Former New England Patriots cheerleader director Tracy Sormanti is about to take her rightful place among team legends on Saturday, when she will posthumously be honored with induction into the team’s Hall of Fame as a contributor.
Sormanti, who had been in her 32nd season of service with the Patriots, passed away on Dec. 4, 2020 after a three-year battle with multiple myeloma. She is the first woman to earn induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame and becomes just the third person to be selected by the Kraft family as a contributor. As such, Sormanti will join Patriots founder Billy Sullivan (2009) and Gil Santos (2013), the longtime radio voice of the New England Patriots.
Shortly after announcing her future enshrinement in late July, Patriots owner and CEO Robert Kraft spoke glowingly about Sormanti’s contributions to the organization, saying:
“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. 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.”
The late Rhode Island native first joined the organization in 1983 as a Patriots cheerleader. She was a member of the Patriots cheerleading squad from 1983-84 and again from 1991-93. Sormanti concluded her cheerleading career by representing the Patriots at the 1993 Pro Bowl. Shortly after Kraft bought the team in 1994, he named Sormanti the Patriots cheerleader director. Over 27 seasons, Sormanti's squads performed at 10 Super Bowls, made tens of thousands of community appearances and visited more than 30 countries on dozens of military USO tours to entertain our troops at military bases around the world, serving as Patriots ambassadors on patriotic missions.
Sormanti will be enshrined in Saturday's ceremony, along with former Patriots defensive end Richard Seymour. Seymour was selected (via fan vote) as the 30th member of the Patriots Hall of Fame in May 2020. The outdoor-event is free and open to the public. Fans of all ages are welcome and encouraged to attend. The program will begin at 3:00 PM in the Enel Plaza, directly next to the Hall’s entrance. The Patriots Hall of Fame is presented by Raytheon Technologies, and is located adjacent to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts.
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