Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, Kelsi Reich
You might recall back in July 2010, I had the pleasure of interviewing a true gentleman, David Nelson of the Buffalo Bills. In Week 2, he caught a game winning touchdown with 14 seconds remaining against the Oakland Raiders to lift the Buffalo Bills to a 2-0 record for the first time since 2008. Through our interview, David mentioned how his girlfriend, Kelsi Reich, shared his evident desire to help others. Kelsi is also involved with the NFL, as she is a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. Together, they are such a cute couple and amazing role models of a faith-based relationship and lifestyle of giving back to others.
When did you know you wanted to be a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader (DCC)?
Growing up in Texas, my family raised me to watch and love the Cowboys, but never in a million years did I think to try out to be one of America’s Sweethearts. My mom owns a dance studio, so I was raised dancing and learned to love football at a young age. Both of my parents worked for football organizations so every Sunday, the Cowboys were on the TV. At the age of 17, I competed at Nationals, where I performed my solo. One of my judges, Shelly McCaslin, is a recruiter for the DCC and pulled me aside after awarding me first place. She told me I needed to try out, which put the thought in my head. Later in the conversation, she asked me how old I was, and I told her 17. She then informed me that once I turned 18, she would issue me a by-pass to try out for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. A by-pass means you can skip the first round of auditions, preliminaries, and go straight to semi-finals. Don’t forget, I was still in high school at this time and never thought I would actually make it. I wanted it so bad, but in the back of my mind, I was prepared to get cut since I felt like a baby with so many beautiful and talented women. I strongly believe God placed Shelly into my life and was all part of the plan He created for me. I auditioned during my last weeks of high school, and drove back and forth from Houston. I am very grateful and feel so blessed to have made the team my first attempt at such a young age!
What is your favorite part about being a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader?
This is hard to answer because I love so many things about being a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. Game days of course are absolutely amazing and exhilarating, but I also love interacting with children! My favorite appearance of the year are the hospital visits we take right before Christmas. My heart melts when I see the innocent little children stuck in the hospital during the holidays. Their smiles from hugging a Cowboys player or cheerleader light up the room and their courage inspires me more than they know!
Who or what inspires you?
My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ inspires me every day to be a woman of integrity, wisdom, and strength. I live by Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.” My days are not complete if I don’t start off with a devotional and prayer. I live every day to glorify Him in all that I do and strive to be the example God created me to be. My family and boyfriend, David, also inspire me to chase my dreams. They are my strongest support system and keep in motivated.
What is the biggest challenge you face?
The biggest challenge I face is standing up against non-believers or people who disagree with my Faith in the Lord. Many times through my career, atheists or other religions have argued with my beliefs, but I have to try and show them that God still loves them. I strongly believe that I could be the only person to plant that seed in their life, and one day they can find His unconditional grace and mercy. The Bible tells us, “do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord…” (2 Timothy 1:8). It breaks my heart to see people live depressed lives; I love putting a smile one’s face and shed God’s light in their darkness.
What charities are you currently involved with?
I currently am not affiliated with specific charities, but I volunteer at my church during the week with an after school program called CHAMPS. Recently, I have felt my heart tugging to start or run a foundation for underprivileged children that aspire to receive a great education and play sports. I love kids and want to help them reach their dreams like my parents helped me do growing up. When I am done with school and DCC, you will see me more involved in charities!
How do you plan to use your influence?
I plan on using my influence to try and give more than I receive. This is often a hard concept for us to grasp, but it a quote by Sir Winston Churchill puts it into perspective: “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.” God has blessed me so incredibly much, and I know that it is not for my own good or benefit. The Lord has given me a platform to share His love with everyone I come in contact with. He has blessed me with the man of my dreams, so we can become stronger together to witness and further God’s kingdom. My dreams of starting a foundation all tie into how I want to share my blessings with others.
How did you and David meet/how long have you been together?
David and I have known each other for almost 2 years and have “officially” been dating over a year and a half. We were connected through mutual friends, one of my old teammates of the DCC grew up with one of his old teammates that he played ball with at Florida. We initially started talking, not for the purpose of dating, but were friends with many things in common. We had no idea where our conversations would take us, but we ended up falling in love very fast. I’ve always heard “when you know…you know!” I thought that phrase was kind of a crazy concept…until I experienced that with David.
What do you think constitutes a good relationship?
In my eyes, a good relationship is based upon 1 Corinthians 13:4-8: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” I know David is the right one because I can replace ‘love’ with his name in each sentence. One thing that keeps our relationship alive is our goofiness. We love to laugh and be spontaneous. A great relationship should be fun and laid back. Life is short, so enjoy every moment with love, joy, and laughter!
What advice would you give to couples today?
The key to any successful relationship is not depending solely on each other, but depending on God first. Having a solid foundation upon the Lord will create stability. I have learned, when we seek God’s unconditional love, He will provide us with love to share with one another in relationships. There is no greater love than that of our Creator. Mine and David’s love comes from the Lord, and we continue to praise Him for giving us that blessing. We both maintain a strong relationship with the Him, which helps us keep a healthy relationship.
What is the key to any successful relationship?
Expectation leads to the root of all heartbreak. Never expect anything, then you will always be surprised and happy. Think deeply, every time we are heartbroken or upset in a relationship is because we expected something from our significant other. I try really hard not expect a lot and to appreciate everything David has done for me. He goes above and beyond to make sure I feel loved, and I can’t express in words how much that means to me. He knows that I need to feel loved all the time, and I know that he needs to feel respected all the time.
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Cute story, seem like a nice couple.