As military members and veterans will be honored at tonight's Salute to Service game, it will mean extra to Francesca Moore, a rookie on the Eagles Cheerleaders.

Like many on the roster, Francesca Moore has an impressive career off the field as well.

Francesca is currently obtaining a master's degree in nursing at Johns Hopkins University. She will serve a minimum of eight years as an active-duty military nurse upon graduation.

But for the Nashville native, going into the military wasn't always the plan.

"I did not know I was going to go into the military when I was growing up or even in high school, it wasn't really something on my radar," Moore said. "I had a cousin who went to West Point, and I have a lot of military family, and they really inspired me."

During her senior year of high school, Francesca toured the Air Force Academy and immediately fell in love with it. She was accepted into the school and began basic cadet training in 2019. She spent four years on active duty there, saying it was "one of the best experiences of my life."

Upon graduation, Moore was commissioned into the Air Force as a second lieutenant and began her nursing journey in Baltimore at Johns Hopkins.

While in graduate school, Francesca decided to take her shot and try out to be an Eagles Cheerleader.

"I've been a dancer my whole life and it has just been a lifelong dream to be an NFL cheerleader," she said. "It was a dream come true when I made the team. I think it's been really special to have a unique military background coming into the team."

While juggling nursing school and work may seem like a lot to handle, Francesca's time at Air Force has helped prepare her for whatever may be on her plate.

"I love staying busy, that's just how I operate, especially coming from a military academy where I had to balance a rigorous academic schedule as well as athletic events that we were required to do," Moore said. "I feel like I have a good handle on my schedule, so coming from Air Force Academy has really enabled me to handle the pressures right now and I think I do better when I'm busier."

With tonight's Salute to Service game, Moore talked about what it will mean to her to be on the field as a cheerleader while representing the military.

"It's incredibly humbling, especially to think about the people that have come before me. I think about my dad, grandfather, and a lot of my cousins who have served and I'm also proud to pave a way for military folks who have interests outside of their military career. As an Eagles Cheerleader, I'm hopefully showing women that you can be feminine and talented in other areas, but also have a strong career and be in the military. Those experiences are not mutually exclusive," she said.

As an officer, Francesca will be able to salute during the national anthem, standing with the her teammates in the end zone.

– Written by Liam Wichser