From Wildcat to TopCat: Dallas Woman Balances Job as a Carolina Panthers Cheerleader with Local Nursing Career

By Michael Barrett
Gaston Gazette

Back when Megan Hodge was just a teenage Wildcat attending North Gaston High School, she had never seen the Carolina Panthers play in person, and didn’t pay them much attention.

But as a fourth-year TopCat and a captain of the professional football team’s popular cheerleading and dance squad, she now has a prized position on the field for every home game at Bank of America Stadium.

“I mean, it’s amazing. It really is,” said Hodge, 25, who still lives in her hometown of Dallas. “When I tried out for the team in 2003, it was my first time in the stadium. Now I’m a diehard football fan.”

Hodge might get the most attention when she’s rallying supporters from the sidelines. But as a registered nurse who is still pursuing higher education, her life is about more than just pompoms and eye-catching outfits.

Being a TopCat means giving up a lot of free hours she might have otherwise. But she’s found it’s worth it.

“It is a big time commitment,” she said. “But it’s one of those things where whatever you put into it is what you get back.”

Working girl

Hodge’s work ethic can be traced to her days in high school. At 16, she began waitressing Friday and Saturday nights at Riverside Fish House for longtime owners Jeff and Emily Comer.

Emily Comer, whose husband is Hodge’s mother’s first cousin, said the new employee made her presence known immediately.

“She was really sweet to people,” she said. “And she has always had a savvy where she could relate to about everybody. Whether it’s the average man off the street, the top administrator at the hospital or the mayor.”

Hodge’s personality comes not from her good looks, but from her heart, Comer said.

“The most amazing thing is she’s so humble,” she said. “If you met her in the general public, she’d be just another girl. She’s beautiful inside and out.”

Hodge was still a senior at North Gaston when her father died unexpectedly, but she graduated on time in 2003 and continued working extended hours at the restaurant while attending UNC Charlotte. Her older brother, who is now 28, was a student at N.C. State at the time.

“I didn’t want to ask my mom for money and wanted to help pay for school,” she said.

Hodge has a couple of family members who are nurses, and that exposure to the medical field rubbed off on her. She graduated from nursing school in 2007 and began working for CaroMont Health at Gaston Memorial Hospital that same year.

She now works in the hospital’s intensive care unit, where registered nurses bathe, turn, medicate and sometimes feed their patients.

“It’s basically total patient care,” said Hodge. “I’m a bedside nurse, so I’m at the bedside all the time.”

She also works in the hospital’s diagnostic heart catheterization lab. And Hodge has applied for graduate school with the hope of becoming a nurse anesthetist, which would allow her to specialize in administering anesthesia before surgery.

“She never runs out of energy,” said Comer.

Dancing queen

Hodge had been involved with dancing in some capacity from the time she was 3 years old. She was on the North Gaston High School dance team, but when she got away from it in college, she missed it.

She first tried out for the TopCats in 2007. Out of more than 200 hopeful young women, only 25 would survive the final cut. Hodge was one of five rookies to make the team.

“You kind of doubt yourself when you get to final auditions and there are 50 or 60 girls left,” said Hodge. “Everybody’s beautiful, and they’re all great dancers and educated.”

Now four years in, she has the third longest tenure of anyone on the squad, which has members ranging in age from 21 to 33. She just finished her second year as a captain.

TopCats are selected based on their personalities, showmanship, dance skills and physical fitness, according to the Carolina Panthers website. Auditions are intense, and those who make the team represent a variety of professions, including business, finance, teaching and medicine.

“They want us to be well-rounded individuals, to be out in the community and setting a good example for young girls,” Hodge said.

One-of-a-kind experience

Being on the team is like being a part of another big family, Hodge said. The TopCats have their own locker rooms and on-site practice area.

“We’re in each other’s personal space, so we become like sisters,” she said. “Everybody gets along with everybody.”

On Sundays with a 1 p.m. home game kickoff, the TopCats arrive at the stadium at 7 a.m. for practice and a game day run-through. They break to eat and get dressed, then do appearances outside the stadium. By 12:15 p.m., they’re in the player entrance tunnel and ready for the main event.

They practice routines every Wednesday night, and each Saturday before home games.

Certain rules apply. The TopCats must adhere to codes of conduct, such as not fraternizing with Panthers players. A team member can perform for a maximum of 10 years. They’re paid, but most perform for the enjoyment, not the check, Hodge said.

Hodge said her most disappointing experience may have come when the Panthers lost a 2009 divisional playoff game to the Arizona Cardinals. Carolina seemed on pace for greatness that January.

“I was ready to go to the Super Bowl,” she said.

The two-win 2010 season has also been tough. But Hodge said the fans make them feel appreciated.

“When we go into the end zones to dance, fans cheer and support us even if we’re losing,” she said. “We keep each other’s spirits up.”

As much as she loves it, Hodge said she may have to give up the part-time cheerleading gig once she begins graduate school. But she could always return later. And for those who’ve watched her balance a career with school and a one-of-a-kind pastime, she’s made her mark.

“I’m extremely proud of her,” said Comer. “She has just become a wonderful young lady.

[Megan at Panthers.com]