America's Team Branding

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The origin of the DCC traces back to the 1967 season during a game between the Cowboys and the Atlanta Falcons at the Cotton Bowl. Short-skirted performer Bubbles Cash attracted significant crowd attention while walking down the stands staircase on the 50-yard line carrying cotton candy. Her popularity caught the eye of general manager Tex Schramm, who understood the entertainment industry's value to profitability. Inspired by Cash, Schramm formed a squad dressed in similar fashion. By the 1970 season, Schramm changed the image to boost attendance, creating an all-female squad focused on dance rather than traditional acrobatics. Ten local high school cheerleaders were selected to redesign uniforms and routines under Dee Brock's direction. In 1972, Texie Waterman was recruited to train a new squad of women over 18, introducing the revealing hot pants look closer to the classic DCC image known today.

In Their Own Story

National attention exploded in the fall of 1977 when the Cowboys, along with designer and photographer Bob Shaw, produced the first NFL cheerleader poster. This, combined with an October 1977 Esquire article by Shaw, led to appearances on NBC's Rock-n-Roll Sports Classic and The Osmond Brothers Special on ABC. That same year, the DCC produced their own one-hour special, "The 36 Most Beautiful Girls in Texas," which aired on ABC prior to the Monday Night Football season opener. On January 14, 1979, a made-for-TV movie titled "Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders" aired just one week before Super Bowl XIII, starring Bert Convy and Jane Seymour, and capturing a 48% share of the national television audience. A sequel, "The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders II," followed on January 13, 1980. Throughout these years, the squad toured the US and overseas, including USO tours starting in South Korea during the 1979 holiday season.

Reader's Guide

The DCC's media presence expanded significantly over the decades. From 2006 to 2021, they produced the reality series "Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team" on CMT, following annual auditions with segments for Training Camp and Veteran Candidates. After 16 successful seasons, CMT declined to renew it. On June 20, 2024, a new series titled "America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders" premiered on Netflix. The squad also holds opening ceremonies at United States Grands Prix races in Austin (2013, 2018, 2021, 2023) and received the FIFA delegation to promote the 2022 World Cup. They release annual swimsuit and "sideline" calendars featuring home game performances. Former cheerleaders Kelli McGonagill Finglass and Judy Trammell became director and choreographer respectively in the 1990s, continuing a legacy that includes advocacy for female empowerment in the DFW metroplex.

Did You Know?

• The squad was sometimes referred to as the "Dallas Cowgirls" during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
• In 1972, qualification rules were updated to require all squad members to be over 18 years of age.
• The 1979 TV movie starring Bert Convy and Jane Seymour achieved a 48% share of the national television audience.
• Porn star Bambi Woods actually auditioned for the real-life DCC but did not make the squad before starring in "Debbie Does Dallas."
• The first USO tour began during the 1979 holiday season for troops stationed in South Korea.