Celebrities Who Were Professional Cheerleaders: Sarah Shahi, Teri Hatcher, Phyllis Smith and More

Credit: Shutterstock (2)

Celebrities Who Were Professional Cheerleaders: Sarah Shahi, Teri Hatcher, Phyllis Smith and More

Root for the home team! Sarah Shahi, Teri Hatcher and Phyllis Smith are among the few celebrities who were professional cheerleaders before making it big in Hollywood. Shahi — who made the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader roster in the late 1990s in her home state of Texas — used her time on the field as training for being an actress. “It was very competitive I will say that, it was a great learning experience at the same time,” the Sex/Life star told Fox411 in April 2016. “Those cheerleaders make show business look like babies foreplay. They weigh you to the 100th of a pound. If you're above your goal weight you have to sit outside of that week's game.” The Rookie alum recalled that when the team took water breaks “the veterans go first,” noting that the squad was “not a democracy.” Shahi continued: “With all that being said, I'm not trying to paint them out to be villainous in any way. I learned a great deal about what it's like to be disciplined and rehearse. We rehearsed for eight hours a day every single day and I was a full-time college student. To be able to have that kind of foundation going into Hollywood was fantastic.” [jwplayer B1naxdHv-zhNYySv2] Smith, for her part, was one of the first round of NFL cheerleaders for the St. Louis Cardinals’ squad when she joined in the 1970s. (The Cardinals team, which had its first cheer team in 1964, later moved to Arizona and became the Arizona Cardinals. The Rams played in St. Louis from 1995 to 2015 before relocating to California and morphing into the Los Angeles Rams.) “I auditioned for the Municipal Opera of St. Louis. Out of that audition the lady, who was also the choreographer for the St. Louis Cardinal cheerleaders, asked me to audition for the cheerleading squad — and I made it!” The Office alum told Yahoo! Entertainment in September 2012. “It was just the perfect job for me at the time.” The former OA actress added: “I really enjoyed it because I loved football, so I was able to watch the game, dance, and be there and look at the cute guys across the field. So it was the triple threat there.” Bachelor Nation star Melissa Rycroft gave back to her former team the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders by serving as a showmanship coach at the Texas training camp for years. She even made cameos on the CMT series Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team as a mentor for the athletes trying to earn a spot on the field. Scroll down to see other noteworthy celebrities who were professional cheerleaders:

Credit: Shutterstock (2)

Celebrities Who Were Professional Cheerleaders: Sarah Shahi, Teri Hatcher, Phyllis Smith and More

Root for the home team! Sarah Shahi, Teri Hatcher and Phyllis Smith are among the few celebrities who were professional cheerleaders before making it big in Hollywood. Shahi — who made the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader roster in the late 1990s in her home state of Texas — used her time on the field as training for being an actress. “It was very competitive I will say that, it was a great learning experience at the same time,” the Sex/Life star told Fox411 in April 2016. “Those cheerleaders make show business look like babies foreplay. They weigh you to the 100th of a pound. If you're above your goal weight you have to sit outside of that week's game.” The Rookie alum recalled that when the team took water breaks “the veterans go first,” noting that the squad was “not a democracy.” Shahi continued: “With all that being said, I'm not trying to paint them out to be villainous in any way. I learned a great deal about what it's like to be disciplined and rehearse. We rehearsed for eight hours a day every single day and I was a full-time college student. To be able to have that kind of foundation going into Hollywood was fantastic.” [jwplayer B1naxdHv-zhNYySv2] Smith, for her part, was one of the first round of NFL cheerleaders for the St. Louis Cardinals’ squad when she joined in the 1970s. (The Cardinals team, which had its first cheer team in 1964, later moved to Arizona and became the Arizona Cardinals. The Rams played in St. Louis from 1995 to 2015 before relocating to California and morphing into the Los Angeles Rams.) “I auditioned for the Municipal Opera of St. Louis. Out of that audition the lady, who was also the choreographer for the St. Louis Cardinal cheerleaders, asked me to audition for the cheerleading squad — and I made it!” The Office alum told Yahoo! Entertainment in September 2012. “It was just the perfect job for me at the time.” The former OA actress added: “I really enjoyed it because I loved football, so I was able to watch the game, dance, and be there and look at the cute guys across the field. So it was the triple threat there.” Bachelor Nation star Melissa Rycroft gave back to her former team the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders by serving as a showmanship coach at the Texas training camp for years. She even made cameos on the CMT series Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team as a mentor for the athletes trying to earn a spot on the field. Scroll down to see other noteworthy celebrities who were professional cheerleaders:

Credit: Courtesy of Melissa Rycroft Strickland/Instagram

Melissa Rycroft

Rycroft was a member of the Dallas Cowboys organization from 2006 to 2008. She later served as a showmanship mentor for DCC candidates at training camp, which was documented on several seasons of Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team. The “Logically Irrational” podcast cohost rose to stardom after winning season 13 of The Bachelor, which aired in 2009. Rycroft, however, was later dumped by Bachelor Jason Mesnick for his runner-up, Molly Malaney, whom he wed in February 2010.

The former Dancing With the Stars contestant moved on with Tye Strickland, whom she married in December 2009. The couple share three children: daughter Ava and sons Beckett and Cayson.

Credit: Gregory Pace/Shutterstock

Teri Hatcher

The actress was a San Francisco 49ers cheerleader in 1984. The following year, the California native made her acting debut playing Amy on The Love Boat from 1985 to 1986. Hatcher’s big break in Hollywood came when she landed the role of Lois Lane on Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, which ran from 1993 to 1998. She later starred on Desperate Housewives as Susan Mayer from 2004 to 2012. Hatcher shares one child, daughter Emerson, with ex-husband Jon Tenney.

Credit: David Fisher/Shutterstock

Sarah Shahi

The actress was a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader from 1999 to 2000. The Texas native made her acting debut shortly after leaving the squad playing a cheerleader on an episode of City Guys in 2000. Shahi continued to make a name for herself in Hollywood after starring The L Word, Life, Fairly Legal and Person of Interest.

Shahi was married to Steve Howey for 11 years before calling it quits in 2020. The Black Adam actress shares son William and twins Violet and Know with the Shameless alum. She moved on romantically with her Sex/Life costar Adam Demos in late 2020.

Credit: MediaPunch/Shutterstock

Stacy Keibler

Keibler became part of the Baltimore Ravens cheer squad in 1997 when she was 18 years old. She began her professional wrestling career as part of the World Champion Wrestling’s Nitro Girls in 1999 and retired from the WWE in 2006. The Maryland native went on to become a model and TV host.

The former Dancing With the Stars contestant dated George Clooney from 2011 to 2013. She married Jared Pobre in 2014 and the couple share three children: daughters Ava Grace and Isabella Faith and son Bodhi Brooks.

Credit: Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

Camille Kostek

Kostek was part of the New England Patriots organization from 2013 to 2015. The Connecticut native went on to become a professional model, landing the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover in 2019. She hosted Wipeout from 2021 to 2022 and has appeared in several Hallmark movies, including 2020’s Fashionably Yours and 2021’s Love, for Real.

Kostek has been dating former New England Patriots player Rob Gronkowski since fall 2013.

Credit: Lisa O'Connor/Shutterstock

Jill Marie Jones

Jones donned the iconic Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders uniform from 1993 to 1995. The Texas native modeled before making her acting debut in 2000. She portrayed Antoinette “Toni” Marie Childress Garrett on Girlfriends from 2000 to 2020. She has also starred on Gillian in Georgia, Delilah and Monogamy.

Credit: Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock

Phyllis Smith

Smith was a St. Louis Cardinals cheerleader in the 1970s before taking on a series of odd jobs including a movie theater ticket taker, J.C. Penney warehouse worker and casting associate. In 2005, the Missouri native broke into Hollywood when she landed the role of Phyllis on The Office which ran for nine seasons and came to an end in 2013. Smith has since starred in Bad Teacher, Inside Out and Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar.

Credit: MediaPunch/Shutterstock

Charisma Carpenter

The actress was part of the San Diego Chargers squad in 1991. After bursting onto the Hollywood scene in 1994, Carpenter has starred on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Veronica Mars, The Lying Game and Going Home.

The Las Vegas native was married to Damian Hardy from 2002 to 2008. The exes share one son, Donovan.

Credit: Youtube

Emily 'Starr' Spangler

Spangler danced on the sidelines of the Dallas Cowboys games from 2005 to 2008. She was featured on seasons 1 and 2 of Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team, which aired in 2006 and 2007, respectively. Reality TV lovers, however, might know her as the season 13 winner of The Amazing Race, which aired in 2008. She married Tyler Rey in October 2013.

Credit: Mediapunch/Shutterstock

Leah Van Dale

Van Dale, who is best known by her Raw ring name Carmella, was a New England Patriots cheerleader for three seasons before retiring in 2010. She went on to be a Laker Girl during the 2010-2011 season. The Massachusetts native joined the WWE in 2013 and made her NXT debut the following year. 

The professional wrestler married fellow WWE star Matthew Polinsky, whose ring name is Corey Graves, in April 2022. Van Dale is the stepmother of Polinsky’s three children.

Credit: Courtesy of Erica Kiehl Jenkins/Instagram

Erica Kiehl Jenkins

Jenkins was a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader from 2007 to 2009. Her road to becoming a rookie was documented on season 2 of Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team in 2007 and she then returned for season 3. The star is part of the second roster for The Pussycat Dolls. The girl group originally formed in 2003 but the five singers — which included Nicole Scherzinger — exited the band in 2008. Three years later, The Pussycat Dolls reformed with Jenkins, Chrystina Sayers, Paula Van Oppen, Vanessa Curry and Lauren Bennett. Jenkins left the group in 2012 and is currently an actress and a model.