Jada Mclean might have given back her white boots, but the impact she made as a member of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders will be felt for years to come. Mclean hopped on the phone to speak to NYOTA about advocating for higher pay for the squad, sharing more of her story in Season 2 of “America’s Sweethearts,” and how she’s picturing success for herself post DCC.

Do you remember the first moment you felt that spark for dancing and performing?

I started dancing when I was 2.5 years old. A funny story that some people may or may not know is my mom put me in dance because the private school I was attending for preschool said I was uncoordinated because I couldn’t skip. My mom thought dance classes would help with my coordination. When I was 9 years old I wanted to quit. I hit the phase where I wanted to hang out with friends and go home after school and not be committed to anything and my mom was like, ‘I’ve invested too much in you these last few years, you’re not bad at this, you’re going to keep going.’ Unlike most people, I didn’t have that huge spark for dance at the beginning, but as I got older I was like, ‘I really do love this.’ It was a challenge because as a dancer you’re always striving to be better, and you can never be perfect but as someone who is a little bit type A, it’s fun to try to reach for perfection. By the end of high school I had looked back and realized, dance was my true passion and I wanted to continue it into adulthood. 

Season 2 of America’s Sweethearts gave fans a deeper glimpse into your family life as well as your fight for getting the squad higher pay. While filming, did you have any nerves about being more open and vulnerable on screen?

That’s something that may have been misunderstood from Season 1. It’s not that I was not open to sharing more of my life in Season 1; I just didn’t feel that from the beginning I was someone who was being highlighted, and I had shared with the producers that I never wanted to feel like my story was only shared in bits or pieces. That’s why I waited, and when the opportunity arose for Season 2, I was willing to share if we were going to do it from the beginning and make sure everyone gets the full picture. There was a little bit of nerves because this is a show, and there are a lot of scenes that get cut out, so you always have that fear of, ‘What if they twist my words or don’t put things quite in the order they occurred?’ Thankfully, that didn’t happen with this show, but having that in the back of your mind can be a little bit nerve-racking in itself.  

I really wanted to be completely honest with everyone, and regarding the conversation of pay, it’s hard in any workspace, including ours. Still, I’ve always been someone who isn’t afraid of the outcome of situations. Especially if it’s really important to me, of course, I knew it may not go over well, I could lose my spot on the team, I could have to walk away, everything really does run through your mind. But I have a really good relationship with Kelly, the director. I felt that, as someone who has a closer relationship with her than most, it was almost my job to take this on for the team because if she was going to be able to look at it more from a personal standpoint than a business standpoint, it would be with me. I’m obviously very proud of all of us who stood up. The conversation definitely wasn’t easy, but it was one that we can all agree needed to be had, and thankfully was heard.

Across women’s sports, there’s a call for higher pay, especially at this time when female athletes have been bringing a lot of buzz and new viewership to their respective sports. Did this help motivate you and your teammates to push for change? 

That is definitely motivating, and especially right now in the WNBA, seeing them take a stand for themselves, it does encourage you and helps to see that they’re going through this and have to speak up. Something that motivated me was seeing all the NIL deals and seeing those athletes push for themselves. That’s how it should be, just because they haven’t made it to the “top” doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be compensated for where they’re at now. I’ve also always been someone who is intrigued by the Olympics, and hearing how little they get paid is shocking. They’re the best of the best in the world at what they do, and yet they’re still making so little. So, yes, it was the women’s sports conversation, but around us, there are many areas that we are starting to look at and realize this is a bigger problem than just women. Unfortunately, women are dealing with it worse than some, but this is a problem all around in the sports world, and it’s defeating. I have told a lot of people, it’s tough when you’re standing on the same football field as men who are making millions of dollars, and you’re sharing the turf with them, and you’re making not even a percentage of that. We looked at that and calculated in our heads. What is a practice squad player who never takes the field on game day, making in comparison to all of us who are there before they arrive and after they leave and are on the field, actually performing, not just sitting on the sidelines. How is this making any sense?

While you were a DCC, you had a lot on your plate. What did you do during that time to practice self-care and keep yourself grounded?

I’m someone who needs to have conversations not to get stuck in my own head, and the moment I withdraw is when I feel myself start to spiral. So, having conversations with my teammates, telling them how I was feeling or asking how they were feeling, and having those open conversations was something that really helped me through all of this. Then, of course, my family, they’re obviously not on the field with me or in practices, which is nice because my mom, specifically, can give me that outsider’s perspective and advice that is truly helpful. This world is really hard to explain to people, and we’re really grateful that this show [America’s Sweethearts] shows a little bit of it. Still, it is also different to be in it day to day, and having someone encouraging me from the outside was super important. Also, finding time to do things that make me happy outside of work, and dance. So for me, that’s going to church, working out, things that re-center me, but also allow me to feel my best and get out of my head and think about something other than everything I need to be doing.

Outside of you being part of the group that was advocating for higher pay, it’s clear you were a leader on the team, and the other cheerleaders looked up to you. When you first joined the team, were you hoping to one day step into leadership roles?

I have always wanted to be a leader, and naturally, many of us do. Of course, there are a lot of different personalities on the team, so I’m a little more outgoing than most, and I’m a little more outspoken. Some girls are a little more reserved, but we all have natural leadership qualities, which can be difficult because there are only so many official leadership positions. Everyone is, in their own way, a natural leader. You do wonder, is that something that I’m going to get the opportunity to do? If I were to look back to my first couple of years, I would tell you absolutely not, there’s no way I’ll be a leader, as much as I want to be, I’m just not the molded DCC. I wasn’t the best performer in their eyes the first few years. I don’t know if they knew me as much in my personal life or even just me personally, and if they felt like, oh yeah, we could see Jada doing this. So in the beginning, absolutely not, I didn’t think it would happen, although I always hoped it would. 

Getting the opportunity to be a second leader in my fourth season really is where it all shifted, and I was like I’m getting this opportunity that I always wanted, I need to capitalize and make the most of it. I get the title, what am I going to do with this title to make being a leader worth it? Why put me there if I’m not going to do anything with it? So, getting that second leader, I was like, ‘Okay, I have the opportunity to use my voice now,’ and then in my fifth year, I was like, ‘I’m a first leader now, but how can I lead other than on the field?’ It’s really important, and of course, this team needs leaders, and anyone could really step up if needed. Still, it takes a special individual to be completely transparent, to be completely vulnerable, to be open to their team to tell them I’m here to lead you on this field, but also to help you in life, and to be a friend and someone outside of this organization, and that’s what I really wanted for myself. 

Because looking back, I had great leaders on this team. Still, it all ended at a certain point. I would only tell them so much or go to them for so much, and then there was a line that I felt I couldn’t cross, not that they put that there; it just didn’t feel appropriate. I wanted the team to feel like they could tell me their deepest, darkest secret, and I would still see them the same as everyone else. I’m very grateful that I got the opportunity to be a leader on this team and I hope I am someone who has inspired people that come next to not just look at this as a position that we all want, but as a position of great weight and to ask themselves, what are you going to do with this opportunity to make a difference for your current team and your future teams?

You’ve sparked change not just for DCC, but for cheerleaders everywhere. Now that the team has the 400% pay increase, what outcomes or improvements are you most hopeful for?

I hope they continue the conversation. Of course, the raise is great, but there’s always room for improvement. I don’t want to say I hope these girls are millionaires one day, but at the same time, I hope that one day they’re more comfortable than they even are today. I hope that the conversation about the pay raise will encourage more conversations like this, so even if they’re not centered around pay, they might be centered around us needing health benefits or better schedules. Whatever it may be, little or big, I hope that feeling like you can have an open conversation without repercussions is something that comes from this. I hope it encourages other teams and organizations to have these conversations, but in a way that feels safe, respected, and without the worry of jeopardizing your future on a team. I do want to see the pay continue to increase, not selfishly, but because a lot of work goes into this job and the sports we women are involved in, and you should be compensated fairly. Truthfully, I don’t think that we’re there yet, but we’re on the right track, and that’s the only way you can start. It’s not something that happens overnight, but I hope they continue to take the right steps to have these women in this organization all over the world feel like this is the way it should have been, and this is the way it should continue to be. 

Now that your time as a DCC has come to a close. How are you redefining success for yourself outside the uniform?

It can be really hard, because being a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader is a huge achievement, and so there’s the question of how do I top this? Which is something that goes through a lot of our minds, and it’s not even that we feel that way, but we feel like that’s what the world is thinking. For myself, I’ve now wanted to look at the other side of my life. I feel very accomplished on the dance side, but how can I give back to the world besides through dance? I’ve been trying to spend more time in my faith, and I’ve been thinking about going on a mission trip, exploring ways to give back to society, and simply spending quality time with my family, making room for important connections in my life. I’ve obviously lived away from my family now for five years, and I want to make sure that every day I’m being intentional with the people who matter to me.

But again, giving back in ways that might be filling other people’s cups more than my own, the way being on the field really filled me and brought a lot to my life. That’s my next step in feeling successful and fulfilled. I’m grateful that I’m not working a nine-to-five anymore. Thankfully, social media has helped. Recently, I’ve been able to take a step back and have a little bit more time for myself, which has been great. But again, I’m still figuring it out. Every day I want to do something different. I have dreams of moving and traveling the world, and then some days I’m like, do I want to be that far from home? Every day I’m asking myself what I want to do, and I’m not 100% sure. Whatever it is, I want to ensure it’s still about giving back and encouraging the people who come after me. That’s important in my life, and it feels like my calling is giving back to the next generation, even if it’s by being someone they can look up to.

What advice would you give to young women who hope to put on their own pair of white boots one day? 

My biggest advice would be to be confident and sure of who you are and who you were made to be. I’ve dealt with the struggle of comparing myself to people my entire life, whether that was because I was brought up with less money or in a smaller town with fewer opportunities in the dance world, or whatever it may be. As an adult looking back, I’m realizing there were a few factors that may have led to me feeling this way but I hope that the next girls who want to take on this career are confident in what they bring to the table and know they’re more than capable and if it doesn’t happen the first time or if it never happens on this team that’s okay, they’re going to end up where they’re meant to be. Sometimes, where we think we need to be is not exactly where the Lord actually needs us to be or has planned for our lives. Being okay with that makes life much more enjoyable. But if they do find success on this team, my advice would be for them to always be true to themselves, use their voice for good, be authentic, and be sure of themselves.

This story first ran in NYOTA’s Empowerment Issue. Read more from the Issue here and purchase a print copy here.