournament bass fisherman. She loves the competition and the water. She believes her greatest accomplishment thus far is graduating from USF. She hopes to someday be a CEO of a company and oversee operations. If I had a vote, I’d give her the job!
1. Patricia – New England Patriots
The champions of the NFL also score No. 1 on our cheerleader list for 2015! Patricia is the captain of the Pats cheerleading squad on the field. Off the field, she is an environmental engineer. She was always a fan of math and science and graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. ‘Trish,’ as they call her, has been dancing since the age of 5. She was in numerous competitions throughout her life. In addition to her engineering courses in college, Trish tackled dance courses and was captain of the dance team there. Her collegiate dance team finished second place in a national competition in Daytona, Florida.