WINCHESTER, Va. -- More than a decade after her three-year run as a Washington Commanders cheerleader was over, Heidi Van Voorhis never lost interest in the team. A mother of two working in marketing, she'd take her young family to Jack Kent Cooke Stadium whenever possible. At home in their small Virginia town west of Washington, she'd find the time to watch the team's games on TV.
She can close her eyes and still picture her daughter, a toddler, sitting on the floor and studying the sport on screen, growing more and more enamored by what she saw.