Into the spotlight: Victorian dances way on to Texans cheerleading squad

Published 7:15 am Wednesday, August 6, 2025

As a little girl, Jasmin Velasquez’s grandfather told her she was going to be a Houston Texans’ cheerleader. At the time, she didn’t think she was good enough.

At 22, Velasquez will sparkle under the stadium lights this fall and will dance down the field in her red cowboy boots to the roar of the crowd.

“This has been such a mind-blowing experience,” Velasquez said. “Who knew that putting me in dance at two years old would lead me to where I am now?”

While she will begin performing as an NFL cheerleader in the biggest stadiums across the country when the Texans open the season in September, she once buckled her tap shoes at Debbie Bennett Green School of Dance and performed high kicks as a member of the Victoria West High School Legacy Dance and Drill Team at Memorial Stadium.

Since she was 2, Velasquez has been dancing. Her passion for dance followed her throughout high school and later when she attended Sam Houston State University, where she acquired a fine arts degree, majoring in dance.

“I live, eat and breathe dance,” Velasquez said. “It’s been my whole life.”

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During college, she was a part of Orange Pride, a 14-time national champion dance team, and helped the team earn five national titles and a grand national title. But as her senior year came to an end, she didn’t want the curtain to close on her professional dance career.

“I didn’t want everything I had worked for to just stop there. I wanted to keep pursuing my dream of dancing and sharing my joy of dance with others,” Velasquez said. “I wanted my dreams to stay a reality.”

Nights spent with her grandfather watching the Texans play and her love for the sport—both football and cheerleading, led her to try out for the Texans cheerleading team.

“I do it all for my family,” Velasquez said. “From countless trips to competitions and the amount of money they poured into dance, it means a lot to me. Their belief in me keeps me going every single day.”

With her family behind her, Velasquez knew if she kept giving it her all, she could keep pursuing her dream and take it to the highest level.

This summer, Velasquez made the Texans cheerleading team and will perform at NFL games throughout the season.

“It’s been a culture shock honestly. Coming from a really competitive dance background,  people dance for themselves. But here in the arenas, you’re not just dancing for yourself, you’re dancing  for the community,” Velasquez said.

While Velasquez will always have the support of her friends and family back home in Victoria, she’s forming new lifetime bonds with the women on her team. As a cheerleader, most of the women also work full-time jobs while also practicing their dance routines three times a day, whether that’s in person or online.

By day, Velasquez works as an assistant dance director at Tomball High School. At night, she’s donning her boots, pushing herself to shine even brighter on the field come gametime.

“Really, I love the athleticism. I love that feeling of my breath almost being taken away by something I’m enjoying so much,” Velasquez said. “Your body is so amazing with what it can do and when you understand how to use it, especially in dance, which is a amazing art form that uses your brain, your body, your emotion all at one time.”

For Velasquez, dance is something she can’t imagine her life without. As long as she’s in good health and maintains a good mindset, she’ll continue dancing as long as she can, making a home for herself with the Texans.

“Your mindset and your heart is what drives you,” Velasquez said. “There can be so many obstacles in your way, but as long as you are dedicated and you are passionate about what you want to do and what outcome you want to have, you’re going to get it as long as you put in the work.”

Madison O’Hara is a news reporter for the Victoria Advocate. You can reach her at madison.ohara@vicad.com.