Ultimate Cheerleaders

Former Tech cheerleaders vault to the NFL

Alex Koma
Collegiate Times
June 19, 2012

The NFL may be full of new sights and sounds for former Hokies that make the jump to the league, but one aspect is becoming increasingly familiar: the cheerleaders.

In fact, five Virginia Tech alumni are currently on the cheerleading squad for the Baltimore Ravens after cheering for the Hokies. Jane B., Amanda D., Abby E., Dana F., who asked to have their last names withheld for privacy purposes, and Jim Schwille all have spent the past several seasons with the team.

Jane, Amanda, Abby, and Dana

“It’s such a huge rush to run out on the field for a game, and it’s really similar to big games at Tech,” Jane said. “It’s great to all be together and share the same alma mater.”

The Ravens represent a particularly unique situation, as they are the only co-ed squad in the league, and Schwille welcomes the opportunity to continue his cheerleading career.

Jim Schwille

“I get to watch whole games on the field, five feet from the guys making the plays,” Schwille said. “It’s a really incredible experience.”

Schwille has worked with the Ravens for four years now, in addition to his slightly less glamorous position as a lumber salesman for United Forest Products. He began his cheerleading career during his years at Virginia Tech, and even served with Virginia’s National Guard in Afghanistan after graduating.

“At Tech, I had a couple friends who were cheerleaders, but I was a cadet at the time,” he said. “Eventually, it came down to whether I wanted to sit in the stands for every game or be on the field with the girls.”

His career with the Ravens began in 2008, but he hardly planned this move to the NFL.

“Jane was going to try out for the Ravens and asked me to come along and help her,” Schwille said. “Once we got there, I realized that I had the ability to make the team, and we ended up both making the squad.”

Jane agrees that their tryout was indeed serendipitous.

“We were cheering partners at school, so I asked Jim for help practicing, and we both made the team on our first try,” she said. “It was amazing, considering that it takes most people three or four attempts to make it.”

Schwille does hail from Maryland, but the transition to supporting the team was still an unusual one.

“Most of my family was from Pittsburgh, so I wasn’t exactly attached to the team,” he said. “But the fans are so passionate, it’s hard not be invested, especially when, if the team goes to the Super Bowl, I get to go with them.”

The presence of men like Schwille on the team has made the squad especially distinctive in its style.

“The guys are really the muscle behind it all,” Jane said. “They really allow us to be so much more acrobatic.”

The men are also an important part of the team’s camaraderie.

“They certainly help bring down the estrogen level a bit,” Amanda said. “They all bring a fun attitude to it that stops things from getting too insanely competitive.”

All of the team members believe that their time at Tech was essential for preparing them for the rigors of the Ravens.

“My time on the team at school really prepared me to interact with fans at a high level,” Abby said. “We did a lot of promotional events, which helped me learn how to be an ambassador for the community.”

Squad members also stressed the impact of the Hokies’ coaching staff on their development.

“Rickey Hill (Tech’s head cheerleading coach) taught us what it means to be a professional,” Amanda said. “He made the whole experience feel very real, and showed us that it was a lot more intense than you might think.”

While cheering for the Ravens may be quite the commitment, all of the Hokies on the team have day jobs as well, and credit Tech for helping to prepare them for the challenge of juggling their responsibilities.

“I’m also working on my master’s at Johns Hopkins and teaching kids with disabilities right now, but the experience of being a college athlete really prepared me for all this,” Abby said. “I’m used to this lifestyle of being busy, and since I might not be able to cheer a couple years down the road, I want to do it all while I can.”

Schwille’s job is also demanding, as it requires him to drive roughly 5,000 miles each month to meet with clients, but he’s found a way to balance his commitments.

“It’s been pretty simple to schedule my sales calls around practice,” he said. “I get to talk to people and help them solve problems all day, so I really love everything I do.”

No matter their obligations off the field, the allure of the NFL stage keeps them all coming back for more.

“It’s just incredible, I get goose bumps running out of the tunnel every time,” Amanda said. “It’s just so great being out there and helping everyone get psyched up for the game.”

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