The Atlanta Falcons will have a number of new faces on the sidelines when the NFL returns to the field later this season.
Sure, the Falcons signed Steven Jackson and Osi Umenyiora, but today, it's the new cheerleaders that are making news.
The Falcons picked the 2013 Atlanta Falcons cheerleading team Wednesday night. More than 300 women began the audition process on Sunday. Thirty-six women made the team.
Hopefuls went through two series of cuts, an interview and had to learn two dance routines before Wednesday night's finals.
"There's so much more than what the average fan sees on the field," former Falcons cheerleader Natalie Dale told Nelson's News. "I think they see glitter, they see pom-poms, they see sequins, they see spandex, they see boots, but it goes a lot beyond that. It's a long process. There are a lot of dance cuts. It is a dancing job. But every Atlanta Falcons cheerleader has to be a role model in the community."
Dale noted cheerleaders spend about 85 percent of their time as a member of the team in the community making appearances.
All of the cheerleaders must either be students or have a job, too.
"We all have a passion about something different," cheerleader Brittiney Wall said. "My best friend of the team is Reena. She's a prosecutor for Fulton County. Christie is entering medical school in the fall, but right now she's a team leader for the (Centers for Disease Control). I work in investment banking. Everyone is just across-the-board a wow woman."
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