Introducing the toughest guys in the Super Bowl. If you are thinking it must be the players, you are not even close!
The 53rd Super Bowl on Sunday night witnessed two teams walking out on to the field to contest. And guess what? Supporting them were male cheerleaders!
It was the first time ever that Napoleon Jinnies and Quinton Peron made history when they cheered and grooved on the sidelines with the LA Rams during America's most-watched TV event, LA Times reported.
The Rams duo became the first male cheerleaders in the NFL earlier this season, along with Jesse Hernandez of the New Orleans Saints
The Rams' legacy of pioneers literally danced their way into history during the football seasons. Peron is a professional dancer and choreographer. The idea of having male cheerleaders struck him during one Lakers game.
"I'm looking down at the Laker Girls and I thought, 'Why can't I do this?' " he said.
Jinnies, on the other hand, is a professional dancer and makeup artist who discovered the talent in him with friends dancing alongside him during a Disneyland show.
"We were just casually talking about auditions and I thought, 'Why not just show up?' " he said.
When the Rams play the New England Patriots at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the first male dance-style cheerleaders in the history of the NFL will become the first in the history of the Super Bowl, LA Times reported
"It's been an upwards journey of excitement,'' said Jinnies, 28. "It's been the perfect season."
Talking about inclusion, Peron said, "Whatever has been out there we've been able to take it, because we know who has our backs. Our family has our backs, our girls have our backs and the city of L.A., they've got us.''
"They're such phenomenal dancers, once people see them dance and perform it changes their mind about what they thought it would be,'' said Keely Fimbres, the Rams' director of cheerleaders and mascot. "Everything just flows.''
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It was the first time that any man had tried to make the cheerleading team even though there has never been a rule against it.
"He came home one day and said he was trying out for the Rams cheerleaders and I'm like, 'They'll let you do that?' " said Peron's mother, Sherry. "He said, 'It doesn't say I can't.' So I said, 'Go for it!' "
The men auditioned to be Rams cheerleaders last year and wooed the Rams officials with their dancing and interviewing skills. They quickly made it to the team. "They're not just incredible men, they're incredible people,'' said Sarah Scheade, one of the team's five captains. "We thought it would be so special if they could represent our city.''
Feature Image Credit: BBC
Read More Stories By Ria Das
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