(K-LOVE News) — 5, 6 ,7 ,8!
As the NFL season begins to start back up there is someone to be looking out for on the field.
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders gained even more popularity after the release of Netflix's original docuseries America's Sweethearts in June. The 7-episode series follows the tryouts, trials, and even tears the hopeful dancers go through during their time with the famous squad. From making the team to their last game of the season, we see it all and get to know the girls as more than just cheerleaders. Reece Weaver entered her first year on the squad and immediately became a fan favorite to watch on screen and on the field.
We meet Reece in the first episode as she enters her rookie season with the team, and much like the rest of the girls, we really get a good look inside her life. From the beginning, her faith has always been at forefront and is used as a guiding light throughout her personal and professional life.
After cheering for the University of Alabama, Reece ditched the crimson red for the blue stars and white boots, officially becoming a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader in 2023. In the series, Reece expresses that her faith and love for the Lord is truly why she gets to live out her biggest dreams everyday, and why her dancing talents are only a fraction of her success.
"Jesus is King of my heart and is whom I owe everything to do," she says.
Growing up in a Christian household in Jacksonville, Florida, Reece says her faith journey started even before she could even learn how to dance. Her grandfather served as the pastor at their church and she still recounts spending much time in there during her childhood. "I am so grateful for my parents, they have always been my number one cheerleaders. I have been blessed to be around an amazing community of strong believers."
Reece is also pouring her faith into another huge component of her life—her marriage.
She met her husband, Will, at an Alabama Crimson Tide basketball game and says she knew in that moment the Lord had put him in her life. The couple had been faced with many trials due to their early relationship taking place during Covid-19. However, the Lord's grace gave them the strength all the way to the altar when the couple got married in April 2024. "I feel like our time that we met is a such a true testament to the Lord's faithfulness and His timing, because we met in very uncertain times."
Reece expresses that it is important to have a strong relationship and foundation with your own faith so that it can be even stronger in a marriage or relationship.
The couple has seen and felt other Christ-following people help guide them as a younger couple through their journey, and hope is to pass the torch and do the same for someone else. From watching their own mentors combat life's ups and down, Reece says she has had great role models show her and husband how to incorporate Jesus in life's hardest moments.
"We have been so inspired by our mentors' journey with faith and we definitely want to pour into someone else."
Reece is now gearing up for her second year as a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, and is returning to the field with more experience and passion under her belt. The dancer is now a veteran member and is excited to help others who were in the same position as her just last year.
"It is so strange, I am not going to lie," she says. "It is such a blessing that you can be relatable and show that just because I am veteran status doesn't mean I have not walked in their shoes." It's so sweet to be able to relate on a personal level and be able to give back and have a deep bond in sisterhood.
The Dallas Cowboys brand does more than just produce football players and cheerleaders. They serve as ambassadors for community outreach and do their part to support a variety of causes--in Dallas and around the country. Philanthropy is a pillar of the team's mission, and Reece is honored to be serving in more ways than one. From their work with our U.S. Military to visiting Children's Hospitals, the DCC brand does most of their work off the field.
"I serve as an ambassador for God, and if I can just plant one seed, He will do the rest.," Reece says. "You get to see a small glimpse of what the Lord is doing in these community engagements that we get to attend," she adds.
Being a part of a team that put's people first is helping Reece continue to use her faith in this season of her life. She says she starts her day off by simply falling to her knees at God's feet and asking Him to protect, guide, and help with whatever the day might bring. With a schedule full of intense dance, community engagements, married life, and even working for a local florist shop, Reece knows she cannot do it all alone.
Even in the biggest moments such as a football game, Reece is continuing to keep her focus on God, and gives all the glory to Him.
"I am dancing for an audience of one. Anytime I hit the turf, I am going to do this for the Lord."