Growing up watching her three older sisters dance, Cassidy Ritter decided to follow in their footsteps.
She trained in all different styles — ballet, tap, and jazz. Dance has always been her passion. Now, she's representing the Eagles on Tuesday night as their Pro Bowl Cheerleader in 2026 as voted by her teammates.
"This is the biggest honor that an NFL cheerleader could have," Cassidy said. "Our team is talented in many different ways, whether that's representing the organization as global brand ambassadors or performing in front of 70,000 fans. Additionally, we all have very impactful careers off the field. It's just a complete honor to be able to represent us as a whole at the Pro Bowl.
"It's difficult to put into words. I feel that growing up in New Jersey, especially Central Jersey, there are fans of several different teams, but I think Philadelphia is just so unique. Our fans are so passionate. The energy on gameday is just unimaginable. It's truly electric. I plan to bring that unmatched passion with me to San Francisco for the Pro Bowl games."
Cassidy is in her third year with the Eagles and second as a captain. Last year started for her in Brazil as part of the NFL's first-ever game in South America and ended on Bourbon Street as the Eagles captured their second Super Bowl. Being an Eagles Cheerleader has been a terrific experience for Cassidy, but that's far from her only title.
Cassidy earned her undergraduate degree at Rutgers in Psychology and then pursued her Master's in Elementary Education and Special Education. She is now a special education teacher in her hometown of Sayreville, New Jersey, working in the same school she grew up attending.
"I truly get the best of both worlds, especially working with the Eagles Autism Foundation," Cassidy said. "Anytime that there's an All-Abilities Clinic, I always make it a priority to be an instructor because it combines both of my passions.
"I've made relationships with many of the participants. Getting to serve the special needs community as both a cheerleader and a teacher is really special."
Given Cassidy's involvement with the Eagles and in the neurodiverse community, a lot of parents at the school have come to her with questions about the Eagles Autism Foundation. It has been a way for Cassidy to connect her two loves, and she's eager to continue to do so as the Eagles' 2026 Pro Bowl Cheerleader.
"It's amazing, and now I feel like I have many parents at school questioning and inquiring more about it [like] how they can get involved as well, how they can involve their kids," Cassidy said. "It's just so nice because many times I hear parents be like, 'Oh, I really want to get them involved in this or this activity, but I don't know how they're going to react, and I don't know how they'll respond, and I don't know who the person that's working with them, if they know how to handle them properly.'
"I feel Eagles Autism Foundation and the clinics and all of the amazing things that they do provide an outlet for these parents and these families where they can send their kids, and they can feel safe and they have the same opportunity as their neurotypical peers." — Written by Matt Ryan
