Courtesy

Just like most of the men they root for, professional cheerleaders retire early. Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Misty Duncan is only 28, but she's thinking this season will be her last as a member of the best-known cheer squad in professional sports. A San Antonio native, Duncan graduated from Churchill High School in 1997 and attended Texas A&M. She performed with the dance team at both schools and decided she wasn't done dancing after graduating with a degree in journalism. Can't make it to a Cowboys game to see her perform? You're in luck: The second season of the reality show “Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team” premieres Sept. 14 on CMT. The show chronicles the grueling four-month audition process that narrows down a field of more than 1,000 women into a squad of 36. She spoke with 210SA about her roots in San Antonio, where Cowboys training camp is scheduled through 2011, and life as a cheerleader.

So your fifth year cheering might be your last?
I'm thinking this might be my last year. It'll never be easy to retire, though. After I leave, I'd like to go into event planning or interior design.

What are people most surprised to learn about the squad?
Most people think we only work during football season, but we're busy all year round. Auditions are in April, and then we have training camp, so we don't select our final squad until the end of summer. We also perform at corporate events all year and overseas for the troops. I've been to Cuba, Korea and Northern Europe on three USO tours. Another thing is that we're all required to be either students or have full- or part-time jobs in addition to cheerleading.

You're a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader AND have a full-time job? Wow.
Yeah, I like to stay busy! I work in marketing and sales at a country club in Dallas. It works out — work during the day, rehearsals every night, and games are on Sunday.

Single or attached?
Single. The schedule makes certain things like dating challenging.

What's the worst part about being a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader?
Probably the long rehearsals. But I'd rather have a long, tiring rehearsal than go in there for 30 minutes and not look so good on the field.

Is there a lot of pressure to be thin?
It's not so much pressure — we all just want to look good in our uniforms, which are pretty demanding. The organization does expect us to stay at the weight we were at when we auditioned, though. But they offer lots of fitness training and yoga in addition to our regular rehearsals that help us keep in shape.

What's your favorite place in San Antonio?
I wish I had more time to get down to San Antonio. The River Walk's probably my favorite. It's such a great place to hang out.

OK, moment of truth: You're probably a Cowboys fan — but are you a Mavs fan?
Absolutely not. I'm a huge Spurs fan. And I constantly get heat for it because we have a lot of former Mavs cheerleaders who are now Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, so they always make fun of me wearing my Spurs gear.

Sarah Sumadi | 210SA