When the Los Angeles Rams secured their spot in Super Bowl 53, they ensured at least their cheerleaders would make history.
As members of the Rams’ spirit squad, Quinton Peron and Napoleon Jinnies, will be the first men to perform with an NFL cheerleading team during a Super Bowl.
When the Rams’ spot in Atlanta was official, the two went on Twitter to share the upcoming historic moment.
Men on the field with all-women squads is not new. Both the Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts have men who help the female cheerleaders with stunts, but Peron and Jinnies are the only men who dance with the women, performing all the same moves.
The two men — both classically trained dancers — and their coach, Emily Leibert, told "Good Morning America" on Thursday that going to the Super Bowl feels "like a fairy tale," but it's a result of hard work, ABC News reported.
“It's been a crazy 10 months. Dancing hard and really engaging with our community and our team and supporting our players," Jinnies said on “GMA.” "I can't believe that we made it to this point, so I'm pretty sure it's showing off that we've been working pretty hard."
When asked in 2018 why they decided to try out for the squad, Peron said: "I thought, 'Why not me? Why can't I do this?' "
And now that it’s a reality, Peron said he has noticed other guys showing an interest in dancing and cheering.
"I think we can both say that we've been reached out to by so many men that are so excited to try out, not just men our age but young men trying out for the junior high school cheer team, and it's exciting to see this change," he said on the morning show Thursday.
Look for Peron and Jinnies on the sidelines and the field when the Rams battle the New England Patriots on Feb. 3 in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
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