MIAMI, Fla. — Leah Taylor started as a dancer at athletic events at Montana State University, but she has transitioned into a cheerleading role and is now pursuing her dreams in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins.
Taylor says her time at MSU really helped prepare her for the professional level.
"Our team is a game day performance team at MSU," Taylor said. "After our coach Nicola Norris came in with a background in the NFL, it set me up for success and gave me a better understanding of the pro world because I had no idea what it was like."
Watch the video here:
Norris remembers what Taylor said in her senior year as a Bobcat.
"She said 'I want to make a pro team' and so that was the mindset for her senior year," Norris said. "Her normal day here was practice on Monday with lift, practice on Tuesday, practice Wednesday with lift ... and so she had so many opportunities just to be that smart dancer and to train and for the stamina."
The advice Norris gave Taylor in Bozeman extended off the field, as well.
"She always says you bring your best self in any room you step into," Taylor said. "And that's going to be more important than your dance ability at the end of the day, who you are as a person. It's like 60% of who you are, 40% of your dancing."
So after Taylor graduated from Montana State in May, she used that advice to take a chance on herself and her lifelong dream.
"I had to be out of my apartment by May 31 and Dolphins' tryouts started May 31," Taylor said. "So I packed two suitcases and flew to Miami."
Norris told Taylor the same she tells all of the athletes she coaches.
"You have to like the team you're cheering for. You can't just cheer for anyone," Norris said. "And honestly, I think Miami was her team. She went there and she walked in not knowing what to expect, and she came back being like, this is my team, and that makes me so happy.
"And that's what I tell everyone that wants to go pro or dance at the collegiate level is find the team that is your fix," Norris said. "Those are going to be your people."
Taylor, originally from Texas, wants young dancers and cheerleaders to know it doesn't matter the size of the school or the state that you're in, but how you approach the opportunities you do get.
"It's a mindset," Taylor said. "It's something inside of you that I want to make happen, and dreams can happen, and dreams can become a reality. It doesn't really matter where you are, and it's kind of how much you put into it."
