Titans Cheerleader Ashley P grows from young gymnast to appearing on calendar covers and network TV

If you look purely at her entertainment resume, you will see the glitter of being a Tennessee Titans Cheerleader, adding swimsuit calendar cover girl of their current edition to her credits, and being selected to dance during a scene of the latest episode of ABC’s Nashville. But beyond this glitzy side of her life, the reality is that Titans Cheerleader Ashley P is an Atlanta area native with a personality, little voice, and engaging laugh that are all sweeter than a fresh Georgia peach followed by a gallon of super sweet tea. In fact, as Ashley awaited her make-up prior to a Titans home game, when asked if she liked receiving the full hair and make-up treatment, she replied, “I was just telling Stacie (Kinder, Titans Director of Cheerleading), I don’t wear make-up. It is okay, but in my routine, there is no make-up. Usually I like to wear sneakers. I am a big Jordan fanatic; I buy Jordan’s like a guy. So I am the total opposite.”

But Ashley does like the pre-game hair and make-up as she prepares to grace the Titans sidelines. “It is nice, I get to see what make-up can really do,” Ashley said, and about the hair and make-up staff continued, “I love it, they are so nice. They actually do what you want.”

Ashley shared with UltimateCheerleaders how her family’s love for another NFL team eventually brought her to the Titans sidelines, why you should not expect to see her in tears very often, and how the phrase “humble and blessed” perfectly reflects her view of life right onto her personality.

Ashley is from the Atlanta area, namely from Lithonia, from a close-knit family with a love of football, particularly, Atlanta Falcons football. In fact, Ashley was a Junior Falcons Cheerleader when she was seven and eight years old. “My family is all Falcons fans and they all have season tickets to the Falcons games,” Ashley explained. “Last year, we (Titans) played the Falcons, and I went instead of one of my uncles. I had all of my Titans stuff on, and they said, ‘You’re a traitor!’ And I said, ‘I’m in Nashville now, so you can’t get mad,’” laughed Ashley.

Football was a big part of her family’s life, but Ashley’s personal participation sport growing up was gymnastics, as she competed around the nation from age three to eighteen. Ashley’s didn’t confine her gymnastics to practice and competition. “Everywhere I went, I tumbled, whether it was in the house or the store,” Ashley recalls. “I could not get enough of it.” Is that still the case? Ashley answered, “I try to do a little of tumbling now but my body will only let me do so much!”

Asked about her favorite and least favorite gymnastics events, “I won vault nationally multiple times, that was my favorite,” Ashley says. “It was nerve-wracking, but it was what I scored the best on. And my least favorite was the bars. I don’t like my hands being all nasty and callous-y,” laughed Ashley. Ashley’s gymnastics training did provide some good experiences for her future NFL career, including taking classes in ballet.

But to see Ashley in person, she seems tall for a gymnast. But that was a recent development. “I was 4’11 when I went to college,” Ashley recalled. “And I grew from 4’11” to 5’6” in two years. I would come home from college, and my mom would say, ‘You keep growing!’ I am taller than her now.”

Ashley is now a senior at Tennessee State majoring in Early Childhood Education, with a goal of being a counselor or teacher, anything in the education system. Is there someone who inspired Ashley in her own life in the school system? “Yes, my high school SAT prep teacher was a very positive influence in my high school years,” replied Ashley. “She stayed on me so much, and the love she had for me made me want to be a teacher and go to college. She told me every day I was going to college!”

When Ashley went to Tennessee State, it was time for her to return football to her life, and this brought her closer to her NFL destiny. “I grew up on football,” Ashley explained. “My daddy’s cousin played for Georgia and he went to the St. Louis Rams. Football was always part of my life. For Tennessee State, I actually did three years of college cheerleading. And we cheered here (the Titans’ LP Field), we share the stadium, so I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, this is SO cool; I am in an NFL stadium!’”

Ashley’s decision to try-out for the Titans Cheerleaders the first time was a bit spur of the moment. “Oh yeah, an NFL football team, maybe I should try out,” as Ashley described her thought process. “So I just looked it up, and I knew some alumni, and I asked them. It was last minute.”

But the realities of going from college to pro in any endeavor requires some life lessons along the way. “The first year, I didn’t make it, because I did not understand, this is totally different,” Ashley recalled about the transition from college cheer to the highly competitive try-outs of an NFL dance team.

But Ashley was back the next year for try-outs, and this time, was fully prepared. Ashley’s thoughts were, “I didn’t make it, but I am just going to take what Stacie told me, and I am going to do it and try again. And I made it! I cried, and I don’t cry. (laughs) I don’t. I am one of the few females that does not cry. I cried, it was awesome!”

Now in her second season with the Titans Cheerleaders, was it an easy decision for Ashley to try-out again? “Yes!,” Ashley explained. “These are my friends, and you see each other in the off season and I thought, ‘I am ready for football! Yeah, I am trying out.’”

Why is trying out as a veteran so difficult compared to rookie try-outs? “It is because you always have that thought in your mind,” Ashley responded. “Am I going to make it or am I not going to make it? It is SO nerve wracking, because there are other girls that try out, and they are good! I needed to make sure Stacie knew I was still on top of the game.”

So did Ashley cry when she made it for Titans Cheerleader season two? “No, I was relieved,” answered Ashley. “Now we have to do it again, and I am going to do it right.”

And doing it right is right! Ashley kicked off the season finding out that she is one of four Titans Cheerleaders on the cover of the 2012-2013 calendar. Was finding out that she was a cover girl exciting for Ashley? “Yes it was, exciting and very surprising,” Ashley answered. Why surprising? “Because I didn’t know, you never know until Stacie shows us on the big screen,” replied Ashley. “And then you are like,’ OH MY GOSH! That’s me!’ So it was very exciting, I am very blessed to be on there.”

Ashley continued, “Yes, I cried then too! That’s another time I cried.”

Ashley had multiple photo shoots in Florida for the calendar. “I did two different times, both were on the beach,” Ashley described. “One of them was on the beach in front of the water, that’s the one that made the calendar, and I did another one in front of the sand dunes. So that was really cool.”

What does Ashley think about the calendar shoot part of being a Titans Cheerleader? “It’s something to get used to but I really like it,” Ashley shared. “It’s hard, now I have a better respect for supermodels!”

Ashley’s reaction when she finally saw the full calendar was, “This is awesome! Hard work pays off.” Does Ashley like seeing the full disk of shots that the Cheerleaders receive after calendar release? “Yes I do,” laughed Ashley, as she recounted her reactions to the photos. “’Oh, what was I thinking?! Oh, I am glad you did not pick that!’ Or it is like, ‘Oh, that is cool, that looks pretty.’” I had one from last year, I looked totally different. It was like I looked older. Because people still ask me, ‘Are you in high school?’ I am well past that, I am old. It doesn’t bother me. Some people tell me, ‘Well, when you are 50 you will look 25.’”

Well, certainly Ashley’s look caught the eye of the ABC show Nashville, as she was recently cast to dance in the most recent episode, titled, “You’re Gonna Change (Or I’m Gonna Leave).” Asked how this opportunity came about, Ashley responded, “Well, Stacie sent the team an email that we had the opportunity to be in the show as go-go dancers. I just responded to the email with a description of myself and a picture, and they called me the same day to do it. I was an extra in a Miami scene. It was a very long day, mostly waiting. Waiting, and then shooting the scene took about two hours. It was a great experience, though. I’ve never done a TV show before.”

Could Ashley have imagined 18 months ago that her life would include being an NFL cheerleader, on their swimsuit calendar cover, and being part of a network television show? “Wow, a year and a half ago I could not honestly tell you that being a Tennessee Titans cheerleader, and on the cover, and on a TV show was in my future,” Ashley reflected. “It was always a dream. I know I had a lot of maturing to do. But without the help of Stacie, I know I would not be at the point I am now. I’m very humble and blessed to be here! Words can’t describe.”

Next month Ashley will have another big day, her birthday, on December 25th. Regarding having her birthday on Christmas, Ashley said, “I do like having my birthday on Christmas, being that I get to share it with Jesus! My mother always told me I am so special to share it with him.”

No doubt, as Ashley has shown that she is incredibly special in so many ways. Not only did she grow in stature before she became a Titans Cheerleader, but her family, classmates, faculty, Titans fans, and now, television viewers, can watch Ashley mature before their eyes into an educated and talented young woman. The next time that you see your local team’s junior cheerleaders, think of the dreams they must be living out, and that some, as Titans Cheerleader Ashley P has shown, may take their dreams to many spectacular directions. And if they can remain with an attitude of being humble and blessed like Ashley, then they really are a dream come true.

Thanks so much to Ashley for taking time out to participate in this interview! And, of course, a big thank you to Stacie Kinder, Titans Director of Cheerleading for all of her unbelievable help. And thanks to Ashley’s parents, Falcons fans that also 100% support Ashley and the Titans Cheerleaders, for pausing after the Titans-Patriots game for a photo. And there are more photos of Ashley P during the first regular season game at this link….