Before they wore the black and gold, three New Orleans

Before they wore the black and gold, three New Orleans Saintsations cheerleaders shook their pompoms in south Mississippi.
sweethearts of the
by kelli bozeman
photography by bert burr
The scene could have played out anywhere in the Magnolia
State—a faithful New Orleans Saints fan and father perched
in front of a television, screaming and cheering for his beloved team through the good seasons and the bad.
For a little girl named Chastity in Picayune, watching her
dad’s dedication every Sunday of the fall was enough to inspire a future vocation.
“My dad has always been
the biggest Saints fan as long
as I can remember, so it was
tradition to be part of that fan
club,” she recalls. “It was also a
passion and dream of mine to
be a professional cheerleader.”
Now, thanks to the team’s
2010 Super Bowl victory, the
flock of Saints fans numbers in
the millions, but Chastity and
two other Mississippi women
are also part of a much more
exclusive club—the 32-member cheerleading and dance
squad known as the Saintsations.
Each year, as many as
350 young ladies audition for
those coveted spots on the
team, says Saintsations director Lesslee Fitzmorris. The
multi-step tryout process is
rigorous: First, there are evaluations on dance technique
and new dance routines to
learn; then interviews with
business leaders and a test covering NFL facts; and, finally,
an intensive training camp.
For those who survive the audition process, being part of
the Saintsations is less a job than it is a calling. “Stepping out
on the field for the first time as reigning champs in 2010 was
the most amazing feeling and experience,” says Chastity.
The squad performs at all home games and practices
twice a week, and members make hundreds of public appearances in the Gulf Coast region and elsewhere—including visits to U.S. military bases abroad.
“Going to visit them, bringing Saints paraphernalia, performing for the troops, and
bringing some good ole American football is something we
love doing,” Fitzmorris says.
“It really does make a difference.”
When they’re not on the
field or meeting fans, most of
the young ladies are engaged
in other pursuits. “Our team
is comprised of young women
we feel are positive role models,” says Fitzmorris. “We
have several college students,
but the majority of them are
young professionals. All of
our girls are very bright and
upstanding women in their
communities.”
Fitzmorris says the Saintsations’ ties to Mississippi are
strong. Last years Saints Pro
Bowl cheerleader hailed from
Jackson, and Fitzmorris’ own
daughter, Caroline, is a member of the Ole Miss Rebelettes.
“We love having representatives from Mississippi on
the New Orleans Saintsations,” she says. “We have a huge fan
base in Mississippi, and the team loves to make appearances
in the state.”
For Mississippi members Chastity, Jerami, and Kristina
those Magnolia State appearances are all about coming home.
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Jerami
Hometown: Long Beach
High School: Long Beach High School
College: USM
“The Southern hospitality is amazing on the Coast,” says Jerami, who
spent her childhood years in Long Beach and graduated from Long Beach
High School. Dance was part of her life from an early age, when she began
taking classes at a local studio. She tried other sports—tennis, track, basketball—but “dance stuck with me,” she recalls.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in public relations from the University
of Southern Mississippi—where she also high-kicked with the Dixie Darlings
and Southern Misses—Jerami took her dancing career to new heights
when she secured a spot on the Saintsations in 2010.
“I love the Saints, and I have always wanted to dance on the professional
level,” she says. “After finishing college, it was my next step—I just had to
try out!”
Though the audition process was “nerve-racking,” she made it through
and relished each week spent on the Superdome sideline. Her most
memorable moment from last season? “Definitely the Saints vs. Steelers game on Halloween,” she says. “The Dome was packed with fans all
dressed up, and we won!”
Now kicking off her second year on the squad, she says she loves being
part of a team that’s like a “second family.”
“Just experiencing the season with a group of girls so similar to me is
great,” she says. “We get to connect on a whole other level.”
Jerami’s next goal is to tackle graduate school, and she advises young
girls who might be interested in following in her footsteps to apply the
same amount of effort and enthusiasm that has worked for her thus far.
“Work hard, and you will get the results you want,” she urges. “Anything’s possible!”
86 | fall 2011
Chastity
Hometown: Picayune
High School: Picayune Memorial
High School
College: USM
Texas may be known as the home of “Friday Night Lights,” but when
it comes to passion for high school football, the coastal community of
Picayune holds its own.
“My town lives for football, and Friday night games are the highlights
of the fall,” recalls Chastity, who cheered for the Picayune Memorial High
School team from the sidelines each week. “We had amazing fans, and
everyone loved the Maroon Tide!”
Today, Chastity’s job is to get thousands of football fans fired up every
week. After cheering and dancing her way through high school, Pearl
River Community College, and the University of Southern Mississippi,
she decided to try out for the Saintsations—all the while working on her
master’s degree!
“I decided I wasn’t quite finished with cheerleading and dance,” she
says. “I was ecstatic when I made the team. This is my second year as a
Saintsation, and I absolutely love it.”
Like her fellow Mississippi-native cheerleaders, Chastity says driving to
practices in Baton Rouge and Mandeville twice a week is the most challenging part of the job. “Sometimes it’s hard getting home at 1 a.m. and
then leaving for work at 6 a.m., but being a part of this amazing team is
definitely worth it.”
The payoff comes not just on the field but also in serving as an inspiration to others, including students at Biloxi High School, where she teaches.
“My favorite part is not only being able to do what I love the most but
also being a role model for women and children, especially the children I
teach,” she says. “I have worked so hard to be a schoolteacher and a Saintsation and to obtain my master’s degree, all at one time. Because of my
dedication and my ability to prioritize and recognize my amazing blessings,
I knew I could achieve anything.”
Kristina
Hometown: Picayune
High School: Pearl River Central
High School
College: Pearl River Community College
As a kid in Carriere, Kristina considered herself a softball player, not a
dancer. But after trying out for the junior high dance team on a whim at
age 12, she traded her cleats for dancing shoes and never looked back.
“My mom always says, ‘If God gives you the talent, then use it!’” she
says. With that encouragement—along with prompting from her dance
teachers—Kristina took the leap to try out for the Saintsations after graduating from Pearl River Central High School.
“The audition process was by far the most stressful thing I have ever
been through,” she recalls. “During that week, most of the girls’ routines
were eat, sleep, breathe, Saintsations. My routine was breathe, Saintsations!”
This is only her first year on the team, but Kristina already knows
what her favorite aspect of wearing that black and gold uniform is: “I can
represent Picayune in a positive way and encourage every young person
to follow their dreams.”
She is also a student at Pearl River Community College, with plans to
transfer to the University of Southern Mississippi next spring and eventually become an elementary teacher. Juggling her rigorous dancing schedule
with schoolwork isn’t easy, but Kristina has a few words of advice for
anyone else interested in taking on such a task.
“Never give up—follow through in everything you do,” she says. “Practice makes perfect. And give God all of the credit!” FG
For more details on the Saintsations or to learn how
to invite the squad to your next event, visit
www.saintsations.net. To see the ladies in action, check
out the New Orleans Saints’ 2011-12 game schedule at
www.neworleanssaints.com.
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