Sartaj Singh
Helmed by director Greg Whiteley, ‘America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders’ delves into the highs and lows of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (DCC) class of 2023, following deeply personal stories and unveiling their hidden difficulties through interviews. One of the insightful former team members who appeared in a segment was Kat, a four-year veteran who retired from the DCC in 2022. In the Netflix documentary, she made an important point about how DCC cheerleaders work themselves to the bone and are compensated with a salary comparable to that of a Chick-fil-A worker. Her point was driven home further as we learned about the serious injuries suffered by many of the performers. With Kat having spent four years in the organization as an important member, we can’t help but ponder which path she has chosen since her departure from the DCC.
Katherine Puryear Spent Eight Years as an Elite Cheerleader
From Thomasville, North Carolina, Katherine Puryear studied at a school with around seven other students of color and faced racism from an early age. She nevertheless blossomed in dance and pageantry and won Miss North Carolina’s Outstanding Teen, representing Thomasville at 15 years old in 2009. She encountered a much friendlier and more tolerable atmosphere once she joined the University of North Carolina, feeling comfortable as no one seemed to care about her skin color anymore. Within her first year, Kat made it onto cheer as a part of the Gold Dusters Dance Team and, later, in the NBA for Charlotte Hornets’ cheerleading squad, the Honeybees dance team. She seems to have had a great experience on the squad and at university and thanked God for all the opportunities and great friendships.
In 2019, she tried out for the DCC and was positively ecstatic after making it onto the team. “I cannot believe God chose me to live this dream!” wrote the Thomasville native on Instagram. “I am so happy to announce that I am a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader! This dream was not easy but I’m thankful for all the women that have been placed in my life to show me what I’m capable of.” She continued to thrive and grow within the organization, becoming a Jr. DCC Co-Director. Kat was a recognized figure on the team, changing her hair color three times and injuring her shoulder over her four years with the DCC. She retired from the group after four very eventful seasons and looked forward to what was in store for her next.
Kat Works as a Commercial Realtor Now
Being a cheerleader since her university days and becoming a celebrated member of the DCC, Kat seemed at peace with putting the pompoms down after her fourth year with the squad. “I’m happy, sad, scared, and delusionally optimistic about this next season in my life!” she wrote in the caption of a video she posted on Instagram. “After 8 years of cheering professionally, it’s time for me to find another hobby because this one tore my labrums. I’m so thankful for this transition God has me in, and hopefully, this new season will be even better. I’m eager to grow and bring you along with me!”
Having completed her bachelor’s in organizational communication from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Kat decided to enter the real estate business and has been working as a commercial realtor with Engel & Völkers since May 2022. She seems to be on a path of self-improvement and career growth and invests her time in courses like project management, Interpersonal Communication, and Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. She also continues to do brand endorsements, modeling, and advertisements.
Kat is Drawing Strength from her Loved Ones in a Tough Time
The DCC veteran is going through a tough time currently as she is grieving the passing of her mother, Felicia Mignon Ewings, a teacher, merchandise coordinator, and beloved community member. Her funeral service was held on June 15, 2024, in High Point, North Carolina. Kat shared a touching and positive message upon her passing. “Nothing could ever prepare me for this day,” she wrote on Instagram. “I love my mom so much and I’m looking forward to our new relationship. Now I can tell her anything and everything, and I know she will be guiding me in the best direction! I’m so thankful for the years I was able to be her baby, but now she can watch me grow (in the best seat of the house).”
In her grief, the former cheerleader is supported by her close circle of loved ones. Besides friends and family, she relies upon her boyfriend, Nigel Alexander. Nigel is a research analyst who is training to become a pilot and has played as a Dartmouth Big Green Linebacker. She is also in touch with her DCC teammates, who have become more of a family to her. Despite the tough time, Kat is pulling through with a positive outlook and a reassuring circle of friends and family around her.
Read More: Kelly Villares: Where is the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Aspirant Now?
