Melissa Rycroft is easily one of the most famous cheerleaders out there. She was hugely renowned when she performed with the Dallas Cowboys, even appearing on the CMT reality TV series Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team. However, that doesn’t even skim the surface of what Rycroft has done in her life.
Melissa Rycroft also participated as a bachelorette on the 13th season of The Bachelor. She made it to the finale, but it wasn’t meant to be. Today, she has three children. While she focuses on raising them, that doesn’t stop her from appearing on various shows like Dancing with the Stars. Currently, Rycroft is worth $1.5 million.
Jamie Andries is extremely young. At only 24 years old, she's made a name for herself in the world of cheer. She's a long-time Cheer Athletics Cheetah cheerleader who became a World Champion and NCA Champion in 2012. She was 15 at the time! Now that’s some major skill, and there are no signs of her slowing down.
When she isn't actively signed up for tournaments and competitions, Andries is a season regular (and lead role for season three) of the web series Secret Diary of an American Cheerleader. It’s also worth noting that she’s an influencer on Instagram with over 413,000 followers. She hasn’t cheered for an NFL team yet, but there’s still plenty of time for this star. Her current net worth is $1.5 million.
The fact Gabi Butler was a cheerleader isn’t that surprising. She gained national recognition after appearing in the Netflix original Cheer. What is surprising is that she’s one of the richest cheerleaders in the world, and she never actually played for an NFL team. We’d ask if there’s a coincidence, but everyone knows NFL cheerleaders don’t really get paid well.
Gabi Butler has worked hard to cultivate a brand for herself. She’s been cheerleading since she was just eight years old. During this time, Butler has gained a reputation for being flexible and having a great talent for flying. Thanks to her show and other various appearances, she has a net worth of $13 million.
Tiffany Fallon is certainly beautiful. She has made a name for herself by posing for Playboy. She even was named Playmate of the Month for December in 2004 and then Playmate of the Year in 2005. That wasn’t how she started, though! Instead, she began her career cheerleading for the Atlanta Falcons.
Well, technically, she was a flight attendant before she was a cheerleader. We can see it! Wonder if she used pom-poms to tell people where the exits were. Fallon wasn’t a cheerleader for long, but apparently, it was long enough to get her name out there. Today, her net worth is up to $2 million.
Brandi Redmond has made a name for herself appearing in The Real Housewives of Dallas (even if the show's cancellation is rocking fans all over the United States). Before showing up on RHOD, Redmond was a cheerleader. Naturally, she cheered on the Dallas Cowboys. She spent five seasons with the team, so it was clearly something she loved.
After some time, it was time to move on and begin her career. Today, she’s spending her free time raising her two children with her husband, Bryan Redmond. The two met in high school and have been together ever since. Along with her RHOD appearances, Redmond also has a fashion line, Brandi Lane, which has boosted her net worth to be an estimated $4 million.
Camille Kostek is easily one of the most successful cheerleaders out there. She started cheering in high school but moved on to cheering for the New England Patriots at the age of 20. Thanks to being on the team, Kostek landed on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Calendar in 2014. That gave her a number of opportunities including visiting China as a Patriots ambassador.
There, she performed routines and taught youth cheer clinics. Eventually, she retired and moved on to co-hosting programs on ABC, CBS, and Fox affiliate channels in New England. She also tried modeling and acting, including a supporting role in Free Guy with Ryan Reynolds. Her net worth is currently $3.4 million.
Most of us know who Paula Adul is, but did you know she was also a cheerleader? Abdul began her career as a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers at the young age of 18. Soon, she climbed the ladder to be a choreographer for the Laker Girls. That was where she was discovered by The Jacksons. From there, it was all about designing choreography for Janet Jackson.
At the height of her popularity, Abdul decided to do her own thing and was signed into Virgin Records. Her debut album, Forever Your Girl, became one of the most successful debuts of that time. It sold seven million copies in the United States alone. She continues to perform her music today in Los Vegas. Abdul is worth a whopping $30 million.
Oh, Phyllis! Office fans know her as Bob Vance’s wife (of Vance Refrigeration). Looking at her, no one would suspect that one of our very own Dunder Mifflin employees was a cheerleader. But it turns out there’s more to the story. She apparently used to be a cheerleader and a burlesque dancer!
During the ’70s and ’80s, she was a cheerleader for the St. Louis Cardinals. It was something she continued from high school. Along the way, she started burlesque dancing but was forced to quit both after a knee injury. We’re kind of glad because her quips in The Office were gold. She currently has a net worth of $4 million. We clearly have a lot to learn in this town…
Leah Van Dale is more famous as Carmella nowadays. It seems pretty popular for ex-cheerleaders to become WWE stars, doesn’t it? Before stepping into the squared circle, she was a cheerleader for the New England Patriots for a whopping three seasons, ending her tour with the team in 2010. Along with that, she was also a Laker Girl from 2010 to 2011. After doing her duty on the dance team, she signed a deal with the WWE in 2013.
There, she became one of the most popular female wrestlers on the roster. In 2017, she was the winner of the inaugural women’s Money in the Bank ladder match. In 2018, she became the first woman in WWE history to successfully cash in her Money in the Bank opportunity when she defeated Charlotte Flair in the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship. Carmella has accumulated a $1 million net worth.
Stacy Keibler was hugely famous in WWE, but before that, she was a cheerleader for the Baltimore Ravens in 2000 when she was just 18 years old. Along the way, she also had a few modeling jobs and wrestling gigs. However, wrestling always had her heart, so she left cheerleading to work full time with WWE.
Keibler also landed in the public eye when her relationship with George Clooney broke. The couple didn’t work out, but wow, they were beautiful together! Keibler retired in the late ’00 from wrestling and moved on to making sporadic appearances in various shows like Dancing with the Stars, How I Met Your Mother, and even Maxim a few times. Today, she has a net worth of $25 million.
Sydney Durso has certainly gained a lot of experience underneath her belt. During her grade school years, Durso loved dance whether it was ballet or gymnastics. She even performed in several plays, most notably being the Nutcracker for over five years. However, all that changed at a dance competition in Denton, Texas.
Durso was approached by one of the judges after her performance, who encouraged her to try out for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleading squad. She spent several seasons with the DCC before moving on to the Dallas Mavericks Dancers. She was only with the Mavs for one season before officially hanging up her pom-poms. Currently, her net worth sits at $900,000.
(Image via Ronald Martinez/Getty Images Sport/Getty Images; Twitter)
One of the most famous cheerleaders around is Carly Manning. Almost immediately, she stole the spotlight when she became the youngest All-Star World Champion in history. The awards kept racking up as she cheered for dozens of competitions. While she never cheered for an official NFL team, she's certainly someone to keep an eye on.
After her time cheering, she became an All-Star Director at Mustang Cheer, where she heads a program of 125 athletes and six teams. On her debut, she led her team to numerous championships and wins. Manning’s net worth sits at $15 million, but that’s a number that’s just going to grow over time.
Kayla Oberg Keller didn’t expect to become one of the most famous cheerleaders out there. Keller is now a mother, blogger, and fashion designer, but her career began when she was dancing for the Phoenix Suns. For a bit, she flew under the radar until she was chosen to appear in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit NBA dancer issue.
Being an NBA dancer was always in her heart, and she stuck around for four years cheering on the team. Thanks to that, she had the confidence to show up at the photoshoot. However, she started getting noticed getting groceries and doing normal daily activities. Now, her time with the Suns is behind her, but her pride and self-confidence aren’t going anywhere. Her net worth is currently $71,400.
You may not know Moon Bloodgood by name, but you certainly remember some of the movies she's been in. Her most iconic was Blair Williams in Terminator Salvation, but she also appeared in Faster, The Sessions, and Eight Below. She also took a stint appearing in TV shows like NCIS: Los Angeles, Falling Skies, and Code Black.
Before turning to acting, Bloodgood was a cheerleader for the LA Lakers. She was just 17 at the time, but she didn’t let her age stop her from rising to stardom. By 2005, she also appeared in Maxim Magazine as the 52nd “Hottest Girl of 2005.” Currently, Bloodgood’s net worth sits at $3 million.
Dianna De La Garza has a lot to be proud of. Younger folks may recognize her as Demi Lovato’s mom, but she’s so much more than that. When she was younger, De La Garza was a professional cheerleader for the Dallas Cowboys. She performed several times but wanted something more, so she left to become a country music star.
Along the way, she also tried her hand at acting in a small role in Carver's Gate. Still, country music was her calling. She began performing with huge stars like George Strait, Reba McEntire, and Hank Williams, Jr. De La Garza also has another daughter, Madison De La Garza, who was a series regular on Desperate Housewives. Dianna De La Garza’s net worth is $4 million.
Apollonia Kotero is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful women that have ever lived, so it isn’t a huge shocker that she was once a cheerleader. In the early ’80s, she spent a bit of her time cheering on for the Los Angeles Rams, but her acting career was calling. She began acting in shows like CHiPs, Tales of the Gold Monkey, Fantasy Island, Knight Rider, and many others.
Of course, that isn’t what most of us know her from. Kotero’s most famous role was opposite Prince in the 1984 film Purple Rain. She was also the lead singer in the girl group Apollonia 6 (named after her, of course). Prince’s muse now spends her time enjoying life, and what a life she has! Thanks to her notable appearances, she has an estimated net worth of $4 million.
Bonnie-Jill Laflin is an actress, model, and sportscaster, but she’s had tons of experience everywhere. Not only was she a cheerleader for the Golden State Warriors, but she also was a former cheerleader for the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys. Talk about making a career out of your skills!
Now, those days are far behind her, but she’s looking forward. Laflin made history when she became the first female NBA scout for the Los Angeles Lakers. For a moment, she was also a morning-show personality for KNBR. Today, Bonnie-Jill Laflin can boast that she has a net worth of $1 million.
Does this woman have a familiar face? She should! Especially if you’ve watched any top shows in the last 20 years. Sarah Shahi has appeared in several top shows, including The L Word, Alias, Life, Fairly Legal, and Person of Interest. However, she got her start cheerleading for the Dallas Cowboys.
Shahi joined the Dallas Cowboys squad after never cheerleading before, so she had some talent. That being said, she only lasted around a year before she left the team to move to Los Angeles to follow her dream of becoming an actress. Today, her net worth is estimated at $3 million big ones!
Emily Harper is famous in her own right, appearing in 434 episodes of the soap opera Passions from 2004-2008. While that's where she made most of her dough, she was first spotted as a Laker Girl for the Los Angeles Lakers. Her time with the team lasted from 2000 until 2003 when she decided to move on to become the star she knew she was destined to be.
After Passions, she took a break from acting. The only project she's had since then was a comedy called Bachelorette Weekend, but that was put on pause soon after the announcement. She's also appeared on a few talk shows to talk about her time as a Lakers Girl and a soap opera star. Today, Emily Harper has a net worth of $5 million.
(Image via Maury Phillips/WireImage/Getty Images; IMDb)
Kiana Tom is a fitness instructor today, but what was her beginning? A cheerleader, of course! For two seasons, she cheered on the Oakland Raiders and their fans. However, cheerleading wasn’t her main goal. She was all about fitness. In 1995, she started Kiana’s Flex Appeal, which is where most of her fame comes from.
The ESPN show was all about lifestyle, health, and fitness. It was one of the most popular shows on the network, so it launched a series of other spin-offs, including Kiana’s Too Fit 2 Quit, Summer Sizzle with Kiana, and Hot Summer Nights with Kiana. During this time, she somehow found time to star in Cyber Bandits and Universal Soldier: The Return. Tom now has a net worth of $1 million.
For most of us, we see Charisma Carpenter’s face and think, “oh! Buffy!” She played Cordelia Chase in both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel for almost 10 years. Honestly, she was one of our favorite characters, and her peppiness from her cheerleading days is pretty clear throughout the show. After all, she’s Angel’s cheerleader from time to time.
In 1991, before she started acting, she was a cheerleader for the San Diego Chargers. Then, a year later, she moved to Los Angeles. That was where she was discovered. It started with twenty-something commercials, and her career is still going! Today, she has a net worth of $4 million.
Lisa Guerrero has seemingly done it all. She’s an investigative journalist, keynote speaker, actress, sportscaster, host, model, and now, add that she was a cheerleader, too! All of that began when she started to become a cheerleader in the 1980s. She danced for the Los Angeles Rams, but she didn’t stay there long.
Afterward, she became the Entertainment Director for the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots. She also started acting in shows like Frasier, The George Lopez Show, and In the Heat of the Night. Sports called back to her when she began working on Monday Night Football. With all this, it’s no surprise her net worth is now around $30 million.
Judy Trammell is another Dallas Cheerleader that went from cheering the team on to a major role on the franchise. When she was younger, Trammell loved to tap, pom, and jazz dance. She was also on the drill team. It wasn't until the '80s that she joined the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader.
Before long, she was the group leader. However, Trammell wanted to do more. In 1984, she became the assistant choreographer of the DCC. Come 1991, she was promoted to head choreographer where she has a direct influence over what goes on within the team she started cheering with in the very beginning. Today, her net worth is estimated at $1.6 million.
Before Teri Hatcher became a household name, she was a Gold Rush Girl! Who knew? All the way back in 1983, Hatcher was a cheerleader for the 49ers. Back then, the cheerleaders for the team were known as the Gold Rush. She even went to the Super Bowl with the team in 1984 to shake her thing.
Soon after that, she started acting. In 1985, she started acting on The Love Boat as Amy. Shortly after that, she had a great run while starring in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Today, she’s one of the wealthiest former cheerleaders out there with a net worth totaling $50 million.
(Image via Instagram; Bob D'Amico/Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty Images)
Cheering and dancing were always something Kelli Finglass has been into. From a young age, she was strutting her stuff, and even continued her studies in Modern Dance at Texas Christian University. Her dream came true when she became a member of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders from 1984 until 1989.
Apparently, Finglass was the first cheerleader to be invited back without having to go through the customary audition process. After retiring as a cheerleader, she became an assistant director for the group and would eventually become the director of the Cheerleaders. From there, she's created and refined the brand to be everything it is today. Today, she has a net worth of $1.5 million.
Jenilee Harrison became famous for being Suzanne Somers’s replacement on Three’s Company in 1980. She was also a recurring character in Dallas! However, before breaking into show biz, she was a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Rams. Unlike many others on this list, she was a cheerleader for two years!
From the ’80s and ’90s, Harrison appeared in a few different shows, including The Love Boat, Murder She Wrote, and That ‘70s Show. Today, she’s retired from acting and spending most of her time raising her children from her husband’s previous marriage. Her net worth has an estimated net worth of $3 million.
You got that right! The former president of the United States George W. Bush cheered his way through high school. Can you imagine having a future president on your cheer team? He went to high school at the preparatory school Philips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. He would graduate in the late ‘60s.
His cheerleading didn’t end there, though! When he enrolled at Yale University, he would also cheer there and join Delta Kappa Epsilon, serving as the president of the fraternity during his senior year. This ex-Commander in Chief had a lot of school spirit to show off. In 1968, he graduated from Yale. He now has a net worth of $40 million, putting him way at the top of the list.
(Images via Wikipedia; Brooks Kraft LLC/Sygma/Getty Images
