There have been many Japanese-born cheerleaders in the NFL. But Tomoko Kojima has arguably reached the highest point among them, mainly because she's been there longer than anyone and has truly been accepted as a core member.

But it took a while to build that status. Kojima, who has been on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' cheerleading team for six years, said that she felt she was "the frog in the well who does not know the ocean," for the first few years.

Her first season back in 2003 was an especially tough period, she recalled.