March 9 , 2005 Print this page

The Eagles Didn’t Win, but La Salle Student Kate Osman
Helped Cheer Them on at The Super Bowl in Jacksonville

Philly football fans usually don’t need anyone to help get them fired up, but this season, La Salle University sophomore Kate Osman wowed audiences as a rookie member of the Eagles cheerleading squad, and performed at Super Bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville.

Although the game ended in a heartbreaking Eagles loss, it was an extraordinary experience for Osman. In addition to cheering on the sidelines, her squad attended numerous events and parties.

“The entire trip was absolutely amazing. The number of Eagles fans in Jacksonville was unreal,” she said of the atmosphere.

A native of Pittstown, NJ, Osman learned about the Eagles’ tryouts through a teacher at her high school. She cheered competitively at Delaware Valley Regional High School, whose team won the state championship squad, which helped her prepare for the challenge of NFL cheering.

“I was always impressed with the talent, dedication and beauty of the girls, and I knew I want to be a part of that,” she said. Osman endured a grueling month-long tryout period that included four cuts. When she first heard that she made the team, she was overjoyed.

“Some of my friends changed to Eagles fans the moment that they found out. I think I might have called every number in my cell phone,” she said, and added that her mother saw her through the toughest spots. When her stepfather Ken Wieder got the news, he jokingly warned co-workers not to hang up the Eagles cheerleaders calendar in the office.

Being an Eagles cheerleader involves more than game-time performances. The team has appeared on The CBS Morning Show and Late Night with David Letterman, as well as at many charity events. Despite all the promotions she has done, Osman says the sheer rush of performing will never become routine: “The day I don’t get butterflies in my stomach and the chills down my spine is the day I know it’s time to hang up my pom-poms.”

Osman was also selected to the All-State softball team in high school, and currently plays outfield for Coach Joe DiPietro’s La Salle team. Last year, she started 19 games, and recorded nine hits and seven runs.

She also works as team manager for Phil Longo, La Salle’s head football coach. Maintaining such a schedule can be stressful, but she tackles her exhausting responsibilities with a smile.

“The football season runs into preseason softball, so I am trying to balance them both and keep up with my schoolwork. [My teammates] as well as my coaches backed me up throughout the entire process. They are supporting me even though I won’t be on the field as much as I was last season.” Osman says “cheerleading works more at flexibility and endurance, while softball works more at skills and technique.”

The Communication major plans to parlay her extensive athletic experience into a career as a sportscaster or sideline correspondent.

The Eagles fan in Osman takes the “always next season” mantra to heart. She plans on trying out for 2005-2006 squad in March. She speaks highly of the Eagles organization, and gives them credit for helping her accomplish her goals. “I was honored to be a part of the NFC Champion Eagles. Next year, I have no doubt they will be successful throughout the season.”

Although only 19, Osman maintains that 2004 has been “one of the greatest years of my life.”

-- Andrew Lazor