NFL cheerleaders already go through a lot in the industry—from getting notoriously little pay for the amount of work they do to juggling a job with many aspects that are much harder than they appear. Now, a former NFL cheerleader is sharing some aspects of the job that would send a normal person “into a coma.”
5 Not-So-Fun Facts About NFL Cheerleading
In a viral TikTok, Kylie Nicole Tuttle (@kylienicoletuttle_) revealed the questionable things she had to do as a cheerleader. It inadvertently led to folks calling out NFL teams to do better by their cheerleaders.
Tuttle shares the first shocking fact, which is that NFL cheerleaders can go quite a while without washing their hair.
“The longest I’ve ever gone was 18 days,” Tuttle says. “I had a cheer coach who told me she hadn’t washed her hair in over a month.”
For many, that fact alone may come as a shock. After all, cheerleaders are dancing, being extremely active, and presumably sweating throughout their routines. However, a few commenters pointed out the likely reason cheerleaders don’t wash their hair often.
“I wasn’t a cheerleader but I was a dancer,” one user commented on Tuttle’s video. “For white people with straight hair, its styles better if it’s dirty and hair spray dries out your hair. My hair was never greasy after brushing the hair spray out and it would stay better next time if I didn’t wash it. I’m sure cheerleading is for a similar reason.”
While there is no official source online stating NFL cheerleaders don’t wash their hair often, the viewer isn’t wrong. In Dance Magazine, an article stated that dancers should not wash their hair every day to avoid stripping the hair. Styling and restyling over and over already puts stress on the hair. Additionally, hairstyles like curls do tend to hold better with dirtier hair.
What About Their Uniforms?
Tuttle’s second “fun fact” was about the cheerleader’s uniforms. According to her, they don’t get their own custom uniforms. Instead, on orientation, a rookie would take a top and a bottom from other veteran cheerleaders or switch up pieces until they got the closest fit possible.
“Sometimes, people had to pin their pants,” she says.
This isn’t the only surprising thing about NFL cheerleader uniforms, however. Earlier in the year, a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader went viral on TikTok after sharing how they had to wash their own uniforms, sparking outrage online. The process was long, cheerleader Ava Lahey shared, leading one user to comment, “They pay you hardly anything AND make you wash your own uniform.”
Later in the video, she reveals that their uniforms are often soaked in perfume because they smell so “horrific.”
What Other Fun Facts?
Tuttle’s third fact addressed how cheerleaders are often tanned, revealing that they use Sally Hansen’s leg tanner for their entire bodies. Then, she shares how cheerleaders do not get free tickets, contrary to popular belief.
“I’ve also heard some teams will give their cheerleaders tickets, but they have to pay for the taxes, and they’ll take that out of their paycheck to pay,” she shares. Her last fact involved social media posting, saying cheerleaders have to be careful about what they post online.
What Do Viewers Think Of Tuttle’s Video?
As expected, Tuttle’s video had folks criticizing the NFL for its poor treatment of its cheerleaders. Many thought they go through too much for the compensation they receive.
“18 days is diabolical,” a top comment referencing the hair fun fact read. “All that money in the NFL and they can’t be bothered to even give fitting uniforms?!!” another added. One echoed, “NFL is absolutely trash for not getting more uniforms, and have laundry service. they make billions they can afford it.”
@kylienicoletuttle_ Random NFL Cheer fun facts you probably didn’t know #nfl #nflcheerleader #prodance
How Much Do NFL Cheerleaders Make?
Indeed, NFL cheerleaders have been lobbying for a pay raise for a “long, long, time,” a Sports Illustrated article reported. The news outlet shared how one of the cheerleaders told HuffPost that she was paid $12.50 an hour for practices and $400 per game. Another former cheerleader told the New York Times that in 2024, she was being paid “$15 an hour and $500 for each appearance.” The article uses Netflix’s “America’s Sweethearts” as a reference point to narrow down their salaries.
“As revealed toward the end of [Season 2], however, the cheerleaders had successfully lobbied for what amounted to a 400% increase in pay moving forward,” SI reported. “The starting and ending numbers were not revealed in the show, but, when speaking to the Times, McLean said the veteran cheerleaders could now make more than $75 an hour.”
It still doesn’t provide health insurance, however.
BroBible reached out to Tuttle and the NFL via email.