For Reidsville alumna Eboni Reid, 22, the third shot at a dream turned out to be the charm. After being cut in the audition finals in both 2017 and 2018 for a coveted spot on the New York Jets cheerleader squad, Reid said she almost gave up.
But when she looked at the audition date for 2019 tryouts, Reid thought her dearly departed mother was sending her a sign that her time had arrived.
It hasn’t been easy for the pretty small town girl with the sunny disposition. Her mom passed away when she was just 4-years-old, and even though growing up without her mother’s physical presence in her life, she was still always close to her heart.
“They changed the audition date. It’s usually in April, but this year it was in March and I saw that the last audition day was going to be held on my mom’s birthday. I felt myself tearing up the whole day, but I just heard her voice and God’s voice saying — ‘I got this.’”
Raised by her grandparents, David and Carrie Reid, her grandmother put Eboni in dance classes when she was 6 years old and it was something she truly came to love. Years later, she became a cheerleader for the Rams where she was taught by Reidsville coach Delta Rankin. The two developed a very special relationship, one that Reid cherishes to this day.
“Delta is like a mom to me. I love her so much. She is really sweet and very passionate about cheerleading. I got very passionate with cheerleading as well and I loved
the cheerleading jamborees that we used to do. They were a lot of fun for me. She always pushed us to be the best that we could be,” said Reid.
Following her high school graduation, Reid attended Meredith College in Raleigh for one semester, then, unfortunately, tragedy touched her life again when her beloved grandmother passed away.
Looking for a change, Reid moved to New Jersey, where she had family, to attend the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York.
Every day on the drive into New York City, she would pass Metlife Stadium and wonder what it would be like cheering for a professional team, so eventually she started auditioning.
But the loss of two of the most important women in her life always stayed with her. “When she passed three years ago, that really hurt me and I didn’t want to dance or cheer anymore, but I thought about it and came to realize that she put me in this for a reason and I’m going to do this for her and that is kind of what motivates me,” Reid said.
Reid was one of 34 women selected out of 170 girls and she said now she’s just looking forward to getting out there this fall and doing her thing.
“I just love to imagine myself on the field, and I’m super excited for it. The stadium holds 82,500 fans, so wow. I just know my mom and my grandmother will be smiling down on me.”