‘Security Guard’ Hijacks Cheer Team’s Dance Routine in Viral Video: WATCH
Whether you were looking for football recaps, epic dance videos or inspirational stories this past week, you most likely spotted Michael Galyean.
Galyean went viral when he posed as a security guard during the University of Tennessee's match against the Kentucky Wildcats, only to wow the crowd by falling into formation with the UT dance team during their halftime performance. He even earned a standing ovation.
Watch below:
Speaking to TODAY, Galyean shared the moment was a "bucket list" experience, one he hopes will inspire others.
It all started when University of Tennessee dance coach Kelley Tafazzoli reached out to Galyean with a wild idea.
"She reached out to me about 10 days before. I remember it was a Wednesday, and she texted me, 'Hey, the marketing team has this idea we want to do this little bit during the football game. We're still working out details, but would you be interested in doing some improv, some acting, and then dancing with the dance team on the field?'" Galyean revealed.
Galyean said he responded enthusiastically, joking to Tafazzoli, "I'm already in uniform. Where do I sign up? Let's go!"
On performance day, Galyean switched shirts with one of the real security guards manning the sidelines. Galyean said he had to pretend to be working the entire third quarter to keep the bit going. Standing on the sidelines, Galyean held his position until the dance team flocked around him.
"In my head, I was going, 'What am I doing? Are my knees going to break? Am I too old for this? They're going to hate me,'" the 40-year-old told TODAY.
Just before taking his cue from the music, Galyean recalled he "blacked out."
"When that first count hit and I broke into the routine, holy moly. And as a former cheerleader, I thought the crowd was cheering because the team was back on the field, and we scored a touchdown. I didn't realize I was on both Jumbotrons, and the whole stadium could see it," he told TODAY.
The original viral video, which was shared on the cheer team's Instagram and TikTok accounts, has been viewed more than 16.4 million times.
"It is everywhere. It's super exciting. I don't know much about TikTok, but that's the trend. That's what the kids are doing," Galyean told TODAY.
The dancer added he hopes to inspire others to chase their childhood dreams with confidence and passion, explaining that after he lost his job of 25 years, he decided to take a "full swing" at the things he wanted to do since he was 18.
"When you're 18, and this is what I'm trying to teach people ... 18 doesn't mean that you stop being a kid. You can still play dress up, still dance and still move," he said.
Galyean has since changed his Instagram profile to read: "Yes, I'm the Blue Shirt Guy, blocking a dance team near you!"