Longtime New England Patriots cheerleader and cheerleading director, Tracy Sormanti, has been selected for posthumous induction into the team Hall of Fame as a contributor.
On Dec. 4, 2020, Sormanti passed away after losing her long battle with Multiple Myeloma. Tracy was with the Patriots for 32 seasons.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft announced today that longtime cheerleader director Tracy Sormanti has been selected for induction into the team's Hall of Fame as a contributor. She is the first woman to earn induction into the Patriots Hall. — Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) July 26, 2021
She’s still Breaking Ceilings
Sormanti is the first woman to garner induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame and will be just the third contributor. Patriots founder Billy Sullivan (2009) and radio broadcaster Gil Santos (2013) were also selected by the Kraft family for enshrinement.
“Tracy Sormanti was one of my first hires after I bought the team and, for the past 27 seasons, she was one of our greatest ambassadors,” Kraft said in a statement. “No one was more passionate about the Patriots and committed to using our brand to connect with fans than Tracy. She loved preparing her teams for their performances, both on and off the field, and did so with great compassion and conviction. Her countless contributions spanning the past three decades have entertained and positively impacted the lives of so many in our communities. It is an honor to select Tracy as a Patriots Hall of Famer and to know that her legacy will be preserved for generations to come.”
Here is the official press release on DL Richard Seymour and longtime Cheerleader Director Tracy Sormanti being inducted into the #Patriots @TheHall on October 23rd. – @wbz pic.twitter.com/oyoH1hDYqb — Dan Roche (@RochieWBZ) July 26, 2021
Sormanti’s light shown across the Globe
Sormanti was a Rhode Island native, her days with the Patriots go back to her birth but in 1983 as a cheerleader. Kraft as stated above hired Sormanti as the Patriots’ cheerleading director not long after purchasing the team in 1994. Over 27 seasons, Sormanti’s squads took part in ten Super Bowls, made “tens of thousands of community appearances and visited more than 30 countries. Including dozens of military USO tours to entertain our troops at military bases around the world. Serving as Patriots ambassadors on patriotic missions,” per the team statement.
Tracy Sormanti left a legacy of grace, dedication and love after 27 years leading the @PatsCheer squad. She was remembered by a handful of the hundreds of women who worked with her throughout the years. @Patriots https://t.co/fjCZe4jY5g — Tom Leyden (@TomLeyden) December 7, 2020
The team also announced that the team’s HOF induction ceremony for defensive lineman Richard Seymour also would be held on Saturday, Oct. 23 near the Patriots Hall of Fame. Seymour was initially due for induction in 2020, but the ceremony was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Featured Image via The Providence Journal/John Freidah