NC: Were you a slow transitioner or a big chopper and why?
DD: I was a slow transitioner! I actually transitioned during my last season as a cheerleader for the Indianapolis Colts while wearing a weave. This process made the most sense to me. Since I was already a part of a squad, a drastic change to my look would have been difficult to do during the NFL season. After the season I rocked my natural hair and about eight months later, I cut off the remaining relaxed ends.
NC: What has been your greatest challenge transitioning?
DD: My greatest challenge transitioning was learning how to take care of my hair. My hair was very damaged while I wore a relaxer and I dealt with a lot of breakage and shedding. Once I went natural, my hair was much healthier but I had no clue how to moisturize or style it. I had a couple of friends who were natural, but I mostly relied on YouTube and blogs like Curly Nikki and NaturallyCurly to help me!
NC: How does your hair affect your persona on the field? Is that different now that you’re natural?
DD: Well, I hope that I make the squad and I can tell you how it feels to be natural on the field!! But, hair can be a huge aspect of cheering on the field. Whipping your hair and flipping it around is all a part of being an attractive and sexy performer in the field. I definitely felt confident during my time with the Indianapolis Colts with my long hair and pretending that I was Beyonce! I hope that if I make the squad, I can maintain that level of confidence and inspire other women that you can be beautiful by rocking your naturally gorgeous look!
