Norwood Teen Lisa Willman Secures Spot as Patriots Cheerleader-July 28, 1979

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Lisa Willman wasn’t too enthusiastic about initially becoming a cheerleader for the New England Patriots. At least she wasn’t until she got cut from the squad during the first round of selections. “I had never not made a cheerleading squad before”, she said, “and after that first tryout, I decided that I really wanted to make it”.

Lisa Willman had been a cheerleader since junior high, having captained the Norwood Junior High South cheerleaders and served as captain of the Norwood High squad the previous year. “But I never really thought about being a cheerleader for the Patriots until this year”, she explained.

She attended the initial tryout on May 20 along with approximately 250 other hopeful candidates. When she was not initially chosen, Lisa Willman became deeply determined to make the grade. On June 3, a second tryout was held, and she impressed choreographer Bill Haggett enough to win a coveted spot on the squad. She was one of only twenty dancers selected, alongside ten gymnasts and twelve alternates.

“For a while I didn’t think I would make it”, she admitted. “Now I’m happy I did. I’ve met some really nice girls through the team”. The squad members ranged in age from eighteen to twenty-six, making Lisa Willman one of the youngest members on the roster after turning eighteen the previous March.

“It’s so much different from Norwood High“, she noted, observing that the Patriots cheerleaders functioned more like a professional dance company. “Cheerleading has come to dancing and gymnastics. You really have to put on a show.”

The group trained under Bill Haggett, whom she praised as the most talented man she had ever danced with. Rigorous practices were held at Boston University on Sunday afternoons and Wednesday evenings. Lisa Willman had already performed as a Patriots cheerleader during a Fourth of July parade, recalling that her mouth was sore from smiling so much.

In addition to her athletic background in high school gymnastics—where she choreographed floor exercises—she was also a member of the National Honor Society. Lisa Willman planned to attend Boston University in the fall to study theater arts and psychology, hoping to pursue a professional career in dance or theater. Since making the squad, she noticed changes in how acquaintances treated her, noting that strangers got very excited upon learning her affiliation.

Her debut performance before tens of thousands of fans at Schaefer Stadium was scheduled for August 12 when the Patriots played the Los Angeles Rams. Despite the massive audiences, she remained completely unfazed. “I’m not nervous at all”, she stated, adding that she thrives on performing before huge crowds because the bigger the crowds, the better. Her mother, who had also been a high school cheerleader, expressed full confidence in her talented daughter, affirming that Lisa Willman was never one to get rattled by the spotlight.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger