Before they were performing in NFL stadiums before tens of thousands of fans, several cheerleaders for professional football teams laid the foundation for their careers at historically Black colleges and universities.

Andscape spoke to five of these HBCU alums about their paths to becoming NFL cheerleaders, how their alma maters prepared them for the role, and the advice they would give to others about what it takes to make an NFL cheer squad.

These interviews have been edited for length and clarity.

Mieka Cobbs, Philadelphia Eagles

Mieka Cobbs can’t recall a moment when dance wasn’t a part of her life. Cobbs, a native of Prince George’s County, Maryland, graduated from Winston-Salem State with a bachelor’s degree in biology. She was a member of the university’s Red Sea of Sound Marching Band and a co-captain of the Scarlet Lace auxiliary team. She also pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.

Cobbs made the Philadelphia Eagles’ cheer team in 2024. During her first season, she got the opportunity to cheer in the Super Bowl.

How did your HBCU prepare you to be an NFL cheerleader?

Winston-Salem State, along with all the other HBCUs, is very focused on being professional, as well as having a great quality of performance and impacting their community. So that definitely prepared me for what the Eagles’ organization is about. … I learned time management with the Red Sea of Sound Marching Band. There are so many parallels between my HBCU and the Eagles’ organization [that] becoming an NFL cheerleader was a pretty smooth transition for me.

What challenges did you face early in your career and how did you overcome them?

I’m from Maryland, so I thought that maybe they won’t want me because I’m all the way in Maryland, but I really have a connection with this team. That was definitely something I was a little scared about, but it all turned out OK. It’s really about having your own superpower and what they can see that you can bring. It’s not always this cookie-cutter thing. Maybe my experience being from Maryland or being from the HBCU brought me in. Having that different viewpoint and just being very versatile can help you in this space.

How do you balance working and cheering while also taking care of your mental and physical health?

Last year, when I was on the team and went to the Super Bowl, I was a chemist. But this year, I decided to pursue my master’s in biomedical sciences. So I’m currently a student, but I feel like my time management really comes from the Red Sea of Sound. … The HBCU puts a lot of work into what they do, so having time management skills is definitely crucial.

Dance really is like a de-stressor for me. If I’m having a rough day at school, or I just had a long exam, I can literally come to practice or come to a game with my teammates and just really enjoy cheering for fans. … Putting a smile on other people’s faces really helps me de-stress.

Breanna Glass, Washington Commanders

Breanna Glass cheered at Norfolk State and also participated in competitive cheer outside of the university. She made the Washington Commanders’ Command Force team in 2022 and also was a member of the squad in 2023 and 2024. Her daughter, Nova, was a member of the Junior Command Force, which allowed the mother-daughter duo to cheer together during practices and special events. Glass, who lives in Richmond, Virginia, made the two-hour drive to practice in Washington, D.C. – which sometimes took three hours with traffic – five days a week.

Despite making the initial roster for the Command Force this season, Glass stepped away from the team prior to the preseason to focus on her mental health and caring for Nova, who is 6 years old.

What did it mean to you to represent your HBCU when you step into NFL stadiums?

It meant a lot to represent Norfolk State just because I feel like Norfolk State gave me so much love, joy, and so many memories. … There’s not really any representation from NSU, so to be able to give that to the NFL and be like, “I came from an HBCU” – like, I didn’t come from an SEC school. I actually grinded. I had to do work outside of work. It meant a lot, and it means a lot to put that shine on NSU … just knowing that I can be a mentor. I can be an ally. I can be somebody that somebody can reach out to to get to that next step. … I want to show there’s phenomenal dancers for these bands and everything at HBCUs.

What was your favorite part about being a Command Force cheerleader?

It’s so much fun just being out there and seeing little girls wave and be so excited to see you, and they say, “I want to be like you one day.” Just being that light, being an inspiration, and being that hero to somebody is such a big feeling. I feel like everything that I do, I try to think, “OK, I’m doing it for the people that can’t do it.” There are some kids out here that want to cheer and they can’t, but they can see somebody that looks like them, that’s representing them, and they still feel that same joy, that same sensation. Just being on the sideline, being able to cheer for not only the team but cheer for the people in the audience that are so excited to be there, it’s a great feeling because people literally come there for the camaraderie.

To be able to walk on the concourse and give somebody a hug, and they’re like, “Oh, I needed that today.” … Being able to make somebody’s day and little things like that make the job so much more fun because it’s bigger than you.

What went into your decision to leave the team to focus on your mental health?

It was a tough decision to leave. I haven’t dealt with anxiety or depression since my daughter was born in 2019. I don’t know why, but at the beginning of this year, my anxiety was at an all-time high. I was anxious all the time. My mental health just felt like it was declining. Even though I was doing things that I was enjoying, it just wasn’t that same feeling. … I finally was like, “OK, I need to take control of my mental health. I need to just focus on me.” My mental health and being the best person I can be for my daughter is always going to be my main focus, so I just really wanted to focus on that.

There are still more opportunities. You just have to look at it from a different light. I will always support my sisters, and they supported me with leaving. They appreciate me sharing my stories about my mental health journey because a lot of people don’t talk about it. They’re embarrassed. I felt embarrassed. I was just like, “Why me of all people?” But some people don’t share, so knowing that I can be that voice and help somebody who is struggling in silence makes way more of an impact for me.

Diva Hunt, Indianapolis Colts

Diva Hunt has been dancing since she was 3 years old. The Chicago native attended Langston University, and she was elected as Miss Langston during her senior year (2022-23). She was a member of the university’s Golden Feline Dancers, which taught her how to hone her personality as a performer, how to manage time, and the importance of staying in shape during the season.

Hunt said she decided to try out for the Indianapolis Colts’ cheer team because of the organization’s community involvement. She made the team in 2024 and is in her second season with the team. Off the field, Hunt is a high school teacher and dance coach.

What’s your favorite part about being an NFL cheerleader?

Everybody supports one another. We don’t judge one another when things happen in our lives. We all work full-time jobs. When my teammates ask me how my day was, they actually care, and if something happened, they’re probably trying to help me solve that problem. … It is truly a community. I feel like I have gained 26 sisters, and even the alumni – I’m very close to alums who have danced years ago, and they’re always cheering me on. They’re always supporting me. … I never felt like I was competing for a spot once I made the team. You make the team, it’s a family.

What does it mean to you to represent your HBCU when you step into NFL stadiums?

I think representation is super important in any field that you’re in. When I made it last year, I think I got hundreds of text messages from people from Langston celebrating me, saying how they knew that I was going to do something big. They were just so, so, so, so proud of me and everything that I was doing. … Without graduating from Langston University, I don’t think that I would be the person that I am today.

I hope my little sisters from Langston follow in my footsteps and go NFL, go NBA and go be professional dancers. I love that I am that example and that I can inspire people to just follow their dreams and continue to work hard, and even when things get hard just to persevere because God has a plan for everything.

What advice would you give someone who wants to become an NFL cheerleader?

I would tell them to just continue to work hard. There are going to be doors that close, but there are also going to be doors that close so that other doors can open. Just continue to work hard, to persevere, keep a relationship with God and keep a relationship with your family.

It’s OK to lean on people. Sometimes I’m like, “Oh, I can do it all. I’m Superwoman.” But it’s OK to give your mom a phone call if you need that support. It’s OK to give a family member or a friend a call to let them know what’s going on. You might not make it on your first try. You might not make it on your second try, but keep going, no matter what. When things get tough, you have to continue to tell yourself, “I was meant to be here.” Even when you do make the team … you might have days where it’s like, “Dang, I messed up that routine, or dang, I forgot to bring my jazz shoes that day.” That’s OK. We’re human. Mistakes happen. Give yourself grace, give yourself patience, and continue to tell yourself that you are here for a reason.

Lauryn Lawrence, Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta native Lauryn Lawrence is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and a proud alumna of Spelman. For Lawrence, dance has always been her passion and an escape from reality. She was a member and co-captain of Mahogany-N-Motion, the dance team for Morehouse’s House of Funk Marching Band.

Lawrence, who was a member of the Atlanta Falcons’ junior cheerleaders program in 2008, made the official roster in 2023, exactly 15 years later. She has been a member of the Falcons’ cheer team each year since. She is also an assistant coach of Mahogany-N-Motion, helping the next generation of dancers.

How did being a member of Mahogany-N-Motion help you as a dancer?

Mahogany has a pretty strong reputation and pipeline for getting dancers into the pro world, so we had dancers from the Atlanta Hawks and from the Brooklyn Nets and just all across the areas of pro dance. A lot of our alum would come and talk to us and just kind of even give us an idea of what is even possible. … Those are some of my sisters for life, everyone from past to present to future. Those are just like-minded women who come together for a common goal to show up and show out. So Mahogany really shaped me into the dancer I am, style-wise, the leader I am, and just the human being I am overall.

How did you overcome the disappointment of not making the team the first two times that you tried out?

I think there’s power in sitting in that, sitting in those feelings. Understanding, yes, I’m sad. Yes, I’m disappointed. OK, now what? Can’t just stay there, can’t just soak in it. I will say this was a testament to my mom because the first few times I faced disappointment throughout my dance career, you learn to overcome those kinds of things. It’s easier when you’re younger, but as an adult it’s a transition. Adults just kind of have this pride, and you just … have high expectations for yourself. So, how I specifically got through the Falcons’ trials and tribulations was definitely crying. My mom said, “You only have one day. Tomorrow, you are not allowed to cry about it anymore. You are only allowed to work toward your goals.” You can be disappointed, but then you have to go back and look at yourself. What could I have done better? What can I continue to do better? And how can I prepare for the next time?

What advice would you give someone who wants to become an NFL cheerleader?

While you’re in school, embrace all the lessons that you’re learning in this moment and just know that ultimately, you’ll have to be receptive to more. The training you’re getting right now is preparing you for more.

As dancers, we can all be pretty critical of ourselves. We’re some of our hardest critics, as well as some of our best cheerleaders, no pun intended. … Understanding [that] “Hey, I might not be perfect right now, but I’m growing toward it. I’m getting better and better,” and then ultimately being able to push that confidence out into your next professional endeavor – I think it all shows. That authenticity and that grit and that true hard work always comes out.

Amonii Lovejoy, Atlanta Falcons

Amonii Lovejoy, a Montgomery, Alabama, native, is a self-proclaimed “military brat” who attended Alabama State. Lovejoy was a member of the HBCU’s Sensational Stingettes dance team from 2016 to 2019, and she was a member of the university’s dance program. She also is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.

Lovejoy always knew she wanted to cheer professionally. She tried out for the Atlanta Falcons’ cheer team virtually in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic but didn’t make the roster. Though Lovejoy didn’t make the team on her first two attempts, she was successful on her third try, in 2022. She is now in her fourth season with the team.

What were some early challenges and how did you overcome them?

It’s not very easy to take criticism. … Getting feedback was very helpful for me in general. [I overcame challenges] just staying determined, just looking at what I could have done better. Having your true support system, I would send my friends videos and I’m like, “Don’t sugarcoat me. What am I doing wrong in this type of situation?” I got other perspectives because you can look at yourself and be like, “Well, I thought I was great.”

I thought I was going to graduate, and I was going to make it immediately. It was just going to be a fabulous thing and just an easy transition. It was not, but I worked hard. … It was just a great experience, a roller coaster but a great experience.

How do you balance working full time and being an NFL cheerleader?

The Sensational Stingettes prepared me very well, honestly. The band teaches you how to find and make time because you have a full class load, and then you have a full band schedule. Then you have other things outside, like you want to pledge and you want to do all these things, and you want to have a social life. So, honestly, the schedule helped me a lot with the transition into Falcons.

Don’t procrastinate – get done what you need to get done. That was one of the biggest takeaways for me. … I already knew how to manage my schedule, so that made it a lot easier, especially with a full-time job. Then you need to learn your routines before you go to practice, and then make sure you’re prepared, and be there 15 minutes early just so you’re on time. Being on time is late.

What advice would you give someone who wants to become an NFL cheerleader?

One of my coaches told me, “Remember your why.” She said remember that every time you go out there, every time you dance, every time you audition, every time you doubt yourself, every time you believe in yourself. … Just look at the big picture. Life can get hard. But just remember why you started or why you want this, and you’ll always come back to it at the end of the day.