Getting cut from the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders in 2025 was a tough pill for Emily Awbrey to swallow — but two of her teammates helped her find the confidence to take another shot at her dream.
The 24-year-old “America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders” star opened up about how DCCs Faith Ward and Taylor Altieri inspired her to return to the audition room for the 2026 season despite her failure the year prior.
“I, actually, to be so honest, I think I went lower before I went higher,” Awbrey — who made the team after her second audition — told Page Six’s “Virtual Reali-Tea.” “So I got cut and I always knew I wanted to audition again but I kind of just, I got in a bit of a rut where … my headspace was more, ‘I’m scared to try again because what if I fail?’”
That mindset began to change when Awbrey returned to Dallas to watch Ward — who made the 2025 squad — perform and stayed with Altieri, who has been on the team since 2023 and also hails from Oregon.
“And they kind of were the ones who lit that fire in me and reminded me that there’s so many people that are supporting me,” she explained. “And truly the only person at that time who was being negative was myself, in my head.”
With her confidence reignited, Awbrey said she had to “flip the switch” and get serious about preparing for another shot at making the iconic squad.
“And it was really like a switch. I stopped feeling sorry for myself and I went to the studio every day, I went to the gym every day,” she recalled.
Her training even included a little musical exposure therapy.
“I was running to ‘Thunderstruck’ … genuinely exposure therapy because that song gives me hives. Or it gave me hives,” she joked, referring to the AC/DC anthem synonymous with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders’ viral game-day performances.
“So I was like, ‘I need to just listen to this and run to it and not be as scared of it.’ Because I think that’s what held me back last time is I was just, like, scared.”
And while some might turn to traditional therapy after such a setback, Awbrey said her comeback ultimately required a change in perspective.
“I didn’t do any traditional therapy. It literally took my own self,” she shared, explaining that she had to stop dwelling on her disappointment and start listening to the people cheering her on.
Awbrey was ultimately named a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader for the 2026-2027 NFL season, alongside Ward and Altieri.
Now, the dancer is celebrating her place on the 2026 squad while partnering with Dr. Pepper, which recently unveiled a first-of-its-kind collectible inspired by the DCC’s iconic uniform.
Handcrafted by Dallas sculptor Brad Oldham, who created the team’s signature belt buckle, and longtime DCC seamstress Meagan Tate, the keepsake celebrates this year’s cheerleaders and the craftsmanship behind their instantly recognizable look.
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