March 21, 2019 at 08:57PM
It's been 40 years since former Tennessee cheerleader Angie Troutman Lyle, cheered on basketball greats such as Bert Bertelkamp, Reggie Johnson, Steve Ray and Gary Carter. Now she cheers on another generation of UT's finest basketball players from the comfort of the lake house she shares with her husband, Chuck.
She was a member of the squad that cheered on the Vols to the SEC Tournament championship in 1979. She remembers the energy being "off the charts" that season as the Vols won game after game.
"It was such an honor to cheer for and represent the school that I loved. Our squad had a great camaraderie and I'm grateful for the opportunity that I was given," she said. "While in the moment, we did what needed to be done, and looking back later, I realize how extremely blessed I was for the opportunity."
A cheerleader at Fulton High, she graduated in 1977 and was honored as Miss Fulton High. Having watched UT football games since she was 6 years old, Tennessee was the only school she ever wanted to attend. She cheered at UT her sophomore through senior years (before students could cheer as freshmen), and this is where she met and later married Chuck Lyle, who also cheered for the Vols.
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Through the experience of being a college cheerleader, she learned to be an advocate, to work as a team, to be a listener, be an ambassador for the university, set goals and meet deadlines. As a co-captain, she learned to be a servant leader. All of these qualities she carried into her adult life.
She was named an All-American cheerleader and was featured in the 1979-80 Tennessee basketball media guide. The honor was given by the National Cheerleaders Association, which was founded by Lawrence "Herkie" Herkimer, the creator of the Herkie cheerleading jump, in 1948.
The National Cheerleaders Association hosted cheer camps in the summer to bring cheerleaders from across the country together to learn skills with qualified instructors.
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It was while in college that she was led to the Lord by Chuck Lyle and became a Christian. Faith is the foundation for her life, and it was the most memorable time of her college years. It is the faith she has seen in this current team that she enjoys watching.
"This team has such a great stage presence. I love to hear them give glory to God during interviews."
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Grant Williams, Lamonte Turner and Admiral Schofield are three of her favorite players on this UT team. She loves the heart of the team and how they have done such a great job making people feel like they are also part of the team and their success.
She predicts that the Vols will go far in the NCAA Tournament. "It's very exciting. They're gonna rock it!"
"We had a saying when I cheered at Tennessee. 'Gumba.' It meant 'go for it'. We had nothing to lose and everything to gain." Her rally cry for this UT team is "Gumba!" Go for it, Tennessee!
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