THE best two teams in the NFL this season are set to go head to head in the Super Bowl this weekend.
But the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons are not the only squads making the journey to Houston for the glittering season finale.
Both the Patriots cheerleaders and their Falcons counterparts will make the trip of a lifetime to perform in front of the watching world.
Like NFL players, cheerleaders dream of performing at the Super Bowl and are even nominated for the Pro Bowl – the exhibition game between the league’s best players.
Cheerleading squads have almost become brands in their own right in these days.
Both the Patriots and Falcons cheerleaders have over 18,000 followers on Twitter.
The Dallas Cowboys are the most famed cheerleaders in the league.
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Monday's aren't so bad when the @Patriots are heading to #SBLI
pic.twitter.com/kL5TUtl602
— Pats Cheerleaders (@PatsCheer) January 23, 2017
Every year since 2006 they have had their own reality television show called ‘Making The Squad’, following the process from auditions to receiving dream call to join the team.
In a sentence, it’s hard to explain what the role of a cheerleader is.
Wikipedia probably explains it best when it says cheerleading “ranges from yelling to intense physical activity for sports team motivation and audience entertainment”.
As well as performing at games, the cheerleaders represent their team at some organised events.
How much a cheerleader gets paid is one of the NFL’s best kept secrets, but it’s not exactly the most lucrative job in the world.
According to some reports, an NFL cheerleader will be lucky to make $3000 (£2400) a season.
They’re paid around $10 an hour (£8) during rehearsals with a match fee in the region of $100 (£80).
It’s a profession that many young, athletic women in the United States choose simply for their love of performing arts and the glamorous lifestyle.
And the Super Bowl this Sunday will be the biggest stage that these cheerleaders will ever see.
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