NFL team, the Los Angeles Rams, have announced that two men will be joining their cheerleading squad which will make them the first in NFL history to include men on a cheerleading team! Some teams in the NFL have stunt teams that do include men, but the LA Rams will be the first to have male cheerleaders.
Napoleon Jinnies and Quinton Peron auditioned for the Rams cheer team and were among 76 finalists. Both California natives, Jinnies and Peron are classically-trained dancers and have a repertoire of performance experience.
Not only will Jinnies and Peron be stepping into a new role that has never been seen on a professional football cheer team, but they will undoubtedly be faced with criticism by fans who will probably not be ready to check their macho asses at the door (women included). Cheer teams with strong male members really excel—have you ever been to a competition? Those skinny girls fly way higher with a beefy male cheerleader at the base.
The new additions and cheer captain Emily Leibert sat down with the folks at Good Morning America to talk about the great news.
Peron shares that he was at a Lakers game when he had the thought :
'Why not me? Why can't I do this?' And called my friend and I asked her when auditions were for the Rams and she told me Sunday [March 11] and I showed up.
Jinnies shared that the audition process was very intense:
They were unlike anything I've ever been to. I'm used to getting a call after or an email. This one was about three weeks long and we had a bunch of rehearsals in between and an extensive interview process, but it was really humbling and amazing to be invited every time you came back.
Take a look at their interview on Good Morning America:
h/t: Good Morning America
