Milton Woman Makes New England Patriots Cheerleading Squad

By Natalie Ornell
The Patriot Ledger

Rebeka St. Fort, 26, of Milton works at a private hedge fund in the Back Bay, is pursuing her M.B.A. at Boston College, and has just landed a spot on the New England Patriots cheerleading squad.

Three hundred women recently auditioned for 28 spots. The finalists made it to a New England Patriots cheerleading boot camp.

“A lot of people tend to think we are just cheerleaders and that’s what we do with our lives. It’s the biggest misconception with such an impressive group of résumés,” she said. St. Fort said her varsity dance training at Fontbonne Academy in Milton where she was a competitive cheerleader in high school combined with her training at Cheer Dynamics in Marshfield helped her land the spot. “It’s a dream come true,” she said. St. Fort said the audition process was long and challenging. There was a full day of learning choreography, floor combinations, a dance segment round, a swimsuit round, and interview questions with a panel of ten judges, she said.

The Patriots cheerleader position is part time during the evenings so St. Fort will continue her job and her studies. “Many women on the team have full time jobs or are in grad school,” she said. As for getting to know the New England Patriots players, she said there’s a “zero fraternization policy.” “It’s a very professional organization. Keep it that way,” she said. “We don’t talk with the players. You can’t have relationships with the players,” she said, adding, “I do love the Patriots.” St. Fort’s favorite Patriots player is the retired Rodney Harrison.

“I’ve never experienced the scale of Gillette Stadium. It’s going to be an interesting experience. 70,000 fans, lights, and cameras,” she said.

St. Fort said the season opener is on Sept. 10 when she’ll make her debut.

She said cheerleaders can be on the team for a maximum of four seasons but they have to re-audition every year for the compensated position.

The team is made up of 11 rookies and 17 veteran cheerleaders. They rehearse twice a week and perform at all Patriots home games. Cheerleaders will travel to Punta Cana in June to shoot their swimsuit calendar.