Her dad’s poster inspires two-time calendar cover model Kayla to be a Texans Cheerleader

Remember attending your first NFL game? The sonic volume of the cheers, the exploding pyrotechnics, the tingle that goes down your spine as the team runs onto the field? Well, imagine that during your first ever NFL game, you not only are ON the field, but only steps away from the players as they run onto the field, and that you are also performing as part as the entertainment. That is exactly how Kayla of the Houston Texans Cheerleaders experienced her first NFL game.

“I will NEVER forget my first time stepping onto the field,” recalls Kayla. “It was my first NFL game to ever go to. I had no idea what to expect. The best part is when they introduce the team and the whole stadium is cheering. The sound of how loud the cheering is from the field is completely overwhelming. It is one of the most exciting/emotional feelings. I think I speak for all the cheerleaders when I say you get this lump in your throat like you’re so excited that you could cry!”

Kayla is only 20 years of age yet already in her third season with the Texans Cheerleaders. A full-time student with the goal of being a teacher, Kayla shared with UltimateCheerleaders her journey to the HTC at age 18, how she ended up on a fun video that lead her to be interviewed on the NFL Network, and how her mom helped her find the dream dress for Kayla’s upcoming wedding. So how did Kayla end up among the select Houston Texans Cheerleaders at such a young age?

“I was only 18 when I made the team and I never expected to make it on my first go ‘round,” Kayla says. “My dad has always been a huge Texan fan so I remember sitting in his ‘man cave,’ out in our Texan themed garage, and looking at the poster of the cheerleaders. I just decided I could do that.”

“I started watching videos of the cheerleaders’ two-minute warning and other performances they had done,” Kayla remembers. “I just kept telling myself I could do it. I read everything that was posted on the website about how to prepare yourself, and I just bought an outfit and signed up for tryouts. I had no idea what to really expect when I walked in. I used one of my senior pictures as a headshot!”

“Needless to say,” Kayla continues, “when I walked through the doors and saw about a thousand girls in there, I realized how unprepared I really was. When I made it to the finals, I was thrilled. Making the team, I thought, was a long shot. I guess they saw something in me and I’m glad they did. Three years later here I am, two times on the cover of the calendar, and everything else I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of, I have been blessed to say the least.”

Cheerleading has always been a big part of Kayla’s life. “I have been a cheerleader for as long as I can remember,” Kayla shares. “I did competitive cheerleading growing up. I was on a team called Cheer Explosion, then I was on Spirit Elite. I cheered in junior high and then went on to cheer all four years in high school. After I graduated, I moved to Nacogdoches to attend Stephen F. Austin State University, but during Thanksgiving break, I decided I was going to be a Texans Cheerleader. I moved home Christmas break and started taking a couple dance classes at the Houston Met Dance center.”

So compared to trying out as a rookie, how has it been to try-out as a veteran? “Going into try-outs as a veteran, I had a better insight of what to expect, which was a little comforting but more stressful at the same time,” Kayla responds. “I will without a doubt in my mind say that it is harder to make it back as a veteran than it is to make it as a rookie. You are held at higher expectations and every girl in there is there to try and take your spot. Did you do your job the best you could the year before? It’s very easy to get replaced.”

Well, Kayla has been doing her job very well, as evidenced by being a third-year veteran. Asked about some of the aspects of being a Houston Texans Cheerleader that she did not expect, Kayla answers, “Something I didn’t expect was the calendar. I have had the opportunity to be in the calendar all three years that I’ve been on the team. I made the cover as a rookie. I shot for the cover my second year, and then I made it again this year! Definitely all unexpected.”

“Actually being on this team, I don’t expect anything,” continues Kayla. “Every girl on our team is beautiful and capable of doing the things that I’ve been given the opportunity to do. I guess one of the biggest things is to not take anything you’re given for granted. I’m happy for the things I’ve been given the chance to do.”

And one of the fun opportunities was to co-star in a parody video. The NFL’s Play 60 campaign featured a commercial with a boy on the playground giving Cam Newton the low down on how he was on his way to replacing Cam. So Kayla starred in the HTC version in which she discusses being a Texans Cheerleader with little Briana, who was initially sweet but eventually, quite ready to grab Kayla’s spot on the squad, and more.

Had Kayla acted much before this video? “Oh my goodness!” Kayla exclaims. “I have never acted in my life other than being in theatre arts in junior high! Brianna was amazing! She absolutely has a bright future ahead of her and I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw her in a movie one day.”

Then the video lead to Kayla being interviewed on the NFL Network. “Appearing on NFL Network was definitely a wonderful opportunity and another nerve wracking experience where you just don’t want to mess up!” Kayla says. Of course, Kayla never lost her footing during this either.

Kayla is not only a Texan Cheerleader, she is a native Texan through and through. Asked about her favorite childhood memories, “I was born in and raised in Highlands, Texas,” Kayla explains. “I still live there today. It’s a pretty small town and you can’t go anywhere without seeing someone that you know. Some of my favorite childhood memories would be going to the deer lease with my family. I used to play softball in my hometown, too; I played all-star softball pretty much every summer growing up and I have some great memories from that as well! In my neighborhood, all of the kids used to get together and play hide and go seek up and down the street.”

But Kayla’s best memories are still awaiting her on the horizon, as she is now engaged to be married. Asked about her upcoming wedding, Kayla answered, “Yes, I’m in engaged! I’m so happy! I found my venue only weeks after being engaged. I found a dress as well! It only took me one day to find my dress and it ended up being a dress that I had saved on my phone. I tried on a ton of dresses and I was just ready to give up when my mom begged me to try on this dress that she had found. FINE. I was ready to go. Thankfully I just tried it on and it is perfect! I love it and I can’t wait to walk down the aisle in it.”

Her engagement was also very well planned out, although Kayla was completely in the dark. “We had planned a trip to Vegas for my birthday over the summer,” Kayla explains. “I had no idea what he had planned though! He called ahead and we were supposed to be in front of the Bellagio hotel at a certain time, and they were going to be playing a love song and he was going to do it in front of the fountains. The thing is, that if we missed the song, then it would be playing Michael Jackson’s ‘Beat It.’ So we HAD to be there.”

So Kayla was a bit confused about her then-boyfriends rush to keep things moving. “I thought we were just going for dinner,” Kayla continues. “We were running late and I had no idea why in the world he was so stressed. We had a limo, so I went ahead and got in. Next thing I know he jumps in the limo and is asking me if I love him, and reallyyyy love him. He asked if I would make him the happiest man in the world and be his wife. He was down on one knee. Of course I said yes!”

“The best part was that my entire family was there,” Kayla says. “That’s one of my favorite things about him, he knows how important family is to me and he loves my family and they love him like their own.”

“He is one of the hardest working people that I know and strives to make me happy.” Kayla continues. “He can make me laugh like no one else can and I have this feeling of comfort around him like we’ve been best friends forever. He’s your typical man’s man; if it’s broke he fixes it himself. His work ethic is amazing!”

So Kayla, what advice do you have for the guys out there dating an NFL cheerleader in the sideline spotlight in front of tens of thousands? “My advice to a guy dating a pro cheerleader is to be confident,” Kayla replies. “You absolutely cannot be insecure and date a pro cheerleader. Ross is basically happy as long as I’m happy, and he has always said that. He is one of the most selfless people I know. He enjoys going to the Christmas party with all the cheerleaders, and he and a couple of the cheerleaders even have some inside jokes! He’s definitely the life of the party wherever he goes and comfortable in his own skin.”

Luckily for Texans fans, Kayla was comfortable enough in her own skin as an 18-year old to try-out for the Texans Cheerleaders. When Kayla wears the HTC uniform and sports the word “Texans” across the top, she is not only supporting her team, but she exemplifies the drive and passion of Texans for the combination of football, cheerleading, and family. Kayla was just a bit older than young Briana when her dad’s Texans memorabilia motivated her to have the drive to be a Texans Cheerleader, and now she is a big part of HTC history herself.

Thanks so much Kayla for taking time during this busy holiday season for spending time to share your story with UltimateCheerleaders and best of luck for all the excitement on the horizon in your life! Also, many many thanks to wonderful HTC Manager and Coach Alto Gary for all her assistance! Thanks also to Charles Hampton of the Texans, and more photos of Kayla are at this link.