Saintsation returns home to Acadiana

Stacey Judice
Special to The Daily Advertiser
January 8, 2011

For many in Louisiana, last year’s football season was “Saintsational.” Our home team won the Super Bowl, a dream come true for football fans in our state.

The team’s success resulted in even more new fans sporting their dazzling fleur de lis attire proudly.

One Acadiana woman got to do more than just sport around a little Saint’s dazzle.

Macie Borel Brown was born and raised in Breaux Bridge. She’s been dancing since she was 2. And since she was 8, she’s been carrying around the dream of becoming a Saints cheerleader.

That was the year she watched her sister dance as a Saintsation for the New Orleans Saints. “As I watched my sister, Keshia’s, face on that field, I felt her excitement from my seat in the Superdome,” Brown said.

Brown’s desire to dance as a NFL cheerleader never left her heart, but life presented some challenges. “In 2009, I was a student at UL-Lafayette and had just gotten married,” she said. “The thought of following through with my dream seemed impossible.”

But in April 2009, she was curious enough to do a quick Internet search. “I found out that tryouts for the Saintsations were going to be held in New Orleans the following month,” she said.

A NFL cheerleader normally trains day in and day out for an entire year before an audition for the team. Brown had only a month to prepare.

But she also had 23 years of experience as a dancer on her side.

“The whirlwind began in May of 2009 when the 35 women were chosen to represent the Saints on the sidelines,” Brown said. “I was the only one chosen on the cheerleading team to represent Acadiana. The excitement that I felt as a young girl was nothing compared to the adrenaline that spread week to week as the Saints journeyed to the ultimate win.”

Anyone who has ever attended a Saints game knows the noise level in the place is astronomical. Last year on the sidelines, Saintsation cheerleaders danced to a different tune.

“On some occasions, the fans excitement kept the music from being heard on the sidelines,” Brown said. “For the NFC Championship game against the Vikings, we performed to the beat of the crowd. At that game, there was never a moment that we heard a song.”