Rams will feature male cheerleaders for first time at Super Bowl
ATLANTA — No matter how the Los Angeles Rams fare against the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl on Sunday, they can take pride in the fact that in at least one area, they’ll be doing something never before done in Super Bowl history.
That’s right: the Rams are the first team to bring male cheerleaders to the Super Bowl.
When the Rams take the field Sunday night at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, they’ll be cheered on by a troupe that includes Quinton Peron and Napoleon Jinnies, the first male cheerleaders in the league’s history. The Rams and the Saints remain the only teams to field male cheerleaders.
As you’d expect in a league that relies heavily on tradition and what-has-come-before, to put it politely, Peron and Jinnies have faced far more than their fair share of questions, quizzical looks, and outright criticism. They knew that when they took the gig, and they’ve rolled with it all season.
“I caught some flack. But if this is what you want to do, then do it because it’s your life,” Peron told Reuters. “No one can live your life for you. Dream your dream, live your truth and if there’s something out there that you want to do, do it. Go out there, attack it and get it.”
Peron and Jinnies believe their presence on the team illustrates the diversity of a city like Los Angeles. You can imagine that male cheerleaders might not go over so well in certain other NFL cities. Regardless, they’re here, a visible sign of changing times, and now they’re on the biggest stage in American sports.
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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.
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