Local girls keep Titan fans ‘energized’
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Football fans who might think cheerleaders don’t have to work for their attractive figures better think again.
“I usually run four miles in the morning,” said Titans cheerleader Kimberly Odom, one of two local girls to make this year’s squad. “I’ll work out with weights in the afternoon, and then I’ll run two or three miles at night. It’s a lot of work.”
Odom is joined on the cheerleading squad by Jen Barnes, an avid runner. Barnes recently competed in McMinnville’s half-marathon and finished with an eye-catching time of 1 hour and 46 minutes.
Barnes and Odom, both in their first year as Titans cheerleaders, continue a Warren County tradition of having a representative on the squad. Monica Griffith was a cheerleader with the team during its first four years as the Titans.
“Being down there on the field and being a part of the excitement, it’s just a rush,” said Barnes, 24. “You look up and see this massive amount of people and it’s your job to keep them energized.”
Barnes is no stranger when it comes to dancing. In addition to her role as an NFL cheerleader, Barnes also cheered for the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies for two years while she was earning a business degree at the University of Memphis.
She is a former Pioneerette who still teaches dance classes here in town for her mom at Paula’s Dance Academy. “I guess you could say it’s my one talent,” she joked. “But I feel very privileged to have cheered for the Titans and the Grizzlies.”
Odom, a freshman at David Lipscomb University, is the youngest Titan cheerleader at 18. She added another honor to her list of accomplishments when she was recently selected to the Nashville Kats’ cheer squad.
“Cheering for an NFL team has so many responsibilities,” said Odom, who is also a former Pioneerette. “All the girls on the team are more than just cheerleaders. All the girls hold jobs. We have some lawyers, we have some teachers, and I’m one of the students. We have to balance work, family and cheerleading.”
In addition to their individual workouts, cheerleaders practice twice a week as a team. The group meets on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at Nashville Athletic Club at 7:15 p.m. The practice sessions can stretch well into the evening, sometimes to 11 p.m.
“That’s why all the cheerleaders are close,” said Odom, who is a roommate with one of the girls. As for career aspirations, Odom is a mass communications major with an emphasis in broadcast journalism. She hopes to become a sportscaster after graduation and says football, naturally, is her favorite sport.
As for how much the cheerleaders actually get to see of the game, Barnes says sometimes it isn’t a whole lot.
“We don’t get to see much when the defense is on the field because that’s when we have to get the crowd going,” Barnes said. “But we get to see more of the offense. And there’s always the big screen to look at, too.”
The cheerleaders don’t travel with the Titans for away games. They have three more home games this year: Dec. 13 against the Chiefs on “Monday Night Football,” Dec. 25 against the Broncos, and Jan. 2 against the Lions.