This is part one of a two-part series on what it takes to become an Atlanta Falcons cheerleader. The Atlanta Voice was allowed access to the workouts and some of the decision-making processes behind the big day, audition day.
The line outside of a season ticket holder entrance at Mercedes-Benz Stadium stretched back into the parking lot. It was Saturday morning, and the Atlanta Falcons season had been over for weeks and housemate Atlanta United’s season wasn’t scheduled to begin for another couple weeks. Atlanta was fresh from a cold front that brought snow twice in less than two weeks, so the morning temperature was below 30 degrees when just over 90 women made their way from their warm cars to the security line to sign in. Today was the first day of a journey for some, a rude awakening for others, and the end of the road for others. Still, it was the day of the Falcons cheerleaders’ prep class.
The prep classes are part of a series of choreographed workouts that give the participants a better idea of what it takes to become an Atlanta Falcons cheerleader. The classes, which take place in person like they did on Saturday, January 25, and virtually, also allow the Falcons Director of Cheerleading, Chato Hendrix, and the team’s choreographer, Jakene Ashford, to see the potential crop of new cheerleaders up close before the actual auditions take place in March.
Long before audition tapes have to be submitted on March 16, final auditions take place on Sunday, April 13, and Monday, April 14, and there are prep classes. “This is about continuing the legacy and finding the newest group of Falcons cheerleaders,” said Hendrix, who has been involved with the team since she became a Falcons cheerleader in 1998. She began her career as the team’s director in 2017. A graduate and former cheerleader at Florida A&M University, Hendrix, a high school counselor in her non-cheerleading life, Hendrix came to Atlanta to attend Clark Atlanta University for grad school before she took a gap year and decided to try cheerleading again. She’s been involved ever since.
She still remembers her first season in red and black. “I had the privilege of cheering in the Super Bowl,” she said. “And in 2018, I got to coach in it, so it was good seeing it from the other side.”
Hendrix described the job of a Falcons cheerleader as more than just what happens on game days. She said the cheerleaders have to not only perform but also help make an impact on the community as representatives of the Falcons brand.
“We’re always looking for professional individuals in their careers,” Hendrix said.
The team currently has a number of professionals and graduate students, including an anesthesiologist, veterinary assistant, owner of an IT company, real estate agent, medical sales assistant, and a fitness studio manager, who tried out for the team eight times before finally making the team.
“If you love to perform, if you love to dance, you just don’t stop dancing when you graduate from college and get a great job,” Hendrix said. “To be able to do both is amazing.”
Once a Falcons Cheerleader, Always a Falcons Cheerleader
When it was Joyce McNally’s turn to speak to the participants, she warned them that she might cry. McNally, the manager at BODY ROCK, a fitness studio in downtown Roswell, thought back to her first prep class. She also thought back to the times she was in their shoes. Time after time after time, trying out to be a Falcons cheerleader before getting the news that she didn’t make the squad. Eight times, to be exact. On Saturday, McNally was putting the finishing touches on her personal journey.
“She’s finishing her journey strong,” Hendrix said of McNally.
McNally, a petite strawberry blonde with bright eyes, recently finished her last season with the team and was retiring, but not without showing up to the first prep class of the offseason to encourage anyone else who had become a Falcons cheerleader on their list of goals for 2025 and beyond.
“Once a Falcons cheerleader, always a Falcons cheerleader,” said McNally with a smile. Asked how she feels about watching a room full of women take that initial step in becoming a Falcons cheerleader, McNally said she enjoyed being on the other side. “Just getting to see them work to reach their goal is exciting,” she said.
There would be several times McNally wiped tears from her eyes during the prep class. The road to running out of the tunnel at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sundays is moist with tears.
“My favorite part of this journey has been being able to pour into the rookies,” McNally said. There were plenty of potential rookies in the room watching her as she finished speaking and handed the microphone back to Hendrix. With McNally’s retirement, there’s a spot open on the team that needs to be filled. Last year, there were 36 cheerleaders on the squad. Hendrix said they want around the same number on the roster this year.
Something Greater Than Myself
137 women and a man ready themselves as Ashford and Hendrix explained what they were looking for during the first prep class. The big screen behind her, normally showing Falcons football highlights and Atlanta United in-game replays depending on the season taking place, was broken down into dozens of boxes of videos.
Think about what a Zoom meeting looks like, but this time, everyone is in leggings and athletic tops, and that’s how it looks. Ninety-four women and one man spread out across the room, while another 43 participants made themselves comfortable at home, in dance studios, and wherever they could find space. Ashford, the team choreographer, has been with the franchise for the past 24 years, having been a cheerleader herself before transitioning to the choreography side.
“I remember the amount of courage and vulnerability it took to step out of my box and follow my dream of being a part of something greater than myself,” Ashford, a former Tennessee Titans cheerleader before she joined the Falcons, said.
Participants in the first prep class, which is not mandatory, but felt like it is because not only is the coaching staff watching, but so are the veteran members of the team, who go through stretching exercises, drills, and routines. The returning cheerleaders led the drills on Saturday, some having just completed their rookie seasons while others were just done with their sixth, seventh, and eighth seasons as Falcons cheerleaders.
Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta Voice
During the class, women of all shapes, sizes, and dance backgrounds ran across the floor, leaped, rolled, and performed pirouettes to blaring music.
“This is what really prepares you for the audition,” Hendrix told The Atlanta Voice. “We always say that being a part of this program is the icing on the cake,” Hendrix said. “Who they are in their professional lives and as individuals make up who they are. Being an Atlanta Falcons cheerleader is that added flare.”
During the prep class, Ashford, whose first season as a Falcons cheerleader was in 2001, made her way around the room to observe the participants.
“I believe they can take away a sense of pride for investing in themselves to achieve a goal many only dream of, but never take the initiative to make it a reality,” Ashford said of the process. “It’s also an opportunity to know what areas they need to improve upon to feel fully prepared to audition.”
The one-hour class allowed several participants to stand out. A woman wearing the number 288 on her shorts looked to be getting the attention of the coaches during the class. Another participant in a neon green top did not seem to slow down from the start to the finish of the class. They all will have an opportunity to work on what they have learned during the next four prep classes, which will be held virtually on Feb. 1, Feb. 25, and March 15, when audition registration opens.
“In the audition process, everyone starts at ground zero,” Hendrix said. “I truly believe everything happens for a reason. There are a lot of life lessons on the journey of becoming an Atlanta Falcons cheerleader.”
“The audition process can be daunting with the amount of physical and mental preparation, but the excitement about the possibility of living your dreams makes it all worth it,” Ashford said.
