In August, the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders skilled backlash for including two male cheerleaders to their roster, sparking a league-wide dialog concerning the presence of males on skilled dance groups. Male cheerleaders have been a part of the NFL since 2018, when Quinton Peron and Napoleon Jinnies joined the Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders. Since then, the ranks have grown—within the 2025–26 season, 11 groups have each female and male performers.
Nonetheless, girls far outnumber males in NFL cheer. And whereas male cheerleaders face a singular set of obstacles, they’re additionally carving a path for themselves in skilled dance. Dance Spirit spoke to 2 of these cheer pioneers about discovering neighborhood, coping with negativity, and breaking boundaries.
Making the Crew
Sean Agustin, a rookie on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleaders, began his dance coaching at age 5. He competed in dance all through his teenagers and attended the College of South Florida, the place he was the primary male dancer on the USF SunDolls (he was nicknamed a “SunDude”).
After school, Agustin auditioned for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleaders and made the workforce on his first strive. He says he was motivated by the skilled dance world’s shift towards inclusivity. “Auditioning was about greater than making the workforce itself. It was about being a part of the change that’s taking place proper now,” he says.
Visibility Issues
Agustin emphasizes the significance of his visibility as a male NFL cheerleader. “Each time I step out on the sector, I symbolize one thing a lot greater than myself,” he says. “I’ve the chance to symbolize and encourage a younger male dancer who desires to pursue NFL sooner or later.” He provides that the traits present in nice performers aren’t restricted to individuals of 1 gender expression. “Expertise, onerous work, and keenness are usually not outlined by gender. They’re outlined by the person.”
5-time L.A. Rams cheerleader and three-time captain Jose Capetillo was on the Purdue Dance Crew in 2018 when he watched Peron and Jinnies be part of the Rams Cheerleaders. “Once I noticed Quinton and Napoleon make the workforce, I additionally noticed myself of their footwear,” recollects Capetillo. Now, he says he’s proud to function illustration for different dancers like him.
Energy in Numbers
Though their numbers are rising, male cheerleaders stay a rarity within the NFL. The small- but-mighty group of dancers has created a tight-knit neighborhood throughout the league to attach and uplift one another. “Once I first made the workforce, I had such robust assist from guys not solely on my workforce however from different groups throughout the league, who’ve turn out to be nice mates of mine,” says Capetillo. “At any time when one other man joins a brand new workforce or makes a workforce for the primary time, I try to be their greatest cheerleader as a result of I understand how far that assist actually goes.”
Dealing With Backlash
Capetillo acknowledges that being a male cheerleader comes with a darker aspect, one thing that he’s adjusted to over time. “Whereas I don’t really feel significantly affected by unfavorable feedback anymore, I did must construct as much as that,” he says. But it surely takes time, and people feedback have their results. “For some guys throughout the league, it is a new expertise. Simply because I’m okay doesn’t imply that everyone’s okay.”
He urges supporters to make use of their voices to uplift male cheerleaders and add positivity to the dialog. “It could be nice if individuals can be extra vocally supportive of us,” he says.
The Highway Forward
Wanting towards the way forward for skilled dance, Capetillo would really like for all professional cheerleaders to be appreciated for his or her athleticism and craft. “Lots of people can be shocked on the quantity of athleticism that really goes into the job that we do.”
Agustin is happy concerning the path the business is taking, and he encourages aspiring non-female dancers to blaze their very own paths within the dance world. “Don’t look ahead to permission or for another person to interrupt the mould. Be the primary if you must,” he says, including: “In the event you love to bop and also you like to carry out, simply belief and know that there’s a spot for you.”