America's sweetheart’s | Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Scandals

0:11 Hey everyone, and welcome back to Exposed Scandalous Files of the Elite. I am your host, Jim Chapman. Of course, I want to welcome everybody back to the show. Thank you so much for your support. Before I get into today's episode, I got to tell you what gave me the idea of coming up with this episode, and that is in Look. I'm probably late to the party, but I finally had time to check out the Netflix series based on the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders. It was called America's Sweethearts. Now I gotta say it was pretty good. I've watched it actually with my daughters, and it was an interesting look at what has become not only a piece of America American football history, but pop culture as well. Everybody knows the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders, you know what I do.

1:08 As soon as I finished watching it, and I pretty much binged on it. I watched every episode in just a couple of days. I started thinking, I bet they've had some scandals related to the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders throughout their history. They've been around a while. So I put my research hat on and I got to work, because if they got scandals, I want to bring it to you, and I'll tell you what you're gonna enjoy this episode. I bet there's a lot of things you didn't know or you haven't heard regarding the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders. So I'm going to start out giving you a view from thirty thousand feet of the history of the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders.

1:54 And I actually found a really good article that was put out by Rolling Stone that covers that history. So I'm going to go over that with you and then we'll talk a little bit about it, and then we're going to go into some lawsuits that have occurred over the years in some scandals that you are not going to believe. So here's a little bit of the history. Now. A common legend has it that texts Shram he was the general manager of the Dallas Cowboys from nineteen fifty nine to nineteen eighty nine, was inspired to create a cheer squad after a shall we say voluptuous local stripper named Bubbles Cash caused a huge stir at a nineteen sixty seven Cowboys game as she strutted through the cotton ball in a leopard skirt suit carrying two cotton candies.

2:50 Imagine that. Now. While it's true that bubbles cash did help boost the popularity of at that time, the relatively new Cowboys, the main flaw with this myth is that the Cowboys had already had a cheer squad, albeit a squad of both male and female high schoolers, and it was a woman who conceptualized both this squad and the professional one as we know it today. Now, back in either nineteen sixty or nineteen sixty one, no one apparently can remember exactly when tech Shram. He approaches a model and educator by the name of d Brock, and he had an idea of putting cheerleaders on the sidelines of the Cowboys games.

3:36 He wanted them wearing entirely white uniforms in full leather skirts, and he didn't plan on paying them, nor did he plan on paying Brock to manage them. So Brock had to stop him right there, because, for one thing, models don't work for free, and also that uniform would cost way too much, especially for a guy who is obviously kind of a cheapskate. So that's why she decided to recruit high schoolers who they would do it for free. Right now, let me tell you a little bit about d Brock. She was a fashion model. She was very popular, and that was despite one of the owners of Nieman Marcus telling her he didn't really like models with big breast like hers. But she also held a master's degree in English from the University of North Texas and was a high school teacher, all while raising three boys. And some of you ladies out there, you know what that's like to work and have you know multiple kids and hardest workers in the world, I always say now. In addition to all that, she helped found the first community college in Dallas. She worked as the senior vice president of educational Programming at PBS, and she earned a PhD after leaving the Cowboys organization at the end of the nineteen seventy five seasons. So she was pretty much a badass now. After Shram approached her about the job and he offered to pay her zero dollars a year with

5:06 zero benefits, she was able to negotiate that and she got him all the way up to nine hundred dollars, which in today's money is about nine thousand dollars a year. So back to those high schoolers between nineteen sixty one and nineteen seventy one, the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders consisted of high schoolers and there were guys and girls on that cheer squad or boys and girls. A local pr guy he decided to nickname them the cow Bells and their bow and he spelled at Beeaux. But Deanie Brock, she hated that. She hated the fact that boys were even on the squad, so she dropped them from the squad in nineteen sixty nine. So before the boys were dropped from the squad, it was still boys and girls. Brock.

5:57 She decides to integrate the squad, and this was in nineteen sixty five, right, It wasn't a common thing back then integration. It was still largely segregated in the South. Even though there were still segregated schools and churches. They all came together at the Cotton Bowl. So, after convincing tex Shram that the local squad should reflect Dallas and the people in the stands, she recruited a local high school drill team instructor named Francis Robinson and basically asked this person to help manage the squad. In nineteen seventy one, half of the members of the cheer squad were actually black, which also happened to be the first time the Cowboys went to the Super Bowl. So the cheapskate Dallas Cowboys organization at this time, they wouldn't pay for the cheerleaders to go to the Super Bowl. So d Brock she goes on local TV and she asked for a sponsor, which she got. Then she had to do it all over again when the Cowboys made the Super Bowl in nineteen seventy two. How about that. So it was in nineteen seventy two that d Brock decided she wanted more dancing, less traditional cheers, and older, more mature cheerleaders. And this is when Texi Waterman was brought on to choreograph. So d Brock had met with Texi Watermen years earlier when they were the only two women cast to wear a bikini on stage. And this was in a nineteen eighty

7:29 four summer musical called Wish You Were Here and y'all. This is at a time when the bikini was quite scandalous. Getting back to nineteen seventy two Shram, Just like with d Brock, he didn't want to pay Watermen, so Brock split her own salary which rather than being increased year after year as would be normal, was actually knocked down. She was only making six hundred dollars at that time. So these two women who created the most professional cheer squad of all time, we're making three hundred dollars each in nineteen seventy two. How's that for commitment. So a little bit about Texi Waterman. She was a jazz and musical theater dance instructor in Dallas, and she had previously danced in supper clubs in New York City and danced on Sid Caesar's Variety show. Now, eventually she returned to Dallas, where she was born and raised, and she began teaching in two dance studios that were owned by her mom, who was a woman also named Taxi. And the cheerleaders who got to dance under Waterman's instruction they loved her.

8:43 They were very devoted to her, and she choreographed the team until nineteen eighty three. So, in nineteen seventy two, seven cheerleaders out of dozens who tried out, strutted onto the pitch of a brand new Texas Stadium in the iconic blue and white, fringy Western uniform and at that time white Go Go boots. Now they did change those to cowboy boots in nineteen eighty nine. Now there is a bit of controversy regarding who actually came up with the uniform that became so iconic, and it now actually sits in the Smithsonian, the original Dallas Cowboys uniform. That's how iconic they are.

9:26 So. D Brock claims that she showed up to a meeting with a sketch of it, but another woman by the name of Paula Van Wagoner, she provided a sketch that is now also featured in the Smithsonian along with the uniform itself. And Van Wagener was hired to conceptionalize the uniform by d Brock in tech shrom and she says she designed the one we all know today as well as the one with a blue button up and fringy white skirt. And there was actually a woman who who sewed all these uniforms by hand for over twenty four years, and her name was Levita Craiger, And the hand crafted uniforms are now made currently by Lisa Dobson. Now, after d Brock left, Texi Waterman was in charge for a while until it was passed on to Suzanne Mitchell, and she served as the first official director of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, and she led the squad during its golden era, if you will, of the late seventies and early eighties.

10:34 She was originally hired as tech Shram secretary in nineteen seventy six, and he asked Slash told her to run the squad in her spare time. Now. For some reason, she agreed to that, and she introduced kind of a boot camp mentality to the cheerleaders, and under her direction, the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders just blew up. They got a made for TV mode. They appeared on the show The Love Bode if you remember that show. Loved that show when I was younger and went on USO tours and it didn't hurt that. The Cowboys also won their second World Championship in nineteen seventy seven. So the phenomenon of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, it really kicked off after the camera caught someone by the name of Glinda Swearageen during a Monday night game on November tenth of nineteen seventy five.

11:33 The camera gets panned to her and she gives a little cute wink to that camera. Well, that was a moment in time. Every young man and probably a lot of older men in America fell in love with the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders at that point. Now, believe it or not, today the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders they are the highest paid squad in the NFL. And they still even be in the highest paid cheer squad. They only make five hundred dollars per week and we're gonna get into a lawsuit that actually I would say helped with that, but I wanted to give you a little not well known history on the Cowboys cheerleaders in their early days, So I hope you got something out of that. Now, pay throughout the time of the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders was horrible, Let's just be honest. And these ladies work hard. You saw what they go through on the Netflix series if you watched it. And these NFL teams, especially teams of the Dallas Cowboys stature. I mean you're talking billions, billions of dollars they make, so certainly these cheerleaders can make more.

12:52 And the cheerleader by the name of Erica Wilkins, I know for a fact she agrees with me because she actually sued the Dallas Cowboys over cheerleader pay and it created a huge bit of controversy. This was in June of twenty eighteen, and I'm going to reference an article by the New York Posts that covered her lawsuit. So during the twenty fourteen twenty fifteen NFL season, Erica Williams had a banner rookie year as a Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders. At the time, she was twenty two. She was from Friendswood, Texas, so she was native to the state of Texas, and she was one of just sixteen women to make the team's show group quote unquote, which was an elite squad made up of the best technical dancers on the team.

13:49 She even appeared solo on the cover of the group's swimsuit calendar, and she performed on stage with both Blake, Shelton and Usher. Her total earnings doing all of that forty seven hundred dollars now, she was quoted as saying, yes, it's prestigious, but at the end of the day, prestige doesn't pay my rent. I can't walk down to my leasing office and hand them my uniform for a month Wilkins, whose career ended in August of twenty seventeen. She in twenty eighteen sued the Cowboys organization for lost wages. Now. In the suit, she claimed the cheerleaders were paid less than the team's mascot, a costumed cowboy by the name of Rioty, incidentally and played by a man who reportedly makes sixty five thousand dollars a year plus commission. The cheerleaders, meanwhile, are paid eight dollars an hour for practices. Now, this was back in twenty eighteen, which at that time that was just above minimum wage, and they got flat rates for games and appearances such as calendar sign Now. Wilkins also claimed she worked hours, many of them in at and T Stadium, which is Jerry Jones one point two billion dollar football stadium, for which she wasn't compensated, and that she wasn't paid overtime for hours worked in excess of forty hours per week. Now, at that time, she

15:19 wasn't the only ex cheerleader complaining about pay. Five other former cheerleaders, but they were with the Houston Texans. They sued that team for failing to compensate them fully in for creating what they considered a hostile work environment, and cheerleaders from other teams jumped on board. The Washington Redskins, Miami Dolphins, and even the New Orleans saintsations filed similar complaints. Now Wilkins, who she didn't call herself a feminist, but she said she's pursuing justice for other women who will be a part of the legacy of the Cowboys one day. And she said, but I could have settled the lawsuit with the Cowboys for just my back wages and unpaid wages that they owe me. They offered that, but I'm not willing to settle. My goal is to help other cheerleaders and women as a whole. So Wilkins, she's the daughter of an electrical engineer father. Her mother was a dance instructor, and she said she wanted to be with the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders since the seventh or eighth grade.

16:26 Her mom even had a couple of her ex students become Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders. So at a dance competition when she was just sixteen years old, Wilkins was approached by a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders scout. In the scout, she was surprised to learn I was only sixteen and not eighteen, Wilkins recalled, she followed me and asked me to audition at eighteen, but I wanted to go to college first. So Wilkins went to college in my hometown, Louisiana State University in Baton, Roudge, where she was an LSU Tiger Golden Girl, graduating in twenty fourteen with a degree in mass communications. So that Scout kept in touch with her throughout the years and will reach out and basically say, hey, don't forget about us, we want you on our squad.

17:15 So after graduation, Wilkins headed to Dallas to try out, and she wowed the judges. She was actually on the CMT channels version of Making the Squad Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders Now. While the video of her tryout performance was played, Kelly Finnglass, the squad's longtime director, said, they're rookie candidates that are stronger than veterans, and I thought Erica was a wow. Solo. Of the five hundred women who audition that year, Wilkins was one of just forty three chosen for the two month training camp. Now, in the end, some thirty six ladies, including performers from the previous year, they make the squad.

18:02 There are women who quit their day jobs just for training camp because it's so strenuous and draining. She said. She not only made the cut, she was named to the elite sixteen person show group, and the show group is coveted because that's the group that gets to go on the USO tours and also any performances that are outside of the game day settings. Now, despite the prestige, the cheerleaders were not always paid for the time spent prepping for those appearances. As a matter of fact, Wilkins made her rent by working part time as a technician at a beauty spot, which combined with her new schedule, left her little time obviously for friends and her personal life, dating and things of that nature. She said. Practice officially starts at seven pm Monday through Friday, but you better be there by six or six point thirty at the ladies in the locker room practicing before practice. Sometimes we might have Monday off if the game fell on a Sunday.

19:07 She said. Rehearsals would last between three and six hours, and there is no showing up in a ponytail in sweatpants. Cheerleaders are required to come camera ready with style, hair and full makeup for practices. Wilkins said she was paid eight dollars an hour for appearances. She was allegedly paid a flat fee of one hundred dollars in her first year, two hundred in their second, and three hundred or third year, and they would cap those increases at five hundred dollars. Now in game days, sharing a flat rate of about two hundred dollars. We had to show up, hair and makeup ready five to six hours before the game. There were performances outside the stadium before the game, as well as some at halftime, and of course throughout the game. Afterward, they would often meet with squadcakes. So she said, you're looking at a twelve hour day on Sundays now. While filming the CMT show that cheerleaders were paid by the Cowboys for practice hours as usual. But the clock stops as soon as we stop dancing, Wilkins said. She added the ladies had to wait around and film one on one interviews while judges deliberated, and that was unpaid. I've been there as late as three am, she said, And she also noted that cheerleading is not just a September to February job. She needed that during the off season in the NFL when they didn't have as many practices

20:38 and appearances. She actually got a check one time for twelve dollars. Now, Wilkins also needed that. The squad does have a local hair salon sponsor, but the women are required to tip for whatever service they receive and what that cost is, and she said for me, it was probably close to one hundred and fifty dollars a month in tip. She also paid ten to fifteen dollars out of pocket for spray tans once or twice a month year round. The ladies have to wash their own uniforms, which is not a huge deal, but the players don't have to do that. Why isn't any different for us now? During her tenuyear, the cheerleaders didn't have access to a gym or fitness membership, and we're not allowed to use the NFL team's facilities. Cheerleaders who appeared in the squad swimsuit and sideline calendars weren't even given a free copy.

21:33 We had to buy them for ourselves and for our friends and family, she said. The Cowboys organization is selling our image or likeness, images of our bodies that we worked very hard to keep in shape, and they're the only ones making a profit. And learning that that Cowboys mascot I mentioned Rowdy was making more than the cheerleaders. That just kind of fired her up even more. I was on an appearance one time and I was talking to Rod Rowdy, she said, and he said to me, I booked my own appearances a lot of times, so I can make up to six figures. After doing a bit of research, Wilkins discovered the man who played Rowdy makes an annual salary of sixty five thousand dollars. She said, I was definitely stunned and shocked. Last year, Wilkins suffered a shoulder and neck injury soon after her time with the Cowboys ended, and while she loved her time on the team, she saw that injury as a blessing that allowed her to kind of become a crusader, and she said, I believe that God was giving me the freedom I needed to speak out. So that's her story, and eventually she did work hard and increased really the salary for cheerleaders all over the country based off of the pressure she applied through that lawsuit. So there you have that. Now. Now, throughout the years with the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders, there have

23:04 been some controversies and scandals that weren't as high profile as others, but very interesting. And there's a few that I'm going to give you right now now. One has made its rounds over the years. That actually occurred in nineteen seventy eight, and that is a famous photo in which backup quarterback, backup, mind you, backup quarterback Danny White actually had a famous photo snap of him taking on the sidelines after the Super Bowl making out and I mean making out tongue and all with a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. Now, of course this is a big time no no. There's supposed to be no frightenization between the cheerleaders and the players.

23:50 But that didn't stop Danny White, and he became a hero for every young man in America when that picture hit the pay Here's a little history on that. So the image was taken by a Sports Illustrated photographer at the nineteen seventy eight Super Bowl, and Danny White was kissing a cheerleader by the name of Cindy Lewis. Now, what made this even more controversial than the fact that they're not supposed to frightenize is both of them were married at the time of the game, and Lewis remembers the kiss as innocent. It looks worse than it is.

24:31 She said, it looks like we're both tonguing. It was just a little peck. Eh. I'm going to put that picture on the Patreon and you ladies and guys tell me if that don't look like their tongues or not each other's throat at chure look like it to me now. Lewis also recalls telling Susan Mitchell, who was the director of the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, that White had kissed her and that there had been a lot of photos taking. And I guess she was kind of freaking out, not only because of the fact that you know, you're not supposed to do that, but also, hey, they're both married, So that was an interesting little bit of scandal back in the day. Now, I'm going to get into a scandal for you that is actually not as comical and really very disturbing. And you may or may not have heard of this, but it's a big scandal that happened in the recent past, and it's voyeurism charges against a senior team executive at the Dallas Cowboys organization, and Sports Illustrated they actually did an amazing job on covering this scandal. Now you gotta hear this. It's pretty shocking and disturbing, but it just goes to show you that technology sometimes can be a bad thing. So here's that story. The Dallas Cowboys paid a confidential settlement of two point five four million dollars after four members of

26:02 the iconic cheerleading squad accused a senior team executive of voyeurism in their locker room as they were undressing during a twenty fifteen event at at and T Stadium. Each of the women received three hundred and ninety nine thousand dollars. After the incident, one of the cheerleaders alleged she clearly saw Richard Dalrymple, the Cowboys' longtime senior vice president for public relations, standing behind a wall in their locker room with his iPhone extended toward them while they were changing their clothes. Dalrymple gained entry to the back door of the cheerleader's lock dressing room by using a security key card.

26:47 Dalrymple was also accused by a lifelong Cowboys fan of taking what's known as upskirt photos of Charlotte Jones Anderson, who is the team's senior vice president and the daughter of owner Jerry Jones, in the Cowboys war room during the twenty fifteen NFL Draft. The fans signed an avidavit that he was watching a live stream in the war room on the team's website when he saw the alleged incident. Dalrymple told officials that he entered the cheerleader's locker room not knowing the women were there, and he left right away.

27:28 His account was contradicted by the way of multiple sources that described the alleged incident. On ESPN, he was quoted as saying, people who know me, coworkers, the median colleagues, know who I am and what I'm about. I understand the very serious nature of the claims. I don't take them lightly. The accusations, however, are false. One was accidental and the other simply did not happen. And he's basically saying the upskirt stuff didn't happen, and walking in the Cowboys locker room with an accident. Everything that was alleged was thoroughly investigated years ago, and I cooperated fully a Cowboys. Representatives of the team thoroughly investigated both alleged incidents and found no wrongdoing that by Dalrymple and no evidence that he took a photo or video of the women. The team does not dispute the Dowrymple used his security key card to access the locker room while the women were changing clothes. The organization took these allegations extremely serious and moved immediately to investigate. That from Jim Wilkinson, a communications consultant for the team. Even so, the team issued Dourrymple a formal written warning in October of twenty fifteen. A team source declined to provide a copy of the warning to reporters. The team also declined to detail information, including timestamp data from surveillance cameras and security key cards it would show precisely when Durrymple in and left the dressing room.

29:02 If any wrongdoing had been found, Rich would have been terminated immediately. Wilkes And said everybody involved just felt terrible about the unfortunate incident. So Dalrymple continued working for the Cowboys in his same role for six years after the settlement, and eventually he retired after thirty two years with the organization. But it didn't end there. Now, in relation to Jerry Jones's daughter in those upskirt photos, the Cowboys fan Randy Horton who actually reported that he posted on a TV station's page that he had seen something strange while watching a live video feed from the Cowboys draft war room on April thirtieth of twenty fifteen, and then Horton, sure of what he saw, he actually private messaged Charlotte Jones directly on Facebook and he put, in case you haven't been made aware already, that guy rich Dalrymple, who was sitting in the back corner of the war room last night on several occasions, reached over and took upskirt photos with his phone during the live stream. My wife and I watched in amazement. It happened when you guys stood up celebrating your draft pick. I believe Carolina was on the clock at the time. Go check it out. So Charlotte Jones, she never saw Horton's pace. I'm sure she gets,

30:32 you know, hundreds of dms a day, but Horton later told ESPN that he saw Dalrymple hold his phone under Charlotte Jones' skirt on several occasions and appear to snap photos. He said, I never forgot what I saw. The first time. He reached out from a sitting position behind her and she is standing with her back to him, and he did it once. He looked at the screen, touched the screen. Then he did it again a second time. He's sitting in the chair in the corner of the table on the left and held the phone beneath the corner of the table with the camera side facing up where she is standing, and he did it again. I have no doubt in my mind what he was doing. It was obvious now when this all came out, of course, other people came out and said they noticed that as well.

31:21 Interesting that he was able to remain on that team after all of that. Shocking. Really, So there it is. That's a little history on the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders. It's also a little bit of the scandals of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders. But I gotta be honest, you know, for the organization of the popularity that they are, they really don't have a ton of scandals. I mean, there's some stuff that happened over the years, but what a well run organization. And shout out to those ladies. They keep their noses cleaning over there. I guess you could say. Okay, Now, if you watched America Sweethearts, the Netflix documentary that I referenced to the beginning of this episode, you were introduced to a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader candidate for the first time, and her name was Reese Weaver. Now, for those of you who have not seen the documentary yet, Reese Weaver does not exist. She does exist, but she is absolutely unbelievable, just an amazing young lady. I mean, the girl is gorgeous, she can dance, probably better than ninety nine point nine percent of the population, and she is as pure a human being as I've ever seen, just a one in a million type young lady. And I'm sure she has her flaws somewhere, but look, they're hard to find. I'm

32:54 telling you right now, this is an amazing human So I saved the best for a law last today, and what you're gonna hear right now is an interview with Reese Weaver from our friends at the Unplanned Podcast, so you can go check them out on YouTube and give them a follow. But they conducted an amazing interview with this girl that really gets into everything she experienced from her own eyes. Now it's about an hour and a half in length and just a really good deep dive into this amazing young lady's life as she became the sweetheart of America's Sweetheart on Netflix. Everybody fell in love with her, and so I thought y'all would enjoy this.

33:43 So here's that interview. Welcome back to the Unplanned Podcast. There's always a pause. You say that, like you think the live studio audience is. There's literally nobody here. We're at Reese's house. Everybody this is. This is such a cozy place. I love your couch, by the way. Thank you, thank you. It's so nice for just ever we were we were just talking about that. You could you tell us a little bit about how you saved one hundred dollars and delivered the couch yourself to your house? Yes, I can, And if my husband was here, he would butt in because, like, we just saved one hundred dollars. Okay, but we so obviously, like y'all know, we don't have an elevator, so we had to.

34:25 Go up and do it. But I will say Will did majority of it. I can't. I can't complain. I might have done like maybe three pieces. He carried it by himself pretty much. But the thing about so they're all pieces, so it was like you have to take the cushions walk them up the stairs, or you have to take like the bottom piece, like and there's one, two, three, four, five and then half, so probably about ten pieces we had to bring up. Then holy cow, they came with these pillows and they're not cute pillows, so there's stuff back there. Maybe we can show them later, but there was that cute We did it. Pay for the pillows, but they came with the couch. So anyways, we've got some pillows. If you want some fairy patterned pillows please that we.

35:10 Know a bum that Will couldn't be here. I know he's on a bachelor party trip, which is super fun for him, So shout out to Will, but I just wanted. To ask him. Shout out to Will. Shout out to Will, but I wanted. To ask about your love story because you guys are just like such a genuine, happy couple and so wholesome and so like, I don't know, I think like you talked about it a little bit on the show, but I just wanted to know maybe there's some other stuff that people that don't know about you guys. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. So if you watched the show, you will notice that we met in college. Will is from Alabama. I'm from Florida. Went to school at University of Alabama, and we met at a basketball game that I was cheering at and Will, if you watch the show, know that he's the biggest Alabama basketball ever and he just noticed me cheering. There's like a really cool interaction between the mascot and I and like a little kid, and this is such a sweet story. I get like really kiddy talking about it. But being on the dance team, we're all one program and it's the spirit program. So you have your all girl cheerleaders, your co ed dance team, Alabama Dance Team, and Big OL's which are our mascot.

36:27 So we all know each other. And I knew who the Big Owl was that day and I saw this little boy trying to get Big Al's attention, and so I was like, oh, let me try to get big Out because big Al's busy. Everyone wants a picture with Big Al. So I grabbed big Al and it was like, hey, big Out, this this little boy wants to wants a picture with you and got a picture. And Will had said that he watched that entire interaction and he was like, I have to know, like who you are and messaged me or I guess I slid up on the DMS, but he followed me first, So yes, let's get that. Technically you could say I made the first move, but he actually made the first one exactly. I thank you, AV because everyone else thinks, oh, I slid up on the DMS, But how could I do that unless you followed me? Right, Yeah, I can hear his voice already say like.

37:16 Well, no, no, no, she slid up. So was he like the leader of the student section. So there there's a president of the Crimson Chaos, which is the student section. But it was him and like a few other people that were super close to the front row and he never was president, but everyone around him there's like a few very timid guys. He was on the committee. He was literally on the committee. But he knew a lot of basketball managers, a lot of the players, just because when you're super loyal to a team, you kind of really get to I guess basketball is more intimate too, like you really get to know the players. You're closer obviously, and then he's just the biggest Alabama basketball fan ever.

37:58 So that's so fun. So what was your first date together? It was to another Broken Egg cafe, which was a little outside of the college campus. And I remember being so nervous because I had never been on a date before with a guy, and I was like, uh, I'm not even gonna tell anyone because I don't know how to do this. And so we had went we went to another Broken Egg and he had been asking me, and I, unfortunately just kept being so busy, like I had a game or there was a practice or something like that, and he thought I was just kind of ditching him a little bit. And but we went there. We had a great time. And then the next date I think, or like catching up, was after the pandemic happened, because we had met right before the school shut down, and so when we got back, we met up at an Arby's out of all things, and he had called me and he was like, hey, which armies are you at.

38:57 I'm like, oh, I'm on the one of campus and he's not at the right Arby's. But I guess like miscommunication or whatever. But I thought it was so funny because he's like, no, stay right there, I'm there. I'm gonna be there just a second. And so it was Arby's and then we just started hanging out more. Fact that's so random. I feel like I'd never go to Arby's. I don't really know people that go there, Like why why Arby's Is that like your favorite spot? I don't think I've ever been to Arby's like ever. But it's just because I think he was gonna go eat something. And then I had to go to a practice. In order to be an athlete at Bama, you have to like pass physical tests and stuff, and so I was training for my physical test coming up before school started, and I remember he was like, well, the Arby's is really close to the Athletic center, Like do you just want to meet there? And I'm thinking sure.

39:46 Like I'll have a roastby sandwich. I feel like you do anything to see someone and you're like, yeah, Arby's sounds great. I think this is my second time going to Arby's ever, and I think I maybe gotten like a kid's menu, it's like apple slices, and I left good, so I didn't because I was gonna go run after. I was like, I gotta be really careful and cautious and when I'm eating, and then you know, Arby's, out of all places, was the best. But it's just it's so us, it's so classic and funny that, yeah, of course we met on Arby's. Who doesn't rightly?

40:28 I love that he was your first boyfriend because we we dated each other too, so and I feel like a lot of people are like, don't you feel like you should like figure out what you want first? Yes, everyone says that, and I'm like yes and no. But I feel like, with just being so busy in general throughout my childhood and having performances, practices, I never had time for a boyfriend. And then two older brothers also kind of plays. Not really, but oh, I'm sure busy. Just it's so busy growing up. You're always in extracurricular activities or hustling, bustling, and then you get to high school and then things are just extremely busy. Go to college, and then Honestly, I don't want to like say, if it wasn't for the pandemic, but seriously, if it wasn't for kind of the hybrid year that we had, we had significantly less games that we couldn't cheer at, and so I actually got to spend more time than I've ever had, like ever in my life, to spend it with friends and Will, and so it was kind of a blessing in disguise that, yes, there's so much sadness and just weird stuff happening in our world with COVID, but it was also an opportunity where I didn't have a lot of things going on and I could actually spend quality time with someone, then if it didn't happen.

41:51 Right, Yeah, I slowed you down. Yeah, on the documentary, I'm pretty sure you said that it took like fifteen dates before you let him put your arm round. Oh my gosh. Yes, just be kind of like anytime. So we would always hang out with our mentors at their house, which was literally like less than a mile from my apartment that I was staying in, and at the time Will was living with our mentors because he was a he was the youth intern for the youth pastor, and so he lived with him because of the hybrid year, he had classes online, he had classes son that were in person. So his mentor was like, hey, just live with us, and so we would hang out there. And so anyways, anytime we would go over there, we would watch like The Office. Had I ever watched The Office before?

42:41 Will No? But we were gonna watch The Office? Did I ever watch Harry Potter before? Will No? But I was like, Okay, I'm gonna like really try here, you know. And so we would always watch like something like that, and I would always just get like uncomfortable because I never sat by a guy before, and we would just, you know, watch the Office something that I've never seen before, trying to be comfortable with that, and then tried to kind of impress like the mentors too, because now that they're my mentors too, they were just such incredible people and I was like, oh, their opinion really matters, Like I want to make sure like I'm putting my best foot forward and everything. And so anyways, anytime it came to like getting a little closer or like talking a little bit closer, like putting his arm around, it was always like really hesitant. I don't know if I could do this, and he would ask me to kind of towards I guess a few months dating, He's like, well, David, have you my girlfriend? And I'd go, let me think, like I have to consult. Yes, And there was a time that I guess I'd left and it was already late and Will is going to bed and Taylor and Linley had already gone to bed, and Taylor and Linley would always be like, does she say yes? And he'd be like, no, not Tony.

44:04 Oh. So this was multiple times that he was asking you to be his girlfriend and you said no, yes, dang, were you? Were you talking to your girlfriend? That's like, yeah, that's bold, Like good for Will having the confidence, but like he did for you. Were you just it was a really big decision because you had never dated anybody? Like, were you talking to friends that were advising you on what to do? Yeah, so my roommates. I feel like I kind of kept it more of a secret because I really wanted it to come super organically and like I wanted to make sure I knew, Like I felt like more advice, I'd just be more confused. I'm already an indecisive person as it is, and so I valued my friend's opinions, but I didn't really talk about that decision. I guess like I wanted to come for me and happen like confidently, boldly, and I was always afraid because I never wanted to walk into a relationship because I wanted to give it one hundred percent, and obviously with the very unknown year that we were walking into, I was nervous because I didn't want to say yes and then not be able to commit. My prayer always was if I'm gonna meet my husband, like let it be him, and I don't.

45:12 I don't really want to have to keep going through this process. I said that on the docu series, and a lot of people were like, did you settle? You know, all those things, But really it was like my answered prayer. And so when I felt confident about my decision and I said yes, it was more that it happened and it was ordained by him rather than getting other people's opinions because I was scared, I was like, I don't, I don't really know what to do. But it was more fun to become friends with him than it was just to like go right off the bat as boyfriend and girlfriend, so like romantic. Yeah, yeah, I love that. That's kind of how like we are in a way one percent. Like we used to like FaceTime for like twelve hours straight because we were long distance. And you guys, yeah even did long distance for a while too while you.

45:56 Were on the show, right, Yes, yes, a little bit, a little bit of long distance here and there. Once he finally got his job, it was still kind of hard, just because we were balancing like seeing each other, et cetera. It was hard at the time, and I even told Will I was like, we are not a couple that can do long distance. There are so many people that make it work. And I know it is so hard for people doing long distance, but there's some people that are just blessed with being able to handle that. And I'm just such a people person that I can't be by myself for so long, like I need to know, like my person is with me, And so it was that was hard to navigate a little bit in the beginning. But now we're married, so it's a lot more fun.

46:36 I get to see my next friend every day. Okay, I've got to ask, because you just casually brought up your two brothers, and I feel like people probably don't realize that you have litler brothers and yeah, not just one but two. So what were they saying when you were telling them about Will? What were they like, did they did they ever have an altercation with Will? Were they liked sat them down and said, okay, like if you hurt my sister, like you're you're a dead man? What did they say to Will? You know, I actually don't know what my oldest said to Will, but I remember they met him for the first time. It was kind of a while and because going to Alabama, I never had a lot of opportunities going home, just because especially being on the dance team, there was games and when people could go home for the holidays. My holiday break was working towards nationals.

47:22 Thank you to Dreamland for sponsoring this portion of today's episode. Are you a parent that is struggling to sleep because your kid just keeps waking up in the night, because we've been there and it's horrible. Well, okay, we were there a lot with our first but by the time we had a second, I feel like we were pretty much sleep baby experts. And something that actually really helped us was the Dreamland Waited sleep sack. Oh yeah, we have like six of those guys on deck, because the thought of putting our baby down for night sleep or a nap with that one is actually terrifying. If you don't know what a Dreamland sleepsack is, Basically, it's a gently weighted. Sack that you zip your baby up in. It actually has double zippers so you can do easy nighttime diaper changes if you need to. But they have this thing called cover Calm technology on top of it that's gently waited on the top, and the baby can still.

48:09 Move and crawl and stand up in it, but. Basically just makes them feel like they're getting a cozy hug all night long, and it helps them fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. They're so so nice. The brabies feel super cozy in them, and it just basically evenly distributes weight from their shoulders to their toes. The whole family sleeps better, which is great because the number one issue for new parents is lack of sleep. So if you haven't. Given Dreamland a shot, get one. Get one for your friend who just had a baby. They will love you. They'll probably give you a kiss on the mouth. Go to dreamlandbabycode dot com and enter our code unplanned a checkout to receive twenty percent off site wide and free shipping. This offer is for new and existing customers. It was really hard to get home a lot of the time and then get with my brothers because they're busy too. So anytime I would make a visit home, it'd be fast. It would be you know, seeing probably I'm on Grandpa, a few friends, and then getting back because I have practice or school. But the very first time the younger oldest brother met Will, Will went in for like a hug, and Shaye was like, I was more expecting a handshake, but I'll take up and I'm like, okay, awkward.

49:20 But it's funny because obviously Shane knows my personality and found out Will's personality really quickly, because I guess guys are more like hey, man, like handshake then bring it in. But Will was like, hey, nice to meet hug. Did you try your dad? I think it was a good handshake. I think it was a solid handshake at first. Yeah about your mom? Did did he shake your mom sand or give your mom? I think it was a hug. I think it was a hug And this is a fun fact, but the very first time my parents met Will, his best man also met my parents. So Will met my parents and his best man all at the same time, which I thought was really visual. It wasn't just a one on one with Will and I. It was like, my parents came and it was Will and the best man and my roommates. So it was it was special to have more family friends like involved.

50:12 But who is this best man? Yeah, so the best man was Blaine. He's from Alabama, long childhood friend. And it was the first game of the year and the only football game I actually could do it because this was during COVID, And so my parents came and the very first time they met Will was with Blaine as well, and so Blaine was like, Wow, I'm super honored that I get to meet your girlfriend's parents at the same time you met them. So I don't know, I thought that was a fun fact to include. But Pat swe and the big day was in April. April, yes, and fun fact it was for twenty Wow.

50:53 You would not have expected that, I. Know, and everyone thinks that. And what's funny is I remember being so I looked. That you just casually said that like it was fo was a holiday because everyone's like, Reeste, you know what four twenty means? And I was like, no, it's gonna be our anniversary anniversary for twenty twenty four. I think that's like so cute. But didn't really expect that that was the only date that the venue was opened, because sure, now that I know what four to twenty means, No, I get burried at four twenty. And Will was like Reese, like you really don't know what that date is. I'm like, you're really making me nervous, Like I thought it was just gonna be like a cute anniversary date and he's like, it is and it always will be, but it will always also be something else.

51:40 Oh, your wedding must have been lit. Everyone just what were the jokes? What were the jokes before cracks? All the jokes were, Oh, I'm bringing this or I'm bringing this, And of course everyone thought it was so fitting that that was gonna be our wedding date because they were like, out of all people, for twenty was gonna be Will and Reese's wedding date. Like it's just it was more funny than anything. But you know, everyone wanted to be lighthearted about it and yeah. Did will know though, like right away when you picked out the date that for twenty Like, did he was he aware of the date? Or did he was. Aware of the date, because I guess, I don't know, Like I was available, I was a little more sheltered, I will say, but he was like, yeah, it was available and it was perfect because with DCC, a lot of the girls that are getting married or engaged have to wait until the spring because of being an off season.

52:42 And so this was though before I found out I made the team. So plan A was, if I were to make the team, then this would probably be the best time to do it in. But if I didn't make the team, this would also still be the best time doing our wedding here because I would want to have retried out if I didn't make the team, and that was kind of the area where tryouts would happen and kind of getting back into training camp would start and pick up. So I was really trying to put my best foot forward in thinking, Okay, plan A would be if I were to make it, you know, this would probably be the best time, but if I didn't, this would also still be the best time because I would be trying out again.

53:29 So the whole time you were filming the show, I guess that was more so A lot of it was this was for training camp and stuff, but you're also wedding planning. Oh my gosh, I had like five jobs like all last year, because wedding planning is literally a full time job, I feel like. But yeah, so all last year, you know, you're secreting, not secreting, that's not even a work. But you're really hush about the docuseries and no one really knew what was going on. But I had that going on. I was a rookie on the team and that was a lot just in general. And then also moved out to Texas and trying to figure out life and what else to do outside of DCC, and then also wedding planning in a whole different state. Then we got married in Florida, so that was really hard trying to navigate times to meet with my vendors and stuff like that.

54:27 So last year was busy that I'm very crazy. Well that's commitment to to plan your wedding around the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders. Yeah, it is, it is, And I feel like anyone who wants to pursue this dream like or any sort of dream like, they're going to have that in mind. But at the end of the day, like I wanted to be on this team so badly that and I also wanted to get married in the spring, so I felt like it was kind of perfect. In a sense. But yeah, it is a lot of commitment and a lot of the girls. I mean, I can't even think of any of the girls that are currently married right now who have had a wedding like in season. It's just not really possible, honestly, because we're so busy.

55:08 You're like, it wouldn't be you couldn't have a minute to like enjoy newlywed life. I feel like you kids are so much going on. Has has been a cheerleader for the Cowboys? Has that been a dream ever since you were a little girl? Pretty much. I would say that the dream to become an NFL cheerleader happened really in college, kind of during my COVID year, just because you do a lot of thinking that year. There's a lot more time on your hands, so you're kind of processing, and obviously too in college you're processing a lot already and trying to navigate, like what your future is going to look like, and then on top of a boyfriend, you're like, WHOA, I'm really trying to navigate a lot. But fun fact, for one of my Christmas gifts that year, at and T Stadium always hosts the Cotton Bowl, but during COVID it was swapped, so they actually host the Rose Bowl game in Alibai played Notre Dame that year and it was at at and T Stadium, and so one of my Christmas gifts was actually to go to the Rose Bowl in Texas to watch Alabama. One of my friends was currently on the team, and I kind of vicariously was watching everything really through social media and allfer pictures and everything, and I was thinking, I've always wanted to pursue a professional dance career, but I didn't know if I wanted to go more on the Broadway track, because I did a lot of musicals when I was growing up, and I loved that side of dance, that kind of performance quality of being on a stage and doing more jazz and

56:39 musical theater, but also going to Alabama being on a dance team. I really enjoyed kind of that entertainment aspect of dance as well. So I went to the Rose Bowl that year. I walked into AT and T Stadium. That was my very first time, and that was my very first time actually in Dallas, Texas, and so when I was there, I felt like this piece of no like I see myself here and my friend being on the team. I kind of had that in the back of my mind that you know, she pursued her dream and I would love to do the same. And then seeing her dream come to fruition, I thought like, this, this could maybe be something I'm super interested in. Obviously, the Dallas Cowboys cheallers are so iconic. They demand excellence, and I wanted to be a part of something greater than myself and I knew that, and I wanted to be part of something that was so prestigious. And when I walked into AT and T Stadium for the very first time at for that game, I looked at my mom and I was like, I want to be a Dallas Cowboys cheller and she was like, my parents have always been super supportive, but they were like, dang, girl, this is a big stadium, Like you would want to be here? And I was like, yep, and I'm gonna do it. I'm going to try you out, like I'm.

57:50 Going to do this. And so my sophomore year, like I said, a little bit more time on my hands, had more opportunities to kind of think about how to prep for that. We didn't really know what the next year was going to look like, if games were gonna start being back up, so you're kind of making plan A through Z. And then junior year I got a little bit more serious about it. And then senior year of college, I was hitting the carond running. I was like, no, the next goal is is Dallas Cowboys. And I kind of put all my eggs in one basket and just went for it. But also, like I know, it is such a selective process and it's hard and it's rigorous and some things like you can't really you know, have control over. So I knew that if this didn't work out, that's okay.

58:35 I probably will stay in Alabama. I'll figure out like another job. But if I didn't make it my first year, I wanted to retry. I wanted to be a Dallas cup Boys cheerleader and no matter how long that took, like I was ready for that commitment. And that I guess that that work to put into it. So that's really cool you went and you did it, and I imagine like entering training camp as a rookie has to feel very terrifying. Yes, what was that? Like? They had a previous show called Making the Team, and growing up, I've always watched that and then I knew kind of you saw a glimpse of what Making the Team was because it literally was the girls in training camp once the team was announced. That was kind of like the synopsis of the show, and I had seen it through television, but then seeing it in person, you're seeing like Kelly and Judy for the first time, like in person, and you're seeing their practice facility like you saw through you know, the TV screen, and being there you're like taken back because it's super intimidating. It's it's so iconic and like you're just really taken back. It's just such a out of body experience almost being there in training camp, and so I knew I kind of had a little bit of expectations on what it would look like, but those like are completely throughout the window because until you're in it, you're like, oh my gosh, they're learning. We are learning so much. I obviously knew

1:00:09 that the process that there were gonna be a lot of cuts. And they don't bring the team of thirty six into training camp. They're bringing probably forty eight girls, forty six girls into training camp, and that's including vets, So that's giving you know, ten cuts really roughly that they're gonna have to make throughout the summer. So I had that expectation. I knew that going into it, but no one can prepare you for watching it like you saw it through a TV screen. But then when you're there, you want it just as bad for that girl like you do yourself. And so seeing you know, cuts happen and being so emotionally, mentally, physically drained, it's hard. The emotional toll is super heavy because you start to really connect with these girls because you're all in it, and so you have to be dependent on each other, and so it was tough. You're one physically super exhausted, two you're learning so much choreography and you're trying not to mess up. You want to, you know, put your best foot forward every single day you're trying not to get cut.

1:01:20 And then emotionally, when you see someone get cut. It is uh, it crushes you. And because one, it's like you kind of feel this guilt of that should have been me, you know, And so I think that was kind of an expectation I knew going into it, but it's not until you're in it where you're. Like, yeah, like actually experiencing. Yeah. Yeah. I think that scene with you like in the car as you know your friends was leaving like that. In general, like that was probably my number one favorite thing about the documentary series, because I think so much reality TV thrives on drama, like and I don't know, like competition, and it really seemed like every single girl that was a part of that at least this is the way it appeared, is that they wanted to lift each other up, and they wanted everyone to like feel supported and encouraged and like a sisterhood.

1:02:09 And so I loved seeing that. I thought it was so refreshing and like inspiring and even just like performing on my high school dance team, even if you were to just do it like a team sport or activity in general, people could relate to that that bond that you have with one another high stakes kind of like I can't even imagine like how high those stakes were, Like yeah, like bonds your relationship and I don't know, just like girlhood. I was like this it is. I love this it is and I'm oh gosh. We we were so happy with the end result because one, you're you're putting trust in the hands of people that obviously we've we've been able to create relationships with the with the team, the film crew and her producers, like they're the absolute best and we were.

1:02:55 But at the end of the. Day, there is a lot of trust, like we didn't know what to expect. The integrity and intentions day one, I think have remained the same since the beginning of what the producer really wanted to see out of it, and that was really showing the sisterhood and the bond between the girls because we are a team. But at the end of the day, like you're best friends with these girls, and like you said, like any team you're a part of, like you you work so hard with them, you see them twenty four to seven and go through not just physical change or you're working towards the same goal, but you're walking through life together. And once you experience training camp, like I'm so so grateful for that special moment that they capture that because that is just a small glimpse of you know, the real bond and the real friendships that you make.

1:03:47 This show is sponsored by Betterhelp. What are your self care non negotiables? Matt? It's how you might for me, I need to go to the gym, that's one of them. Having some me time? What about you? What's your non negotiable? Definitely Jim, fueling my body well, having a little bit of me time, like away from people, like you said, and just overall keeping my life in balance. That's such a big thing that I've honestly had that as my word of the year for like four years now. Balance. But it's just something that's like it's crucial like to being healthy, happy, everything. Just keep every aspect of my life in balance. And that goes for my physical health, emotional health, and my mental health. And that's why I think Betterhelp is an amazing, amazing resource.

1:04:30 We've used our couple counseling. Now we're diving into their individual counseling, but basically it's entirely online, designed to fit you and your schedule. It's online counseling, so basically you spill in your needs, your criteriga. For us, I'm pretty sure. We said we wanted it didn't matter if it was male or female for us, but we did say we wanted someone that was like a little older. And you can switch your therapist at any time for no additional charge. It could not be more. Convenient, and it's a great thing if you need. It for a short period of time or for long term. It's an amazing, amazing resource, and there's no shame in giving it a shot. I think we could all use someone to talk to exactly. If you're thinking of starting therapy, give Better Help a try never skip therapy day with better Help. Visit Betterhelp dot com slash Unplanned podcast today to get ten percent off your first month. That's Better Help. Hg LP dot com Slash Unplanned podcast.

1:05:20 Having to watch that and relive that moment. This is kind of getting off topic, but when Will and I watched it, we've only watched it once and that was it. I was like, Okay, I think this is it. We're just gonna watch it one and done and say we did it. You know, yeah, Because having to explain to my family and friends and Will during training camp, what you're experiencing is really hard being in a completely different state, and obviously they're trying to understand and cope with it and feel like they can relate to it. But when Will got to watch that night and me explaining it to him a year ago, he was like, WHOA, Like I didn't really realize, like this is what you walked through, Like this is what you experienced because that night, specifically, Charlie unfortunately was the last cut, and we knew that that was a team of thirty six, but we also didn't know, Like we didn't want to go into practice the next day thinking, oh, we're team of thirty six, like they're going to announce a team, because we didn't know if there was still gonna be another cut or they were gonna bring someone back, Like your mind is just like kind of chaotic, and we didn't want to settle for something, you know, we didn't I don't know.

1:06:31 We were really hesitant with with walking into that practice the next day. But when I told Will you know there was Charlie got cut, he was like, oh, reeze, like that was your best friend, but that's a team of thirty six And I was like, yes, but I'm heartbroken. Right now, I'm crushed, and so him seeing that, I think all my family, my friends that I explained it to kind of took a step back and thought whoa, Like, yeah, y'all, y'all walked through so much emotional grief, and while my friends everyone being so supportive, thinking, oh my gosh, she made the team, they also saw like what. The other rights I celebrate right now? Yeah?

1:07:11 Yeah, yeah, it's a very It's a hard thing to process something I've never experienced before, being crushed but also celebrating but also feeling a little guilty, Like it's it's pretty strange, but yeah, that was such a special scene. That was something I was surprised. I was like, these girls don't seem relieved when it's like, okay, that's one step closer to like being on the announced team. But there was I never saw anyone like being like oh, I feel like it. Was more just like, oh, like, look at what I'm losing like instead of gaining, which was hard and like sad for you guys, but also really cool to see that like support and like you guys were already becoming a team. Yeah through that process. Well how long was that though?

1:07:51 Because you and you and Charlie got very close clearly just from what we saw on the show, So like, how long did you have together to form that strong law? So they announced the team July fourteenth of last year, and we started training camp a little bit over a month. So training camp was actually the shortest it had ever been, just because our season started earlier and there was a lot of other activities that we were doing in the summertime, so they needed to announce the team pretty quickly, and so we had gotten so close and just a month time span, but a month is a long time, it is. And staying in the same hotel like together it's you.

1:08:32 You just become so dependent and just grow so quickly together and dependent on each other and practice all the time and get ready go to practice, like it was just such a sweet bond and we were walking through the exact same thing. So it was just really special to have someone else that could really relate to you and vice versa. Do you think that they showed everything that they needed to show from the pole process? Yeah, absolutely, So obviously everyone is so busy, and I'll just put it at that, there's a lot of things that were included and there are a lot of things that weren't included, some being there are a few different shows and things that were included, but just because it was busy one or to some sort of rights kind of like didn't really like cross like for example, there was a really cool concert that we are a part of, but we couldn't get like the rights to like music and like little stuff like that. But it was a very accurate depiction of kind of what we walk through and what the year looks like, how busy our season looks, because no one ever saw a glimpse of kind of what weeks look like or what the process looked like leading up to the Thanksgiving game or stuff like that. Obviously, through social media things are posted, but it's not until you see that behind the scenes of how much work, how much practices, how many appearances and events that you're doing.

1:09:55 I think that it did an incredible job at showing what goes on behind the scenes rather than what's you know, going on at practices. It was really special to even see, like your own teammates what they do behind the scenes. So because you didn't even know that you're going to be one of the main characters essentially on the show, right right, You just thought that everyone was getting equal screen time, everyone was having cameras follow them everywhere. And so when did you find that out that you were kind of the main person. So honestly, I don't really recall the exact time. I feel like it probably was towards leading up to our wedding. Again, my mind being so like wedding based too last year, That's all I was thinking about one, just making sure I put my best foot forward as a rookie, like making sure I knew my choreography coming in, making sure like as a perfectionist, like I wanted to make sure I'm not messing up, and stuff like that, all the little things that we think of. So my mind was so into X, Y and Z and then didn't really kind of come to terms with oh the show, like that's also something that's and when it came out, we saw the first two the first two episodes right after the wedding actually like in May, before it was premiered in June. So I was like, oh, that's me and that's a lot. Yeah, I guess I didn't really know until I saw the docu series that it was. It was pretty it was pretty big that there was a lot of me and Will and I was like, oh,

1:11:26 this is like, this is great. Did that make you uncomfortable. A little bit? Yeah, I'm like doing this right now, I can tell you look like I just like, never in my wildest dreams thought that this was in the Lord's plan. And obviously he does exceeds and gives far abundantly than we could ever ask. And so I just never knew that this was like his plan for my life. And like I said, never thought like this would happen, and I never dreamt of it happening because at the end of the day, I wanted to be a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. And we didn't really know what to expect when the docuseries came out, so we kind of just we're kind of twiddling our thumbs, like, Okay, we'll just see when it gets here. And so, yeah, it was a little nerve wracking because it's not just the US seeing it.

1:12:14 It's international, and you know, I feel like a lot of people know a lot more about me than I know myself. Yeah, I're processing in I feel like I've stepped into a whole new world. But it's been such a beautiful crazy, chaotic but blessed opportunity. So I'm super grateful for it, but I also am like whoa people people know who I am and know who Will it are just saw the things. So I truly think what it is is like I think America and the world is tired of the in your face reality TV, you know, loud fights, drama, drama, drama, and yet we have the show called America's Sweethearts.

1:12:56 And then refreshing Yeah. And then you have like you and Will who are just a couple, which like fits with sweetheart, So, like you, I think that's what it was, and I I think the producer probably made the right I think they made the right choice following you and telling your story because you're just a genuine person who really cared about this passion of yours to be a a The Als Cowboys cheerleader. And then here you are getting married. So I don't know, you deserve you deserve everything that you're getting more like. You handle it so graceful, that's so sweet, You're so too And hearing having a Matt say that, I'm like, oh no, no, I'm so serious, and I just thank you that that means everything, and I you know, there's I guess as newly weds, we've always thought like what's our purpose, like obviously as a married couple, like we want to make the kingdom bigger? But what does that look like? And he God was like, I know what it looks like, and you're not even gonna expect it.

1:13:50 So just hearing that it means the world and I think we're doing we're trying to do our best with handling it all, but we're also human and I think, like you said, like I think the world is kind of tired of seeing like picture perfectness because it's it's not like that's not real life. And so I hope that and everything that we do and everything that we say, any interaction that we show that like, hey, we're relatable, like we're real people. We're just as broken, we're just as confused and messy, you know, as any other person is. And so I think that the show also highlights that, is that we're daughters, like we're sisters, we're friends, like we are women who have dreamt big, but also have so much more going on behind the scenes. And I think that the show really shows and highlights that because when you put that uniform on there are a lot of eyes and and little girl's eyes are like looking at you with stars and it's like, oh no, no, no, the stars are actually in my eyes because what I can do is, you know if it's just it's just such a mutual thing of being able to give back in a way but also become relatable in a sense of like, hey, if I can do this, like you can do this. And I think that's what the show really shows and highlights a really.

1:15:07 Sweet moment speaking of like, it's funny hearing you say like not being perfect, because in my eyes, I'm like, they you guys look perfect, like literally amazing. And but also there was a moment and I think it was at the end of an episode where you guys are about to go out onto the field and you went ahead. And he like scooted back. I was like, how did you fall in love with you? I literally love that moment. And here, So that's funny that you say that, because long story short, the show came out the first day of training camp this year, and so my mind was like, oh no, no, no, no, I'm not watching this until the weekend because I gotta be focused in a training camp, like I don't want any distractions. My phone was like, on do not disturb, Like, I just don't want any distraction.

1:15:51 That's a crazy fell on. The same day, Yes, what a what a quink ink and so, but one of my teammates had reached out. She was like, have you seen it yet? And I was like no, no, no, like, I'm waiting until after the week. I'll watch it Saturday and Sunday. Our training camp started on Thursday because that's when the show came out, and so I was like, I watched it on Saturday, and she was like, there is a part that I absolutely love it, and it's something that I vividly remember, because you know, as a rookie, you remember all of your mistakes and walking out. She was the one that was like like, come back, and she was the one that had told me and I was like, they put that in the episode. She was like, yeah, it's so great, and I'm like, you know what, I'm so glad that they did, because there are so many other mistakes that I made. But at least if I can show someone that I am so flawed and imperfect, then I did my job.

1:16:53 It was so like endearing just to see and you're like little recovery. I was like, I was like love, and then I like the camera crew and I'm like even better. Let me hopefully y'all cut that out. But it wasn't. Something I didn't expect from the documentary was that the it was it was scary. It was that whole situation with the camera guy and and the groping and then like it just I would have never thought of something like that happening. And obviously, like they weren't able to pursue the charges because they couldn't have enough evidence. Tell me, tell me about, like how do you deal with it that as a cheerleader, because I don't know. I mean, that's just.

1:17:35 We never thought like kind of here is like a sexual icon in a way with like and so how do I know that They were saying that they have a lot of security. Measures and yes, yea, how they handle that absolutely. So I feel like one hearing that it was devastating because like I just said, like, we're daughters, we're sisters, we're friends, we're you know, wife, some of us were says we're girlfriends, and but at the end of the day, like we're best friends. And so when you hear that, like that happened to one of your teammates, Like it hits home real hard and deeply, And like you said, we have incredible security and I never want to, you know, downgrade them because they are absolutely amazing. But in a game, there are a lot of people on the sidelines and it is hard to see everyone. There's ninety plus thousand people that are out of game, and there's a lot of people on the field as well, and it's heartbreaking to hear and to have kind of witnessed that. And I've seen like your friend go through that, because when it's embarrassing and you feel icky and you feel weird, and you're like, that's not why I'm doing this, Like I'm doing this because I love to dance and I'm representing something greater than myself. But there's a lot, unfortunately eyes that might see this and I don't want to say lustful, but unfortunately in a more less full way.

1:19:02 And I think that's a little scary in a sense of like, hey, like that's not what I represent, like who I am in the uniform on the same person outside. Thank you to Liquid IV for sponsoring this portion of today's episode. The Liquid IV. Yeah, you are the first thing. We were just traveling. The very first thing Abby said when we got there, She's like, I need to order some Liquid IV. Yeah, because you can't really go without it. I always have the sugar free ones, but I've tried the other flavors and they're delicious too. They taste really really I mean, that's my main thing. But also they make me feel so hydrated. So I live in a warm climate, and I feel like a lot of us are in our warm climates right now because it's summertime. And I also am a very active person, so it's really really really important to hydrate. And with Liquid IV it's just easy. You tear poor live more. That's a really easy stay it with me, now.

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1:20:40 There's always a what if situation, But we're also like extremely just extremely grateful for the people that we work with, our security cute crew, Like they're amazing about For example, like when someone comes and takes a picture with us, they're not allowed to touch us. They either have a football or they hold something, or they're kind of the center of the attention and we're behind them like in the corner, because that's what we want to do. We want to like leave someone better than we found them and make sure that they feel like seen loved and valued and that they're the center of the tension and not us. But two, it's also for just security purposes and protection for us. And because there are some times where you're like, oh, is this a little weird kind of give an eye to like the security guy and he's like, okay, yeah, I get it. I'm following, like I'm going to be aware. But yeah, it's just like a weird that is unfortunately a part of another side of this job. But two, I don't want to live in fear in that way, and none of us do.

1:21:48 And but it does catch you by surprise when something does happen, because I mean, in that case it was kind of inevitable, like just because there are so many people. But too, I think moving forward, we want to put our best foot forward in the sense of, okay, this happened, this is not right, and we want to make sure that we put all the you know, set all the right rules and boundaries and all the things like moving forward so that this doesn't happen again. Do you always have security with you when you're in uniform? Is that kind of something that Okay, you're in uniform, is it like per per group of girls, and you have at least one guy per how. Yeah. Yeah, So usually our appearances there's two girls most of the time a sit and sign or a stand and post, that's what we call. It's either you come, we're sitting, we're signing things, or we're standing in posing pretty slut a door. But there's usually two of us, and so we usually have two security guards with us, and then when it's a group, there are a few more.

1:22:51 But usually when there's a group, there's a bigger event, so therefore there's more security. But anytime there's like a befores especially game days where there's a performance right before it's like our pregame performance that we do outside of the field, and there is security all lined up because we're like in between fans. It's blocked off, but there's a lot more just because of being out exposed like in the public. But other than that, we definitely always have security, and we're very fortunate enough to have security with us even with practices. With practices, we have security all around our premises and inside our practices. And they also walk us to a cars every night, which is super sweet because you never know who's in a parking garage, so yeah, super superless.

1:23:41 Awesome, Yeah, I think that when I think about the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, I think of like, like we're saying that kind of picture perfect, beautiful and womanly, and especially like they have the bikini and they have like the belly shots and stuff like. While I do think it's done in such a classy way, how do you navigate yourself like through your own like discovery with modesty and related to your role as a cheerleader? Yeah, absolutely so. I feel like one, I feel like there has kind of been a negative connotation and the sense of body image and what that looks like. And I think as time has evolved, our program has really took like taking a positive direction in the sense of, hey, we want you to feel and look your best. And it's not the sense of like, oh, you need to look like this or your way, like that's all kicked out the door. If you feel good and you look good and you're putting effort into like who you are physically, mentally, emotionally, like, that's what we're proud of and we want to showcase that.

1:24:46 So in terms of speaking, like all of the other swimsuit calendars and things like that, like we are now promoting and showing healthy and relatable bodies more than the unrealistic exper of hip bones and you know, tiny like legs and all the things. Because we're athletes, like we have to be able to fuel ourselves to do what we're doing on the field, because it is not easy understruck at the very end, you've got to make sure like you're fueling yourself and you're you know, being kind to yourself, like mentally, emotionally, because this is very it's very rigorous. The direction that we've kind of taken now is more healthy mind, healthy body, and making sure we're fueling yourself and showing like, if you want to be a Dallas Cowboys cheerlader, what other better way to promote healthy living and being a role model is showing relatability and not a perfect body because there's not a perfect body out there. So that's something I have to remember.

1:25:43 I love how you refer to yourselves as athletes because Abbey and I you mentioned theater, going through the theater. Abe and I met doing theater. Yeah, and oh my gosh, like after doing dance numbers where you're doing like triple pere wet, like yeah, you know, switch lead, like all this stuff. And sing and dancing all the same time. No one knows. But that is hard. Breath like, it's hard to breathe right, and you're like trooping sweat, like you must be drenched in sweat by the end of Thunderstruck. Oh my gosh, it's it's quite bad. People are like pictures, pictures, and I'm like, maybe not, maybe not. Yeah, water after a game, I look like a wet rat. I'm not gonna lie. I leave it. I'm like, this is not what I looked like pre game. And then post game we'll have to do a video where I'm like, this is me before a game and then yeah, but no, it's it's athletic and what we do is hard, and a lot of people don't realize this either. But you know, thunder Thunderstruck is already hard enough doing it from the very beginning to the end. But when you put the boots on, that's a completely different dance because it's essentially doing like a dance in ankle weights. Like the boots are real, they're real leather lu Casey boots, and they are They're so iconic and I love them so much, but they're heavy and you have to be able to perform in them and point your foot and I mean think.

1:27:08 About pointing your feet in a boot. Yeah, so it's it's definitely harder than it looks. I think we try to make it look effortless and perfect, but at the end of it, when we walk off, best belief, we're wheezing. We're like, that's the thing, right, It wouldn't be fun to watch some people dance and look like they're in pain the whole time, right, So yeah, you have to pretend like you're you know, like, oh, you're smiling and you're not sweating your face off and your makeup stripping. Did I just hear a pop? Yes? I did, but I'm smiling. Yeah, So that's that's so impressive. And the famous like jump split split, jump. Slitting and jumping, sitting and jumping. Talk to us about that.

1:27:48 Yeah, it's funny that you mentioned that because I always we you know, we just announced our team and throughout training camp. I remember the very first night we did jump splits was like right after my birthday, and I remember last year it was on my birthday, so I was like happy birthday to me that I get to try this jump split for the first time, and I remember, you know, the rookie cannon. It's thinking like oh my gosh, like this is like really nerve wracking, but like I know I can do it, but like I just have to do it, and then having to do it in front of Kelly and Judy, like it's already like scary because you don't want to mess up. You want to make sure, like you don't want to get cut. And so I told a rookie candidate, I was like, listen, taking off a band aid with like hairy arms hurts, right, but if you just rip it off, it's done. And I said, it's almost like that. You just have to rip the band aid off, take a breath, jump lightly split land, and you're done. Like sometimes I have to I don't close my eyes. Also don't try that at home, and don't close your eyes. But sometimes I'm just like, Okay, here we go in land. Like that's what I have to think about is instead of there's obviously a lot of you know, don't do this and land like this and all the physical elements to it, but at the end of the day, it's like a mental blockage is you just have to let go. And like growing up as a dancer. I did, you know, acro and I did a lot of different tricks and stuff, and it's almost like learning a new trick. It's like I've got to remove my mental blockage and just do it, Nike,

1:29:20 just do it, you know. And so that's literally what we have to do is like nope, kick kick, there's six kicks at the end and then and then you're done. That has to be damaging to your body, though. Woo yeah, there's no way that your hips are like, oh that's okay. Your hips are like, oh, thank you so much for that. Because okay, I'll okay, I'll be honest. I only joined Abby and watching the documentary towards the end, but Abby was. Filling the end here right now, Abby Binge. Did she was obsessed, But like, what is up with Wasn't someone getting like a surgery because of their hips being screwed up from the jump split? It jump split? Yeah, it is demanding, and I and so many people are like, oh my gosh, you're so young, like you know, your body is so healthy, and I'm like, thank you, yes it, yes, I guess it is. And I'm in my like the best shape possible. But the older you get, and especially as dancers, like anatomically we're doing things that aren't natural. Aren't natural, one being a jump split, and you know, I think as a dancer, that's just kind of something that comes with it. Is like a football player. You're not going to tell a football player, hey, stop doing car collisions every single time you do a play. You know, like essentially that's what they're doing. And it's not like you're gonna say, hey, stop doing what you love, you know, And and that's kind of similar with with dance, is like, hey, the the eighty five percent external rotation that you have that's anatomically not correct, stop doing that. It's like, well, no,

1:30:51 that's like what my job requires and I love to do it. And so I think that's just kind of something that we think about. And when we do the jump split, I'm not going to sit here and say that it feel good all the time, because it it's not like, oh yeah, let me just do it in the morning, let me do it lunchtime. You know. We we do take precautionary we do we do our best with doing those measures of like hey, like we always do thunderstruck and practices of we'll do thunderstruck, full out kicks, pretty kicks, no jay, which is not I like just eye level kicks, not all the way that way you're not you know, sore or tugging on those hamstrings, and then no jay, no jump split. So the only time we're doing our jump splits is in front of a crowd, when when it matters. And so we try to just really be cautious on how many times we're doing it because it does take a toll on your body physically. But we have great trainers and we have great resources that are helpful in the sense of knowing that we're getting older and our bodies, like can't do this forever. Like if you told me in ten years I'm going to do a jump split, it'd be like, no, no, no, no, no, no, that's this is probably the only time I'm ever going to do a jump split. Is this career, you know, because it is. It's hard, and it does take a toll, but unfortunately that does come with it. Like any other athlete, you know, you are getting hurt and unfortunately you know the sport that you play, and that's just one of

1:32:21 the things. You look at these NFL athletes, the football players on the field who are getting paid, you know, twenty thirty million dollars a year, like the craziest salary, and like, good for them. I'm happy for them, that's awesome. But I was shocked when I. Looked up what the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders make, because I don't know if this is true, but the internet was thanks me about seventy five thousand a year for a cheerleader. I don't know if that's true. It was that a buzz not that much, it says on Google, though, Yeah, there is your testament to never trust what Google's. So is this so it's lower, it's lower than that. Yes, I would say so. But I know that there's like a lot of controversy with you know, how much we get paid and stuff, and like, granted, I'm grateful that we do get paid because in some instances, like some some NFL programs do not get paid as much as as we do, and so we are very grateful in that sense. But like any other NFL cheerleader, you have to be able to have another income coming in, you have to have another job with it. Yes, you do see these football players and you're like, wow, you are making so much you make. But but at the end of the day, like this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and because it is so prestigious, and you know, not everyone can say that they're a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. Like that in itself is a chapter I'm always going to cherish. And so at the end of the day, like money is temporary and it's a worldly thing,

1:33:53 Like I can't take that to heaven. And so but the opportunities and the experiences I'm gaining through this journey in this chapter, that's building my character and that's the thing that I can take to heaven. And so that's something that I always try to remember, because it is hard when you're living in a world where you're like, wow, okay, there's senses. I'm kind of a nerd, and I just did some quick math in my head. Yeah, the players in the field individually are making more than the entire team of cheerleaders. Like one player. That's kind of crazy. Oh yes, yeah. Like what one guy? And like the quarterback, I don't know what he makes, but like let's say, let's even be generous. Let's say that the cheerleaders made one hundred k and times up by thirty six. That's three point six million yearly.

1:34:34 Quarter contract for quarterbacks. Oh, I know your quarterbacks. Probably your quarterback's probably making like thirty forty million a year. Yeah, so he's probably making Yeah, like he's making as much as like all the NFL cheerleaders in the whole entire league. Good could very well could very well like that checks out. Look, okay, honestly, let me just say this, Like clearly, you love what you do, so you'd probably do it for free. Like when you love something so much, I know what that feels like, Like it's just it's so much fun to entertain and to do an art form that you love. Yeah, it's your passion. But like at the same time, I don't know, I want I want to see you guys get paid more. I really do, and I feel that, And I know that the money's there too, because like the NFL is so freaking loaded.

1:35:18 There's so much money in the NFL. Well, we support the US supports NFL, you know, like we're constantly buying tickets or buying someone's jersey or you know that that twenty dollars bup Gordon, you just yeah, is helping. Them about I just know there's no reason that any cheerleader in the NFL all should be paid under one hundred k. In my opinion, that's yeah, well. Thank you. That is the job that you have. You have another job to like subsidize your Yeah, so I work at a flower shop, which is that's right, super fun. I am around incredible women from all walks of life. I've got like just wisdom being poured into me.

1:35:58 I've got people that are little bit closer my age, Like it's just so sweet to have like motherly figures in my life too, just be able to be around and it's so much fun. This episode is sponsored by ZocDoc. Do you have an appointment that you need a book at the doctor, but you keep putting it off because you don't want to drive all the way there and spend your time waiting in an office. Zoctoc is so convenient because you can book doctor appointments from the convenience of your freaking phone, and then you can just have the appointment at your house. Zoctoc is a free app and website where you can search and compare high quality in network doctors, choose the right one for your needs, and click to instantly book an appointment. We're talking about in network appointments with more than one hundred thousand healthcare providers across every specialty from mental health to dental health, eye care to skincare, and so much more. Plus, zoctoc appointments happen fast, typically within just twenty four to seventy two hours of booking.

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1:37:36 Book a top rated doctor today. That's z ocdoc dot com slash unplanned zdoc dot com slash unplanned. Being able to make someone's day with flowers is so cool. You guys meet Dolly Parton because of the flowers. That's so crazy. Oh my gosh, I still just cannot believe that happened. But yes, it doesn't as a pinch me moment for sure, But yeah, it's it's so special and I feel like when you when you order flowers, it's to bring joy, whether you're walking through grief or whether you're celebrating something. And so it's just really special to be a part of someone's joy and celebration.

1:38:17 Yeah, with life. Tell us more about Dolly Parton? What was she like in person? What did you talk about? Oh? Sorry, she's so sweet? Do you I just have one more parts at the flower shopping? I'm just curious. Is your role as that the flower shop more lucrative than your. Role on the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders? Wait, like, do they which one? You need to tell me that you make more money delivering flowers that you get paid as a. Dallas cheerleader Dallas Cowboys cheader for sure that that is definitely hourly, though. You're probably making more hourly doing flower deliveries, got it. But what kind of as a blessing disguise is I don't have a nine to five job as of right now, just because throughout this year I wanted something to like obviously bring in a little bit more income, but something that I enjoyed. I'm a big stickler about that is like if you don't love what you're doing, and like, no, it's not worth it, you know. And so I love what I'm doing, thankfully, Like Will's job is great and we're doing great in that sense. But what I really wanted was something I can look forward to in the beginning of my day, have a little bit of time so that I can get ready for practice. And this was especially important in rookie season because I wanted to have something and then come back and do choreography and make sure I'm prepared and all the things that you

1:39:49 kind of have to do in your rookie season to be your best in practice. And so like all the other not all of them, because some of us are a little bit different with our schedule, but a good bit of us do have nine to five jobs. But those are also like second year, thirty or fourth year vets who have been able to they they walked, you know, they've walked in our shoes. But yeah, so it's it's it's better with cheeladers for sure. Yeah. Can everyone go follow Reese on Instagram right now? It'll take literally two seconds. Go to Instagram follow Reese. We gotta we gotta blow like get blow up her account, okay, because that's so cool. You're not getting paid. You're not getting paid enough doing what you're doing, so we gotta like support you somehow.

1:40:32 Oh my gosh. Sorry, back to Dolly parton. I want to know what was she like to me? Oh, what you see on camera is who she is off camera, Like she is just this cute little ball of sunshine that you could just like put in your pocket. You would think that she's like pretty tall because she always wears her six inch heels always, but she's so little and soap tea and so cute. And I just remember she had so many security guards who are these huge, massive like dudes, and they're you know, they I guess they're all from like Nashville, so they are all like we're in their boots and their hats and they're just like really massive, and I'm like, where is Dolly.

1:41:15 She's probably like. This big you know, around them. But I just remember walking and being like, oh my gosh, this is kind of intimidating, and then seeing Dolly. She just is such like just a firecracker. She's so sweet, so cute, and I remember completely being starstruck. I had I was speechless, and I'm so glad that Kelly Ard director started talking, because she's she's an incredible speaker, like can just very well spoken, and I'm just so glad that she did the first move because she was talking and I was like, I've got to form sentences, like I've got to be able to make sure i can speak, like I cannot be embarrassing at this moment. But I remember looking at the producer because he was in the back, and I was like, gosh, like I was not expecting to meet Dolly.

1:42:05 All I was expecting was just to drop off the arrangement because I'm like, of course they're they have her hidden in like my job. Yeah, Like I'm just walking to boom and then leaving, but no, like she comes in and I just it was like, take him back. I was like, I cannot believe this. It was like almost like an out of body experience. I was like, I don't I don't think I'm actually seeing Dolly in front of me. I was like, please, someone pinch me. It was funny seeing Kelly fangirl because always Kelly is so yeah, yeah, she's very collected, very well spoken, yet like here's Kelly just get fangirling over Dolly partoner. It was kind of interesting to see. It was. It was special to see because the first time I met Kelly, I was the same thing. I was like, oh my gosh, that's that's Kelly finglass, like that's crazy and kind of seeing the roles a little bit kind of not switched. But she was just as taken back too.

1:42:57 Was was really cool because Dolly is just so iconic, like, oh my gosh, who She's literally the best, most incredible female country artists ever and and she will go like down in the history books as that and forever will be and so it was just such an honor to be able to meet her. What a cool opportunity. Speaking of more on Kelly, I feel like because they're the audience for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader docuseries is so much broader that, like you even said, it's global, like it was like number one, you said in Australia, things like that, So many more eyes are on it than are typically would have any idea of like what's going on the dance world, especially like the NFL cheerleading side of things. So there's been criticism about how the coaches like coach essentially, and I guess, like, how would how do you view it? Like do you think it is a little too harsh at times? Do you think that maybe sometimes they need to lighten up their approach.

1:43:58 It's interesting that you say that because I remember going to LA for kind of like press interviews before the docu series was out, and Kelly kind of got asked that question in an interview and she was like, you know, it was very eye opening to see kind of everything. So I didn't even think of that. They're just seeing your response like yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. I mean she is kind of talking about I mean, Kelsey's a nurse and you know, I was planning a wedding and there's just so much more that you see that it's going on behind the scenes in the sense like an a kay I know, the world kind of got introduced to her and her sister and seeing kind of their sweet bond and you know, and in Victoria too, like her mom being a legacy, Like there's just so much more that goes on behind closed doors that was revealed to everyone, including Kelly and Judy.

1:44:57 And so Kelly kind of mentioned that she was like, it just was a different approach now and I and she said even as like a coach, like taking this new approach is is just it's refreshing and it's new because she never seen that. And but to answer your question, I do think that being a part of something that is so iconic, so prestigious, and you know, Kelly and Judy, do you know, demand excellence With that comes a lot of responsibility and comes with a lot of practices, sometimes some things actually not sometimes a lot of thick skin. And in order to be you know, the greatest of all time, you're gonna have to sacrifice and do a lot.

1:45:42 And so I think that that's just something that I've always remembered that sometimes decisions and things that they say you know, they also have a job, and so I've I've got to I always have to find myself of just respecting a decision, whether it's you know, what I think is the right one or the wrong one. At the end of the day, they also, you know, have pressure on them as well. So I think that's something that we always try to remember, is like some things we cannot have control over or you know, handle, But Kelly and Judy are the ones too that have a lot of pressure that they've got to make sure that excellence is the bar is never being kind of teetered.

1:46:23 Is there a minimum height now? Because I noticed when Ari got cut that was something that was discussed on the documentary. Oh should we make it a rule that you have to be a certain height to be on the team? Did they ever make that a rule? I don't believe so, And I you know those that was one of those decisions that I was you just kind of had to take a deep breath and keep moving forward because I love Ari and she's so talented. And shout out to Ari because she is now a Miami Dolphins cheerleader, which is incredible and we're just extremely proud of her. She's thriving, but it you know, that's one of those decisions that's like you don't have a say and so whatever happens kind of happens. But I don't know if there's a height requirement. Now that's a good question. I want to look into that for sure.

1:47:17 Watching that part of this, I was like, wait a minute, and we can haul. Right, and I think, what what's you know? I could be completely wrong, but I do think we have a good amount of shorties on our team too, and so me including myself, And one thing that like in the kick line, we it goes from middle the tallest to shortest, tallest to shortest, and I think it was just more on the fact of like maybe those spots were already filled or you know we need someone like taller kind of sense. But yeah, those are those decisions that just don't make sense but happen and we just have to respect it and kind of move forward. But that's where that emotional toll hits, cause you're like you just build connections and growth and it's like already had no control over that, and those are hard, Those are hard to witness and walk through.

1:48:19 But what has it been like seeing yourself become famous. How is your family reacting to that? Yeah, I think my family is so just amazed at because they're like, you know, we never thought that. You know, They've always been so supportive and have always had, you know, high hopes and everything. But this would have shocked us. If you were told like, hey, this is gonna happen Teresa's life, we'd be like, oh what. And so my mom and dad are just like, you know, this is this is just such a cool, such a cool thing, like just enjoy it. And they've always been so supportive and encouraging and helpful. Obviously this is something that we've never navigated before, so it's new to them and it's it's just definitely it's a learning process, I think for all of us, even my my friends, like my close my close inner circle too. It's it's something that's not normal, and so I'm trying to just handle it with as much grace but also grace for myself because I don't really know what I'm doing, but I have to remember my why and my why was. I want to make the kingdom bigger one, but to I want to pursue and do everything wholeheartedly to the best of my ability and now on top of this new world I've entered, I want to do the same and that that why has never changed.

1:49:48 So, which one of your friends or family members is the one updating you on your followers going up? Oh my gosh, so many of them, so many of them. It's many. A lot of my roommates from college are doing it. But we have a really close family friend there. We just call them family because they are, but it's a just a you know, a mom, a dad, two girls, like we're all just super close with and they're the ones that are constantly like looking at my social media account and they're helping me too, in the sense of like, hey, there's a comment that you might want to take down or like oh something like that, and I'm like thankful for it because sometimes I just don't see those things.

1:50:29 But too, I've got a lot of friends. I honestly can't just pick one. They're like, did you know that your account like followers went up this many and this much. I'm like, I don't have time to look at that, but I'm glad that you too. That's so funny. It was funny because yeah, people people watching this probably are like, what are they talking about. But like my even my caudroommates wouldn't watch their videos. But they actually made fun of me when I first heard doing YouTube five years ago. But they were like, wait, dude, you just hit ah, you hit one hundred thousand what And then it was like, dude, you hit a million, So like I wouldn't even check, but they were the ones keeping us for it.

1:51:10 So I think that's so funny. That's your roommates, right. I'm sure that there's probably more two that are looking but aren't gonna tell until later or something. But I think Will's friends too are seeing it because well, it's from a really small town in Alabama, and we're just amazed that this is happening. And I think Will is extremely amazed that this is all going on as well. But his friends are like, dude, you just hit ten k, like that's huge, And I'm like, I know. When did that happen? When did you pass ten thousand followers? Oh my goodness, I Will Will, Oh, Will, Will actually just hit ten k, let's go. Two days ago. He sent me a screenshot, but I know his friends were probably all freaking out. I'm like, oh my gosh, like, dude, you're so cool.

1:51:53 I don't well, I need to go follow Will after this. Yes you do, he. Would be so honored. Oh my gosh, that's it's so funny. It has just been such a fast train and there's like no sign of slowing down. Such a blessing, but so crazy how everything has happened kind of like overnight. Honestly, hey, real quick, I don't want to take much of your time. I just wanted to thank you guys for being here. It seriously means the world to us. I don't know if you can tell. In this episode, Abby and I are half asleep because we slept three hours the night before and we'll coop at like five o'clock in the morning to fly to Dallas and film two podcasts. So we really appreciate you being here. We put a lot of work into these podcast episodes, and if you wouldn't mind hitting subscribe or sharing this podcast with a friend or someone that you think would enjoy it, that would really mean the world to us.

1:52:43 But only do that if you, like, truly enjoy the episode, because we just want to make sure that you love this episode as much as we do. Yeah, again, this is just a dream. We feel so thankful, so blessed we get to do this, and we're so happy that you're here with us along the journey. So thank you so much. We really love and appreciate every single one of you. Now let's get back to the episode. I'm so curious is there going to be a season two? I think we're all very hopeful for it, and I think like that would be super cool, so because it's done so well already, but we have no idea if there will be. I honestly don't even know if Netflix does that as well, So we kind of just we don't know. We're kind of in limbo.

1:53:26 We're just like, well, I think we're all hoping for season two. Yeah for Netflix. I hear this. I think if Netflix was smart, they're listening, Netflix. Make a freaking season two. Okay. I feel like it has. Just it's inspired so many people. It's crazy how relatable it is too. As someone that grew up doing dance, like yeah, Abby, Abby felt like I know that she's felt what you guys went through. Absolutely, Like Okay, not actually right, because like you're freaking auditioning for the Dallas Cowie cheer leaders. But anybody that's been a part of like competition dance or dance at all. Yeah, I probably relate in some way to what you guys sell. Yeah, I was telling Mad I was like, I missed the thrill of performance because that is so fun. But ultimately it made me miss being a part of a team of girls like constantly so much. And so I think that is like me kind of in the next season of life, maybe two seasons on being a mom, and like I'm like, oh, I miss like always being around like like, while I love my babies, like being around other women, Like I miss that so much, and that that documentary like oh, but it was also such a warm feeling too, because I was like, that was such a special thing that I got to experience.

1:54:39 It's so special. I mean like this literally just popped in my brain. But anytime you're working towards the same goal with a group of people that you absolutely love and adore, it is one super special and no one can break that because no one knows until you're in it about how deep and strong your bond is with each other. But just for instance, like for a musical, when I did musical, is like obviously you've got like you're doing kind of like sets where you're you're blocking out, like oh, where you're gonna enter or where you're gonna exit, or like quick change, like oh I got your quick change, like I can help you. Like all those things like tie into each other, and it's like that's so that's such a bond and such a team aspect. Same thing with us is like you know, I giggle at this because when we do this thing in the kick line where we put our leg up and we do like this like ripple effect, and I don't know why this is so random. But one of the girls I'm next to right now where the exact same height but completely different bodies, like my legs are so short and my torso is so long, where her legs are so long and her or tourist so is short. But when I put my leg up on her, I have to like put extra effort because she's a lot taller in the sense of like your hips are, our hips are, and so it's just little tweaks in the sense of like

1:56:10 oh I got you, I'm gonna do this for you, or I'm going to do this, Like those are so special and they all kind of add up where I don't know, like do you see what I'm saying where it's like if you're doing like I don't know, I've never cheered before, even though people think like a cheerleader we do stunts. We don't do stunts, we're dancers. But if you're doing a stunt, if you're a cheerleader, like if there's a base and you need a little extra tweak, like I'm sure there's some chemistry bond where you're like, hey, I need a little bit more help in this way or this way, like I don't know, you just build such strong support and just get deeper on like such a sweet level as a team. So like one unit, yeah, multiple parts, Yeah, I love it.

1:56:52 I didn't even think about that. So, yeah, you guys don't do stunts. You don't do. Backflips or I don't know how to do that. Hold up, Okay, why why is it then that that's like high school cheerleaders and then that's literally so far off from what you guys do you know. I honestly don't know, because there are some NFL programs that do have cheer they are and it's more of a newer thing actually, and I think it's really cool that they're incorporating both because an NFL cheerleader you would think, like that term cheerleader, you're thinking stunts and backflips and tricks and stuff. But essentially we're dancers. Like some of us have never cheered before in our lives.

1:57:35 That was like my high school dance team. Yeah we had pom poms, but we dance. But you had both though, like a lot of high schools have the cheer team and the pom pom squad or whatever. I think the term cheerleader is if you have poms in your hands, you're essentially a cheerleader, whereas cheer and dance are two different sports. Whereas cheerleading, you know, just kind of I guess comparing this to going to Alabama, we had a co ed team and an all girl team and they're they're beasts. They are so amazing every single time they go to nationals. The all girl team like has won multiple national championships, so as our co ed team or has been in the top three, like super competitive. But that is the cheer pro like that is that is being a cheerleader. Yes, they have palms in their hands, but so does the dance team. And but we're dancers. So I don't know. It's it's very interesting how like that term has just kind of been broadly used in yeah, if you have palms, hey, guess what, you're a cheerleader. But so many people ask us all the time, like what level are your stunts and stuff?

1:58:38 And I'm like, hey, sweet girl, I actually don't know how to do a stunt, and like I don't even know like what some cheer terms mean. I'm I'm just a dancer, you know. Yeah, are you still in shock? Like is this do you feel like imposter syndrome? I'm in shock that I'm doing this podcast right now. I'm on a scout. Y'all are literally sitting on my couch in my apartment right now. And I'm for years because like you should have heard the like Abby was cheering, and she was. Like responded, let's go to my God, I call my friends, I called my sister in law. No, no, no, it is so mutual. But I just remember telling Will and I'm like, I'm freaking out, like I genuinely don't even know if I can do this.

1:59:18 I'm just so giddy and so honored and so just appreciative that you guys thought of me. Oh, our story. Thank you, Oh my goodness, thank yeah, thank you for coming on. I hope that we were able to like fully represent like what what your. Experience has been. And we're just we're so excited for you, and we also like we just want to see you grow, like we just want to We just want to see you continue. To crush it. And I'll be honest, I did not realize coming into this that literally everything that's happened has been just in the past month, Like that is crazy, and that makes me even more excited for you and will because your life is like just starting to change and it's going to continue to change, and you're in a really exciting season of marriage too. So we're just so happy for you, guys, and not the best for you.

2:00:05 Yeah. I think something Kelly said on the show, or you know it was Kelly. I think she was like, does that girl ever cry? And it's so true because it's just like you emulate joy, Like you just around you feel more joyful and optimistic and so like so sweet. That's something I love about you, and I feel like our viewers can probably just like feel that through your phone, just like your energy is just things soul, joyful, and like Matt said, I also feel very excited for like what's in your future? Thank you fun fact before we before we wrap up. But as we were watching that scene, Will was watching it with me and he was like, if only they knew, because obviously sometimes like oh gosh, Will and my mom and my dad, like anytime I just have to be extremely vulnerable or I'm upset about something or frustrated, like you kind of take it out on your loved ones, and fortunately because they love you like unconditionally, and so there have been many times where either I'm stressed or I'm overwhelmed, or I'm like sad or frustrated, and like I'll just like let it all out and I'm like just tears flowing. And Will was like, wow, if only they knew. She does cry, like she is human and she does get sad and all the things. But I thought that was so funny. He was like laughing out loud.

2:01:29 He was like, did you. Cry off camera during the whole filming process? Yeah, I definitely. I just think that, you know, I didn't really know what to expect, Like there was a lot of anxiety too that was kind of led throughout the year with just so much happening, like just graduated, just got engaged, I'm planning a wedding, Rookie season, so many moving parts, and then we're filming a Netflix show like what, And so there's just a lot of natural, normal anxiety that just kind of built up throughout the year. And yeah, I would, I would definitely kind of sometimes I would go to practice, I would come back and just not that I was ever upset or sad about something, but I just needed to like let it out, like and I didn't really know how to do that unless I just kind of, unfortunately just kind of cried it out.

2:02:20 But that's just human of me. You know. I love your cry as. Will as well as is that like the person you go and cry to when you need to. Okay, oh yeah. There's times where I'm like I don't even know what to say and I don't even know why I'm crying, but I'm just gonna cry and he's like, okay, okay, all right, well you just let me know. Like and there's times where I'm like, no, I need you to say this, or he says something. I'm like that's not what you need to do, and he's like, you just let me know when you're ready to talk, and I'm like, okay, but I need to. Cry for. That's that's so relatable. I feel like that's away you can attest. I'm like just I'm like, this is what I need to hear right now.

2:03:00 And I was like, God, can't you come up with the right words on your own? Okay? Random, I have ADHD, So this is why I just thought of this. But what happens if you get pregnant while you're on the Dallas Cowboys cheeriad? Can you still dance? I don't think he didn't cake pregnant. Too sure if that's something that we've really thought about, because I think like that's just kind of an unspoken. Like, don't get pregnant? Yeah, okay, yeah, how does that affect you guys with planning a family? I'm assuming that's probably first as I'm not like, this is. Oh yeah, that's then. Yeah pretty much. So really, I'm so grateful for Will obviously sacrifice so much for my dream. And I think that's pretty clear too. Like on the docu series, I know like he touched on that briefly, but I think.

2:03:47 Oh, it was so sweet he said his dream was you. Oh, and I had no idea that he had said that, Like he never told me that that, you know, when they interviewed him that he had said that. So when I saw it for the first time, I was like, my gosh, gee, why to just you know. But anyways, so I think that's just kind of an unspoken thing that we just like I don't really talk about, but like we know, like that just can't happen because obviously, like it's the uniform is a little revealing. My belly button does not look like it can be in a Dallas cow. The fun fact though, there was a DCC at one point that did have a daughter. She was such a go getter and she could like was a killer. Like I was like, wow, go mom, Like that's such a I want to aspire to, you know, be like that.

2:04:40 But that's awesome. Yeah, she she broke boundaries and set like or broke expectations. Like it's just really cool to see her kind of conquer I guess like a stereotype that sure you kind of have over that topic. Yeah, but yeah. Because you can definitely dance. You can dance while you're preg it, right, Like that's not like you can. Work out the way your kicks could be high your okay, maybe that would be really hard. Yeah, I don't think you'd have a physical ability. Let's do the math. Would it be possible to be pregnant while you're still dancing and then like have the baby during the off season then come back for the next season. Would it be possible? Possible?

2:05:21 Do you see their show? That's true? Did you see me go through postpart You. Need a whole year, but you could probably take a year off. I'm guessing you could. Hate you could, but your belly button maybe not. I will say a lot of the the girls who have retired are now becoming pregnant, which is super fun and super exciting to see that they're starting their families. But I think that's just something that like Will and I have had that conversation of like, you know, we're we are not ready to be parents because we have a lot to figure out already. Obviously after a whole month, I could not even picture us being parents right now because we have a lot of stuff that we're just like trying to jug. But I we've kind of like dreamt about what life would look like post DCC and like family and stuff like that, but as of right now, like I want to pursue this, and like if the Lord's tugging on her hearts to move and close this chapter and journey, then you know, we'll listen. But as of right now, like we're here, this is it, this is it.

2:06:22 How many kids do you and Will want to have? Ooh, good question. I think three or four. But Will and I have also talked about, like Lord willing if I know. Unfortunately there's like complications and other things like we can't really plan like what that's gonna look like, like if I can become bringing or if I can or et cetera. But we would also love to adopt. I have a cousin who's adopted from Ethiopia, and she is just the most beautiful person in the whole world. But it's been really special to kind of have someone adopted in our family and I don't know, it's just so beautiful and so we've talked about that, and yeah, so maybe three four. But I would love to be a boy mama, but also girl mama, Like I don't know, just whatever the.

2:07:11 Best the best. It's a lot of fun to have boys. Why boys? Is that because you had older brothers. Older brothers. I would love to have like two older brothers and then a girl, because that's exactly like what I grew up with, and I think it's it was so special to have just two older brothers who always looked after you. But also they were a lot older than me, So it'd be cool to have kind of a best bud or like a friend, whether it's a boy or a girl, to have them a little bit closer in age. But yeah, I would say to two boys and a girl. But if the Lord blesses us with all girls, then great. If he blesses us with all boys, great, Like we just want a fun, big family.

2:07:54 Is will also like with the same opinion on hey, three to four Yes. So yes. He he actually told me the other day, which is so sweet. It like makes me cry every time. But he's like, gosh, I just can't wait to be a dad like he He's just gonna be the best dad. We're gonna have such a crazy, fun, chaotic household and I cannot wait for that one day. But he would love to coach like the boys, or he would love to he had a sister, so he participated in all of the dance performances and all of that. So I think I think he would be a great girl dad or a great boy dad. It has been a pleasure on the show. If you guys haven't already followed Reece on Instagram, go do that.

2:08:34 Where else can people find you? So I am on TikTok Okay, I'm trying to become like really cool and gen z even though I'm not in the gen z like generation, I just you know, find me on TikTok. We're doing our best, but it's very good, real organic, and we're just trying go awesome. See I am on TikTok, but my panhandles are the same there the same on Instagram. Oh awesome? Yeah, sweet? What does that exact handle? It's Reese underscore Christine with an extra E at the end after Christine. Well you heard it from Reese. So there you have it. I hope you enjoyed it. Check us out on Patreon, where we post not only commercial free early releases, but also bonus episodes, quarterly merchandise files that you can't get anywhere else. And I'll post that video version of Reese's interview that you heard today in case you're someone that likes to see the video versions and for exposed scandalous files of the elite. I'm your host, Jim Chapman, much love,