Former Stoneham High Student Joins New England Patriots Cheerleaders
By Christopher Hurley
The Stoneham Sun
The third time was the charm for Jen Grossi.
After narrowly missing out on her two previous attempts, the Stoneham resident and former Melrose Pop Warner Cheerleader was finally selected as one of the newest members of the New England Patriot Cheerleaders, March 17.
Grossi is one of the youngest members of the 29-woman squad. She joins 19 other rookies, chosen from a field of more than 300 hopefuls, who first began auditioning for the team back in February.
The Main Street resident will now spend her weekends on the sidelines in Foxborough, cheering on Tom Brady, Randy Moss and the rest of the New England Patriots in front of more than 68,000 screaming football fans at Gillette Stadium.
“Honestly, it’s amazing,” said Grossi, who was named to the team on her 21st birthday. “I’m still in shock about making the team. I can’t even believe it right now, but I love it.”
Grossi already got a chance to introduce herself to the Foxborough faithful during an exhibition game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Aug. 20. It was an experience that she won’t soon forget.
“At first I was really nervous,” said Grossi, who cheered on the Pats in a close 7-6 loss. “Right before we went out on the field I was shaking so much that I honestly wanted to turn around and run home, but once I got out on the field I felt like I’ve been doing it for so long. Everything kind of sank in and it was amazing.”
If anything, it only whetted her appetite for the Patriots regular season opener against the Buffalo Bills, on Monday Night Football, Sept. 14.
From Pop Warner to the NFL
A lifelong performer, Grossi studied dance for 12 years. She first picked up the pom-poms at the age of eight. Since her hometown didn’t have a Pop Warner Program, Grossi joined the Melrose Pop Warner Cheerleaders for two years. She headed back to Stoneham High where she cheered all four-years for the Spartans, serving as team captain her senior year.
Grossi’s local ties were firmly embedded in her hometown, working at the Boys & Girls Club in Stoneham for seven years.
After graduating in 2006, Grossi continued her education at Southern New Hampshire University, cheering for three more years and serving as team captain last season.
A three-year business major, Grossi felt trying out for the Pats was the next logical step in her career. But success didn’t come easily.
Grossi initially tried out for the Patriot Cheerleaders in 2007, but was among the first cut from the team. She returned the following year, making it all the way to the finals, before becoming one of the last girls cut from the squad.
“Luckily my third year I did it,” she said.
Once again, Grossi found herself competing against 300 other girls all vying for a spot on the team. The group was put through a rigorous 12-hour audition process on Day 1. This included a dancing segment, with each girl learning and performing choreography, high kicks and splits.
After making the initial cut, Grossi returned for the second round, competing in a swimsuit competition, taking part in a personal interview session and getting quizzed on football trivia.
By the third round, 55 women were selected to compete with the Patriots Cheerleader returning veterans in a two-week training camp, culminating with the final round of cuts on St. Patrick’s Day.
It was an all-to-familiar scenario for Grossi, who endured a similar wave of test the past two seasons, with one exception — she was one of the first girls selected for this year’s squad.
Are you ready for some football?
“I was completely shocked, because I didn’t make it last year and I went through the exact same thing,” Grossi said. “But I figured that if they had put me through to the finals for the second time, they were looking to see where I improved and how much progress I made. So I was really anxious, but excited too because I felt like they put me through it for a reason.
“I was one of the first names announced;” she added. “It was such a relief because I didn’t want to have to go though all that again.”
Her family was equally delighted with the news.
“I think my dad was more excited than I was,” said Grossi. “He’s been rooting for me since the very beginning. He’s my biggest fan. My whole family was happy for me. They’ve seen me go though it for three years.”
In April, Grossi traveled to Aruba with her team to shoot the New England Patriot’s Cheerleaders annual swimsuit calendar, spending 10 days in the tropical paradise. Not a bad gig, for someone who hasn’t ventured out of New England.
“I have never been out of the country,” she admitted. “I’ve never even been to another state before, so it was wonderful. It was such a great week. All the girls bonded. Going on the trip gave everyone a chance to get to know each other. It made the transition into the season so much smoother. It was really fun too.”
The rookie feels it’s only the beginning of what should be a very memorable campaign.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the Pats make it back to the Super Bowl again,” Grossi said. “I’m looking forward to an exciting year.”
