Who needs a football team?
FGCU has its first ever member of the NFL, even though the school has never played a down.
Zahra Fayad, a senior captain this season on the FGCU cheerleading squad, made the Miami Dolphins cheer squad Sunday after more than a week of tryouts.
Fayad, from West Palm Beach, was among more than 300 newcomers who were whittled to 75, then combined with veteran team members before 15 newcomers and 20 returnees made the final cut.
“I feel so thankful I can’t even believe it,” said Fayad, whose whirlwind month has included being offered a pharmacy internship in LaBelle, turning 22 last week during Dolphins tryouts and completing school work as a health science major for graduation ceremonies on May 5.
“This all happened so fast, and I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity.”
Fayad was overwhelmed returning congratulatory messages and thanks to family – “especially my Mom!” – friends, coaches and others while squeezing in a phone call in her return to work Monday as a bartender at Twin Peaks restaurant near FGCU.
“We’re so thrilled for her,” said FGCU cheer coach Emily Chaikin. “It’s a great representation of the school to go through such a rigorous process and the interviews and to be chosen for something like that.”
Fayad’s success comes in a field that can lead to modeling, marketing, fitness and other opportunities but is a considerable time and financial sacrifice, even in the NFL, where cheerleaders make negligible wages despite the visibility.
“They definitely don’t do it for the money,” Chaikin said.
FGCU only has two cheer scholarships – both donated only a year ago by the family of former FGCU booster club chairman Brian Rasnick – for a squad that usually has 25-30 members.
Chaikin herself is a volunteer for a squad that ranges from six to 20 hours a week of practice, performances and strength training throughout the 10-month school year.
“It is a labor of love,” said Chaikin, who works full time as the FGCU assistant director of business operations. “It’s more of a volunteer commitment than most people think.”
Fayad, one of only a handful of FGCU cheerleaders to be part of the program for four seasons, competed in gymnastics until high school.
But she was uncertain of her chances with the Dolphins, who are geared more toward dance than stunts, because of her lack of formal dance training.
Chaikin, FGCU assistant cheer coach Caleb Houston and others helped encourage her, though, based on the multiple interviews last week and extensive community engagement element of the job.
“She’s great with (public relations). She’s got a great personality,” Chaikin said. “Part of NFL cheerleading is a lot of appearances, a lot of community engagement, which she’s very comfortable with through FGCU cheer and through service learning at FGCU.”
As final selections were announced on Sunday, Fayad paced nervously backstage as tryout numbers were called out of sequence: 67 … 69 … 63.
“I was 61,” she said. “It was really stressful. Then they finally called it. I was crying. I could not help but smile tears of joy.”
With her family and Houston in the audience at the public competition, Fayad raced on stage.
“It’s going to open so many doors for me,” she said. “I think I can be really successful at it. It’s just a whole different world that I’d never have thought of. It’s all pretty much meant to be.”
Follow @NewsPressSeth on Twitter.