One year ago, HBCU graduate and Carolina Panthers cheerleader Brandi Hopson was pregnant. Today, she’s not only back on the sidelines of the NFL — she’s been selected to a huge honor.
The former WSSU cheerleader and current member of the TopCats Dance squad has been selected to represent the franchise in the Pro Bowl.
“Woke up in tears because I can’t believe this is real!” Hopson wrote on her Facebook page following the announcement. “So honored to have been selected as the Topcats 2025 Pro Bowl Cheerleader.”
The fact that Hopson is even back on the sidelines is amazing itself.
After spending her time at WSSU on the Powerhouse Cheer squad in the early 2010s, she tried out for the Carolina Panthers’ squad in 2015 but didn’t make it. She continued to work towards her goal, and in 2021 earned a spot on the TopCats team, balancing work and family with the demands of being on the squad.
This January, Hopson and her husband welcomed a son into the world prematurely. Both mother and baby recovered, and Hopson got back in the gym as the cheer and dance squad for the Carolina Panthers prepared for tryouts this spring. When the dust cleared, not only did she earn a spot on the squad again — she was named a captain.
This fall, Hopson’s worlds collided as the TopCats paid a visit to her HBCU, showing up to Bowman Gray Stadium to perform at halftime of the WSSU-Shaw game.
“It was a full-circle moment,” Hopson told HBCU Gameday after the performance. “Just happy to have both my families at my home — Winston-Salem State University — it’s’ the best feeling ever.”
Last week, Hopson got the chance to do it again — this time in Bank of America Stadium as the WSSU Powerhouse performed with the NFL squad once more.
“Sometimes I wonder what I’m doing,” Hopson said on her quick snap back into the life of an NFL cheerleader while balancing being a mother, a wife and an employee. “But it’s my passion, so I’m happy to be here.”
Now she’s headed to the Pro Bowl!
