Carmella steps “Out of Character” to talk SummerSlam and pro cheerleading
By Ryan Satin
FOX Sports WWE Analyst
The latest guest on "Out of Character" is F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S!
WWE Superstar Carmella joined me this week in honor of tickets to next month's SummerSlam event at Allegiant Stadium going on sale, and who better for that than a former NFL cheerleader?
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Prior to joining WWE, Carmella was a New England Patriots cheerleader for three seasons while attending college at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
Speaking of what that was like, Carmella had this to say on the podcast.
CARMELLA: "While I was going to UMass, I was like, ‘Should I join the dance team or the cheer team or something?’ Then I was like, ‘You know what? I’m just gonna try out for the New England Patriots!’
"On a whim, I went and tried out, and I ended up making it. Did that while I was in college, so it was a great little part-time job, and I really, really used that to my full ability of getting out of class all the time.
"Like, ‘Oh, actually, I’m gonna be at the Super Bowl this weekend, so I can’t make my test.'"
RS: "That’s such a good excuse to have in college!"
CARMELLA: "I mean, c’mon! In Boston, the New England Patriots are like royalty, so every single professor is like, ‘Oh my gosh, no problem! Take all the time you need.’
"I’m like, ‘I think I’m gonna need a month!’"
The former SmackDown Women’s champ also shared a pleasant story about meeting Tom Brady and Giselle Bündchen for the first time while working at a team party.
CARMELLA: "The owner of the Patriots, it was his 50th wedding anniversary, and they had it in the middle of the field at Gillette Stadium. There were like six or seven of us cheerleaders there who had to dress up in little cocktail dresses and welcome everyone coming to the big tent.
"By the way, Elton John was performing. No big deal.
"It was just wild. Anyone who was anyone was at this party.
"So I was stuck at the door greeting, like, ‘Welcome to the party,’ and Tom and Giselle, I saw them from so far away, and I was freaking out – more so over Giselle than Tom. But, obviously, Tom Brady is royalty in Boston — not anymore, but he was.
"Seeing them, I was just like, ‘Oh my gosh, how are you?’ And she’s like, ‘I’m good! How are you?’ With her little accent. They were so sweet and so nice.
"Every interaction I ever had with Tom Brady, he was just a class act."
After moving on from the Patriots, Carmella joined another legendary franchise in the Lakers by becoming a Laker Girl for the 2010-11 season.
Her most memorable experience there didn’t involve any players, though. It was with a famous actor instead.
CARMELLA: "This is a really embarrassing story. So when we first started, you had to film a little Laker Girl profile that they show during the game. Like, ‘Hi, I’m so-and-so, and this is my favorite movie, and this is what I like to eat.’
"I talked about my favorite actor being Will Ferrell because I just love him. I think he’s hilarious. ‘Step Brothers’ is one of my favorite movies ever.
"I’ll never forget: Will Ferrell was sitting courtside. So basically, say this is where Will Ferrell’s sitting [motions behind], I’m on the floor right in front of him. My back is on his knee. He’s right there.
"So I was freaking. I was like, ‘Oh, my god, I really hope they play my profile because he’s here, and he needs to know this.’
"Of course, they didn’t. So I was like, I’m gonna say hi to him. We’re not really allowed to interact with people sitting courtside, and we do all these costume changes every game.
"So after one of the costume changes, we made our way back to where we were sitting on the court, and I was like, ‘I’m gonna say hi to him!’
"I walk by and say, ‘Oh my god, Will, I’m such a big fan.’ And as I said that, I tripped over one of the big camera cords, and I fell! He’s trying to help me up, and I’m like, ‘This is so embarrassing!’
"My one little chance to tell him that I was a huge fan and I loved him, and I fell! Typical me. I’m such a klutz."
Circling back to this year’s SummerSlam, the card obviously hasn’t been finalized yet, but Carmella says she’s hoping to be on the show in a marquee match.
If need be, the self-proclaimed "Most Beautiful Woman In All Of WWE" is open to switching brands for the right opportunity.
RS: "If you could wrestle anyone [at SummerSlam], who would it be?"
CARMELLA: "That’s a great question! Well, if Bianca is still champion at that point, I would love to face Bianca. I haven’t had a title match against her, so I would love that.
"There’s really no one that sticks out 'cause I would love to face anyone, even maybe someone over on Raw.
"Like, maybe Rhea Ripley. That would be awesome. I’ve never wrestled her, so I could kick her butt."
Watch Carmella compete Friday nights on SmackDown LIVE at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.
Ryan Satin is a WWE analyst for FOX Sports. Satin previously appeared on FS1's "WWE Backstage" and founded Pro Wrestling Sheet, where he broke countless news stories as editor-in-chief.