- Joyce McNally tells PEOPLE completely about her journey to turning into an Atlanta Falcons cheerleader at age 30 after 9 NFL cheer squad tryouts.
- The Florida native breaks down the almost decade-long course of to realize her objective, together with the psychological toll it took on her and the way she stayed motivated regardless of rejection 12 months after 12 months.
- McNally shares inspiring recommendation for these eager about turning into an NFL cheerleader themselves, regardless of not having years of technical dance expertise.
Joyce McNally is proof that it is best to by no means surrender in your desires.
Earlier than in the end reaching her objective of turning into an NFL cheerleader, McNally had a protracted and arduous street.
Throughout her senior 12 months at Florida State College, the then-22-year-old cheerleading hopeful determined to skip over the faculty athlete stage and try to go professional regardless of not having the standard {qualifications} upon her first audition in 2011.
What she did possess, although, was unbreakable grit and dedication — to not point out, spirit — which had McNally standing robust all through 9 NFL cheer tryouts over the course of eight years, earlier than in the end making the Atlanta Falcons in 2019 at age 30.
In an unique interview with PEOPLE, McNally recollects her almost decade-long try at turning into an NFL cheerleader, together with what saved her going regardless of fixed rejection.
Courtesy Joyce McNally
“Perhaps I am a bit delulu and really cussed, however I used to be like, ‘I do know I could make this workforce. I do know,'” McNally, now 36 years previous, tells PEOPLE completely of her locked mindset all through her audition span.
When chatting with McNally, it is apparent how she ultimately cracked the code given her optimistic and upbeat character. Regardless of 9 NFL squad denials, she does not converse negatively about any of her rejections.
Slightly, McNally leaned on every rejection as expertise to form her. Plus, she used her character to her benefit on the time, a pivotal issue the Atlanta Falcons contemplate when constructing the squad.
Abilities apart, McNally notes character “is a very essential a part of being a cheerleader for the group” as a result of fan interplay and group involvement that comes with the duties of being an Atlanta Falcon.
“There’s extra to being placed on a workforce than that technical facet. That is how I received on the workforce, I believe,” she says. “I can converse in public. I am superb with the youngsters. I can speak to a wall if I have to. I can signify on media retailers. I can do all of that and I can mix and jam with my workforce.”
McNally provides, “So I believe that is what I actually leaned on throughout my time attempting to make the workforce.”
Courtesy Joyce McNally
Born and raised in St. Petersburg, she initally had sights set on turning into a cheerleader for Notre Dame College throughout her school years. “That was simply my dream,” she says, although notes she pushed that dream apart when she did not get accepted into the varsity.
Finally committing to Florida State, McNally — who had “conventional” cheer expertise, having grown up on the sidelines doing the stereotypical “rah rah” chants — was eager about pursuing FSU cheer as effectively, however “let that dream go” after studying superior tumbling was required.
Missing “triple toe contact” and “again tuck” skills herself, McNally nonetheless needed to be concerned in “a spirit group” in some capability, so she participated in FSU’s spirit group.
“Then after I graduated someday round December of my senior 12 months, I used to be like, ‘Nicely, what if I attempt to be an NFL cheerleader? They do not tumble. They only dance.’ And I used to be like, ‘I can determine that out!'” she recollects of her assured, youthful self.
And that she did upon her relocation to Atlanta after commencement, enrolling in a couple of prep courses earlier than auditioning for the Falcons for the primary time in spring 2011.
“I went, had no thought what I used to be doing, had taken a pair very primary Zumba model courses in Tallahassee and I had began to show myself some dance approach from YouTube, like a pirouette,” she recollects of her prep.
Of her first audition in 2011, McNally — to her shock — made it to the semi-final spherical, however was the second particular person reduce. “That was tremendous,” she says, noting she got here again the subsequent 12 months and made it to the semi-final spherical once more earlier than getting reduce a second time in 2012.
In 2013, McNally made it to finals. “Third time’s attraction,” she recollects of her mentality that 12 months after taking dance courses and studying the approach to extend her possibilities.
“In order that 12 months I received to finals, which was nice as a result of I received to see your complete course of all through… I believed I did one of the best I may and did not make it,” she says, remembering the ladies being actually technically educated that 12 months.
McNally skipped auditions in 2014 attributable to bodily problems however resumed her candidacy in 2015. “Didn’t make it to finals,” she says, admitting it “was a bit humbling since I had been to finals earlier than.”
Then 2016 rolled round. “I used to be like, ‘All proper, right here we go,'” she recollects, decided forward of her fifth tryout. “Did not make it to finals,” she says, although shortly notes she superior to finals in 2017 throughout her sixth try.
Whereas she remembers having a “nice audition” that point, McNally cites a scarcity of spots on the workforce that prevented her from securing one. “That they had a slew of veterans that 12 months,” she makes recognized.
Courtesy Joyce McNally
Although she referred to 2018 as her “fortunate” seventh try, as seven is her fortunate quantity, she by no means may have forseen what got here subsequent. “Had nice prelims, made it to finals,” she says, explaining that she had a couple of days earlier than her subsequent spherical.
Hungry after a day’s exhausting work, McNally went to refuel at a brand new restaurant joint (a switch-up from her standard go-to, Chipotle) — and alas, the unthinkable occurred. “Received devastating meals poisoning that night,” she says.
“I barely may apply as a result of I used to be dying all day,” McNally remembers of her remaining tryout, which she nonetheless attended to show she was “devoted” regardless of being sick. “I simply did not have audition. They only did not see me at my finest, so I did not make it,” she says.
As McNally reached her eighth 12 months attempting out for the Atlanta Falcons, her luck lastly started to show round. (Although she notes she additionally tried to tryout for the Atlanta Hawks basketball workforce in 2018 and the New York Jets in early 2019).
“That is the 12 months I made the workforce,” she joyfully confirms, although notes she nonetheless was “devastated” yearly she did not make the workforce.
“Deep down I all the time knew that my approach, my lack of technical background held be again. It isn’t my robust go well with,” she says. “As a lot as I apply it, I haven’t got a background in it, so it was simply all the time exhausting for me.”
Courtesy Joyce McNally
That is why McNally praises her Atlanta Falcons’ choreographer, who performed to her strengths and allowed her to dazzle on the sphere for six straight season after making the NFL cheer workforce in 2019.
“I believe what’s nice about my workforce is that my choreographer, who runs all of our dances and units the whole lot, actually acknowledges and acknowledges individuals’s strengths inside the dances that we do and places individuals in areas the place they’ll actually shine,” she says.
Now, McNally tells PEOPLE completely that she’s making the choice to retire from skilled cheerleading forward of the 2025-2026 NFL season.
“That is the primary time in 14 years that I have not needed to prep for auditions,” she says with fun, assuring that she can be “a really energetic alum” on the Atlanta Falcons in some regard regardless of her retirement.
Trying again, McNally does not view these rejections as failures, however merely timing.
“I’ve a bit tagline that I inform everybody. It is that, ‘Your desires are definitely worth the wait,'” she says with a smile. “The time goes to move anyhow for any objective and so why not hold attempting in case your coronary heart remains to be in it?”
When serious about her then 22-year-old self strolling into Falcons auditions for the primary time, her message is obvious.
McNally shares, “I’d inform her, ‘It is definitely worth the wait. It was completely definitely worth the wait.'”
