Savannah Sullivan, a former Carrollton High School cheerleader who played an integral role in leading the Trojans to three state cheer titles, has found continued success at the University of Alabama where she recently helped the Crimson Tide cheerleaders claim another national championship.

The UA all-girls cheerleading squad took home top honors at the 2022 UCA and UDA College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championships held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando last month. It was the Tide’s third national title in the last seven years.

Earning the right to wear the Crimson and White uniform on the sidelines was no easy task for the 18-year old from Carrollton. Out of 400 applicants for an open spot on the Alabama football cheerleading team, she was one of two to be selected.

“I’ve been involved in competitive cheerleading since the 6th grade in Carrollton and being a Trojan cheerleader was something I always dreamed of even before then,” Sullivan said Tuesday during a class break in Tuscaloosa.

“And now cheering for the Crimson Tide in front of thousands of people at a school I’ve always loved is certainly a dream come true,” she said.

Sullivan gives much of the credit for her love of cheerleading and the success that she has earned to Elizabeth Sanders and Kelsey Shannon, her coaches while she was a Trojan cheerleader.

“They were extremely dedicated and supportive. Can’t say too much about how important they were to me,” she noted.

Sullivan said that her two most exciting moments thus far cheering at the University of Alabama for the perennial national champion contenders were her first game on Sept. 11 at Bryant-Denny Stadium and the moment in Orlando at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex last month when the Tide cheerleaders were awarded the national championship trophy.

“That first game was something else!” she said.

“Taking that first walk through the fans going to the stadium across campus, getting stopped and asked to have your picture made with them, and then being on the sidelines looking around at 100,000 cheering people is quite an experience,” Sullivan shared.

However, behind the scenes and away from the pomp and pageantry displayed to millions of fans in the stadiums and watching television at home, cheerleaders devote countless hours to conditioning and practice time. Including getting ready for games, cheering, and postgame, Sullivan estimated Saturdays during the fall last at least 12 hours.

“Cheering is bigger than yourself, actually, and it’s much more than fall Saturday afternoons and nights,” she added.

Looking ahead to the 2022 season, Sullivan says she plans to try out — there are no guaranteed spots — and will hopefully be back on the sidelines when Alabama kicks off Sept. 3 against Utah State at Bryant-Denney Stadium.

She is the daughter of Shane and Donna Sullivan of Carrollton.