Former Russellville cheerleader finds success on Ole Miss squad

By Staff
Scot Beard
As a freshman at Russellville High School, Annie Williams was looking for an after school activity she would enjoy.
She had taken gymnastics classes before, so she thought cheerleading might be a good fit.
"I've been taking gymnastics since I could walk and I have gone to cheer camps since I was little, so I thought cheering was something I could do," Williams said.
She was right. After graduating from Russellville in 2004, she spent two years cheering at Northwest-Shoals Community College.
"I just want to thank Donna Green at Northwest-Shoals for the chance to cheer for the Patriots," Williams said.
Williams said she learned quite a bit during her time with the Patriots, and the experience helped prepare her for the transition to the next stage of her cheering career.
Williams said she wanted to cheer in the Southeastern Conference for a long time and Ole Miss provided her with the chance to fulfill that dream. But first she would have to learn a new way of cheering.
"At Russellville and Northwest-Shoals it was all girl," Williams said. "So about three months before the tryouts I began to stunt with guys."
Her efforts worked and Williams began to suit up for the Rebels, but cheering with guys was not the only adjustment she had to make.
Williams quickly found out that cheering at a major university is a major commitment. The workout schedule was different that what Williams had experienced at Russellville and Northwest-Shoals.
She had practice three days a week and also had three workout sessions per week.
"We were lifting weights in the morning like the football team does," said Williams.
But the biggest difference for Williams was the crowd. She said cheering in front of the large crowds that are associated with SEC football was an exhilarating experience.
As a Rebel cheerleader Williams was able to visit several SEC towns but none of them could match the fun of a Saturday at Ole Miss.
"Everybody tailgates," Williams said. "But there is nothing like tailgating on the Grove."
While at Ole Miss, Williams worked hard in both the classroom – she is majoring in Pharmacology – on the athletic fields.
For all of her hard work, the Old Miss coaching staff named Williams the 2007-08 Most Valuable Cheerleader. She was also named an All-American Cheerleader and was featured on the cover of Invitation Oxford magazine for her hard work and dedication to Ole Miss cheerleading and her volunteer work.
"It was so exciting," Williams said of her honors. "I didn't expect it. I tried to go out and give it my all. I guess the coaches saw that. It was unbelievable."
Williams said one of the biggest honors was being selected to compete in the Rebels first trip in 15 years to the Universal Cheer Association National Championships at Disney World.
"The coaches chose seven girls and nine guys based on tumbling and stunting skills," Williams said. "We finished 14th out of about 36 teams."