Five years into his NFL journey,EaglesCheerleader James LeGette will not be the only one in the men’s locker room.
It’s a common situation for the small number of male NFL cheerleaders throughout the league to be the only man on the dance team. However, in 2025, the Eagles’ cheer squad will have three male members, the most they’ve ever had, as rookies Alex Fan and Dalton Walsh step onto the team.
Prior to LeGette becoming part of the Eagles’ cheerleading squad, the team had only had one male cheerleader in the past 30 years, and that individual had already left the team before LeGette began. However, being aware that the Eagles had a male cheerleader increased LeGette’s confidence as he thought about trying out.
Four years later, he did the same for Fan and Walsh. Once they moved on to the semifinal stage of the auditions, LeGette contacted them via Instagram to offer them a dance class with him.
In college, I was the only one,” Walsh said. “No guys ever even showed up at the clinics, so it was just me in every audition round, every year. I think that definitely adds more pressure than necessary. Being able to see not only James, but also Alex, and a few other males helped me ease my nerves.
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LeGette, who works as a special education teacher during the day, always had a passion for performing, having been involved in dance, theater, and cheerleading since childhood. He was a big fan of the Eagles, but never imagined that becoming an NFL cheerleader was a possibility. He began his performance career at Sesame Place, where a co-worker suggested he try out for the Eagles’ cheerleading team. LeGette reached the final round but wasn’t selected on his first attempt. He tried again in 2021 and eventually joined the squad.
Walsh was involved in various sports during his childhood, such as gymnastics, but he didn’t begin dancing until middle school, when he joined a few friends for an acro dance class. Following that first session, the studio owner approached him and expressed her desire for him to be part of their competitive team, which led Walsh to fully commit to mastering different styles of dance. He became the first male to join the dance team at St. Joe’s, and although the school had a strong Catholic tradition, the community was very encouraging.
They shared everything about us, and they were very proud. They never held back when it came to the gender aspects of dance. I was right there on the front page,” Walsh said. “We were on social media. They were really excited and proud of all of us. Everyone was very kind. There were many heartwarming fans and everything.
Walsh considered whether he should become an NFL cheerleader or audition for an NBA dance squad, but eventually chose to aim for being an Eagles cheerleader, as his father, who passed away a few years back, was a devoted Eagles fan. “I feel like I’m continuing that legacy in my life, and he’s watching over me, and is very extremely proud,” Walsh said.
Fan studied dance at Columbia, but had no prior experience with professional cheerleading style before attending college. When Fan became part of the Columbia dance team, there were no uniforms available for male members. His coach had to purchase an outfit from the Columbia bookstore, which he wore for several months until a proper uniform was created.
A former dance partner of his had transitioned into being an NFL cheerleader, and Fan was interested in pursuing this path full-time if possible. However, he understood that it wasn’t certain he would even be given a chance.
Honestly, I wouldn’t have tried out if there hadn’t been male cheerleaders before,” Fan stated. “… Being part of a team where I know there’s already a structure in place for all of us to be treated fairly, and for us to genuinely experience what it means to be an NFL cheerleader, rather than just being a boy on an NFL cheer squad, has been a fantastic opportunity.
The Eagles’ cheer squad resembles a college dance team more than a traditional cheerleading squad, with performers emphasizing stunts and men mainly executing large tumbling moves and supporting the flyers. All Eagles cheerleaders perform identical dance routines, and every moment of the game, from when they enter through the tunnel to the final whistle, is carefully choreographed — although LeGetteenjoys throwing in a bit of chaos from time to time.
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Only 12 of the 32 NFL teams employ male cheerleaders (with seven teams having no cheerleaders altogether). NFL cheerleaders have gained greater online popularity, particularly after the release ofAmerica’s Sweethearts, the Netflix series featuring the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, and LeGette has created his own online platform onTikTokdisplaying his life as a cheerleader. However, with the 2025 NFL season having begun, male cheerleaders havehas been the victim of online targeting and harassment.
However, despite the stigma, LeGette, Walsh, and Fan are proud to pursue their passion, representing a team they deeply care for.
Two or three years back, we performed at a military base, and naturally, we were there to express our gratitude to all the service members,” LeGette stated. “I went to thank a female service member, but she stopped me to thank me instead. She said, and I’ll quote her, ‘I want to thank you because people like you are why my son wants to dance too.’
That struck a chord with me, as you don’t often encounter people who open up like that. I’ll never forget that moment, because it made me realize we’re involved in something greater than we initially believed.
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