DCC Alumni Spotlight – Billie Gosdin Mitchell and Amber Gosdin Montgomery

When people hear “Dallas Cowboys”, their thoughts are set.  The iconic star, the brand, and names of all the great players are first and foremost. Some may even think of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. America’s Team and America’s Sweethearts, are often thought of as trailblazers. Setting standards, starting trends and accomplishing new heights at every level. With the many strides that have been made with the NFL’s history, there are a few that have only been recognized within the DCC organization.

Billie and Amber Gosdin are the first Mother/Daughter Legacy of DCC. When Amber auditioned in 1995, the legacy concept was foreign. It was a crazy and exciting thought that an Alumna had a daughter that was old enough to audition. In our minds, we hold all Alumni at their DCC prime!

Billie was a young married mother, that had recently moved to Dallas from Oklahoma City. Her husband was a huge Cowboys fan, and at one time, had a crush on a former DCC. It was 1979 and Amber was 2 years old. Billie’s neighbor was a former New Orleans Saints Cheerleader, who encouraged Billie to audition when they heard Ron Chapman’s advertisement on KVIL. She decided to go for it, even though her background was not in dance, it was more athletic. In fact, her sport was golf. She didn’t tell her husband until she had made it to the third round, which consisted of a quick dance and an interview. Back in the 70s, Finalists waited for a letter in the mail to let them know of their fate. Billie’s letter came, and it her life changed.

During the one year that she donned the uniform, she developed lifelong friends, and worked her tail off! Suzanne demanded a lot from the ladies. Not only in practice and games, but also in public. Billie was a DCC at the height of the sexual revolution, and Suzanne knew the importance of  the women representing the team, along with representing themselves.  The DCC had popularity and prominence in Dallas, which opened many doors for Billie. As a 5’3” woman, she started a career in modeling as a spokesperson at auto shows. Something she would have never had the opportunity to do, if she had not been a DCC. Being a cheerleader also gave her a new found confidence. She looks at her time with DCC as somewhat of a finishing school. With the expectations given, Billie moved out of her comfort zone to try new things. By the end of her tenure, she had established connections and was ready to move on to new things with her growing family, as she was pregnant with her 2nd daughter.

Fast forward to 1995. Amber was a Varsity Cheerleader at LD Bell High School. She grew up in awe of the DCC, and the reality that her mother had once performed on the sidelines. Being a part of the team was something that she had dreamt about, but going to college also filled her thoughts. At the end of her junior year, a friend from high school had made it to Training Camp, and eventually the squad. Seeing Melissa Valdez achieve the dream, became a catalyst. Amber shifted her focus and  became “all in”.

Billie hired a personal trainer for Amber, to help her change her eating habits and redefine her body. Amber also worked with drill team members to improve her dance skills. She was strategic in  planning for her auditions. She never felt pressure to be a legacy, or to follow in her mother‘s footsteps. However she did have people in her life that doubted her, which she used as her motivation. After all, she was a cheerleader and a gymnast, not a dancer.

Amber’s time on the team was unique. She cheered for two seasons, took six seasons off, and returned for two more seasons. Her first two years as a DCC, she says she was scared. She walked on eggshells, not wanting to make any mistakes. Amber worked day and night to hold on to choreography, and to maintain her physique. When she returned for her third and fourth season, she came with more confidence and the attitude of wanting to have fun. She had finished college, started a career and knew who she was as a young woman. Amber is grateful for having had the opportunity to return after so many years off. Re-auditioning in 2003, she felt that Judy, most importantly, had confidence in her, which allowed her to exhale and enjoy the journey.

Overall, Billie and Amber love the fact that they share something special. With a little over 700 alumni, it is meaningful that they are the first DCC legacy pair. They have enjoyed watching other mothers and daughters experience what they have done, and appreciate that each legacy brings something different to the team.

Shelly Boston Bramhall DCC ’89, ’90, ’94, ’95, ’96