The roar of 100,000 fans inside Bryant-Denny Stadium blurred into a soft hum as Jaylee Howton’s world came full circle.
She had envisioned this exact moment since she was 3 years old — standing in the center of Saban Field as a Crimsonette with her parents watching proudly from the stands. She dreamed about it during countless hours of baton lessons back home in Fayette, Alabama. She cried over it during a disappointing setback during her freshman year. Finally, reaching the 50‑yard line, she smiled, soaking in a satisfaction more than a decade in the making.
“The first moment I stepped on the field, everything just kind of went silent,” Jaylee said. “It was a surreal moment for me because I dreamt about that day since I could hold a baton. I had chills all down my body. It was crazy, just being there and knowing that everything I had done up to that very moment was all completely worth it.”
Crimsonettes have become one of Fayette’s most celebrated exports, with Fayette County High School sending several of the nation’s top twirlers to Tuscaloosa. Jaylee was immersed in that tradition from an early age, as her mother put her in baton lessons at just 3 years old. From that point, the dream of donning crimson sequins on Saturdays never died.
“Really from the start, that had been the goal all my life,” Jaylee said. “It was always Alabama. It was here or nowhere.”
A Dream Deferred
Honing her craft through countless hours of tossing and twirling, Jaylee went on to earn a spot on Fayette County’s famed majorette line. After being accepted to UA, she came within touching distance of her dream only to see it temporarily slip through her fingers.
Jaylee still remembers the sinking feeling that followed her Crimsonette tryouts before her freshman year at UA. Sitting in the corner of Coleman Coliseum, she waited in increasing disappointment as the selections were announced one by one.
“Sitting there and not hearing my name called — it hurt,” Jaylee said. “It really changed my perspective on a lot of things. After I didn’t make it, I had an entire year to truly think about if this was still something I wanted to do.”
The following few months were tough. After not making the team, Jaylee spent much of the summer leading up to her freshman year sulking in her room. However, her dream didn’t die there. Spurred on by encouragement from her family and friends back home, Jaylee decided to get back on her feet and face her first year at UA with an added conviction.
“I had a lot of people rooting for me,” Jaylee said. “I feel like having that support and also knowing I had what it takes to do it was what pushed me to dig deep and keep trying.”
Finding Support on Campus
Jaylee’s grit to stay at UA and try again was strengthened not only by encouragement from her hometown, but also by the support of the Veteran & Military Affairs office. As a military dependent, she relied on VMA to help her navigate her benefits, giving her the freedom to focus on the parts of college that drew her to Alabama in the first place — academics, friendships, campus involvement and, eventually, the dream she had been chasing since she was 3 years old.
“Knowing that they’re a team dedicated to helping military-connected students kind of gave me peace of mind throughout admission and even coming into class and starting college as a whole,” Jaylee said. “They’ve always been reliable. Any questions I’ve ever had about benefits or paperwork or campus resources, they’ve always been super clear with giving me an answer and just being super helpful anytime I’ve ever had a question.”
With the majority of her tuition covered through her benefits, Jaylee was able to make the most of her college experience. That helped open the door for her to join Alpha Phi where she was able to build an even bigger support group on campus.
Her Second Chance
Unburdened by discouragement or distraction, Jaylee was able to fully invest in her journey at UA. With that clarity, she was able to devote herself to the work ahead of her while also renewing her passion.
“I feel like having that year away from it actually allowed me to fall in love with twirling again,” Jaylee said. “I just really worked hard to get back to the level I knew I could reach.”
Jaylee carried that energy into the Crimsonette tryouts the following spring. This time, she awaited selection call outs with an added confidence, trusting the hard work and perseverance that had brought her back to the moment.
Then she heard it.
Her name.
After a year of wondering whether the dream was still worth pursuing, Jaylee finally had her answer. She was a Crimsonette.
Stepping onto Saban Field months later, she carried more than a baton. She carried the weight of every practice, every encouraging word from home, and an entire campus of support.
