History of Pro Bowl Cheerleaders
The first NFL's All-Star Game was played in Honolulu, Hawaii on January 27, 1980, but the first Pro Bowl Cheerleader to represent her AFC/NFC team was in 1993.
Kristina
Pamela
Sarah
Laura
Stephanie
I was honored to be announced as the 2007 MVC Pro Bowl representative the weekend before my wedding. I was so excited but looking back, I had no idea how amazing the journey would be. It is amazing to see how many dances you can learn and how many workouts, costume fittings, and shopping trips you can fit in during one month, but it all comes together. I was on a small team with wonderful women from the Falcons, Eagles, Panthers, Cowboys and Cardinals. We spent the whole week together through long practices, visiting army bases, teaching cheer camps, performing in the rain, and of course game day – we became very close. I was shocked at how strong of a bond you can have with a group of women after just a week. We keep each other updated on life changes and I love sharing that friendship with women across the country. I will keep these wonderful memories with me forever, and I am so thankful for the opportunity with which I was blessed!
Theresa
Representing the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders as the 2006 Pro Bowl representative was one of the best experiences of my life! I remember the week was packed with rehearsals, appearances, performances, signing autographs, taking pictures, visiting military bases, hospitals, teaching clinics, and meeting tons of wonderful people! I feel blessed and honored that I was given this once in a lifetime opportunity and was able to come home with such great memories and new friendships with the other cheerleaders from the other NFL teams. Throughout my six years as a Minnesota Vikings Cheerleader, it gave me such pride to represent our Vikings organization and our great state of Minnesota, but it was an honor and an even greater privilege to have ended my career as the 2006 Pro Bowl representative! Thank you to my family and friends for their unconditional love and support. Also, thank you to the MVC family for being my biggest motivators. Go Vikes!
Erin
Representing the MVC at the 2005 Pro Bowl was a dream come true! When I was "lei'd" during 3rd quarter of a November home game, I had no idea the fun I was in for. The months of training and prepping for the two weeks in Hawaii was sometimes stressful, but definitely worth it. I knew I had to be at my best to represent the best cheerleaders in the NFL – the MVC! Spending time with the other NFL representatives was unforgettable. Each of the Cheerleaders chosen was incredibly talented, well-rounded, and fun!! We enjoyed representing our teams at many appearances leading up to the big game. We also enjoyed getting to know each other while shopping, lying out at the beach, and grabbing a bite to eat. I am so honored to be an alumnus of the MVC and the Pro Bowl. Both are memories I will cherish forever! Thank you to everyone for supporting me and helping me become what I am today!
Jenae
I was overwhelmed with joy when I was selected as the 2003-2004 Pro Bowl cheerleader. Friendships formed so easily with the other Pro Bowl cheerleaders—each of them had something unique and interesting to share. We visited the Shriner’s Hospital, Kapioloni Medical Center, and Fort Shafter and performed at many VIP and NFL celebrations. All of these experiences were simultaneously thrilling and heartwarming. I loved performing and tumbling in the Aloha Stadium during the 25th Annual Pro Bowl game. One of the highlights of the week was when the Pro Bowl cheerleaders and staff surprised me with a birthday cake and sang “Happy Birthday!” the night before the Pro Bowl game (my 24th birthday). Another wonderful experience for me was being one of the cheerleaders featured in the 2004 Madden EA Sports football video game. It was a dream come true! Thank you to my family—being there every dancing step of the way and to the MVC—you are truly the best!
Allison
January 2003. I was headed to Hawaii for an amazing experience – to represent the MVC at the NFL Pro Bowl! Two of the many highlights were being selected to be the team captain of the NFC 2 group and participating in a Maxim Magazine swimsuit photo shoot on the beautiful Hawaiian beaches! The most touching experience was visiting the children’s hospitals where we were the first NFL cheerleaders the kids had ever met! Although each Pro Bowl cheerleader’s story has been unique to their own experiences, one thing remains the same no matter what year you’ve gone to the Pro Bowl – you get to meet some amazing women! Each NFL cheer team is so different, and one of my favorite parts was learning about each team and of course, bragging about the MVC!
Kim
The Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders (MVC) is a team that I truly love, and being picked by my coach to represent our team at the 2001-2002 Pro Bowl was an honor and blessing. My experience in Hawaii was magical. I met some of the most amazing women in the country. We had a great group of ladies that supported each other and enjoyed every minute of the experience. While at the Pro Bowl, I had the opportunity to perform on the beach right next to the ocean (that doesn’t often happen to Minnesotans), visit children at a local hospital, and perform in a beautiful open-air stadium. It was fun to see that although our costumes may be different, all of the women that cheer in the NFL have a common bond. We all have a love for football, a passion for performing, and are motivated by having talented women surround us as friends and teammates. We only had a week together, but the memories are for lifetime.
Tiffany
Pro Bowl. Wow! Words cannot express what this experience and opportunity has meant to me. Honestly, not a week has gone by without my recalling some memory from my week in Hawaii. I have a shrine in the entertainment area of my home highlighting my love of the Vikings and “My Viking Experience.” Pro Bowl is definitely at the top of this list. I got off the plane very nervous but also so excited. The great thing about it is all the other representatives expressed the same emotions. All in awe of being chosen and also sharing that deep desire to represent their teammates the best they could. With many tears shed, I left my new lifelong friends and paradise with memories that will last a lifetime. Thank you so much to Tami and my fellow teammates! I am truly honored. I can never thank you enough!
Angela
ProBowl 2000 was one of the most exciting weeks of my life – a truly extraordinary way to end my career with the Vikings. The best way for me to describe this experience was "busy,” and I am sure the rest of the pre- and post-delegates would agree with me whole-heartedly. Practices, appearances and autograph sessions were extensive and action-packed, and free-time for sight-seeing and spending with family was scarce. And with all that said, as I sat at dinner one evening with all of my new friends, I realized how fortunate I was to be chosen to represent the Vikings at this life-changing event. The plethora of friends, fans, football, scenery, dance and events will always be a favorite memory that I will share with my daughter.
Heather
I was so excited to be representing the Minnesota Vikings Vikings Cheerleaders at the Pro Bowl in Hawaii. It was a great experience for me. That was the year the Vikings were 15-1, but lost to Atlanta. At the Pro Bowl everyone loved the Vikings because they were so close to going to the Super Bowl. My roommate was, guess who? An Atlanta Falcons Cheerleader, who was very sweet. All the girls were talented, and so much fun! My favorite moment was performing outside in the Aloha Stadium, meeting the cheerleaders from all other teams, and the fans who really supported the Vikings and the Vikings Cheerleaders. I will always cherish my memories close to my heart!
Holly
On February 1st 1998, I was honored to join 22 other NFL cheerleaders on the field in Honolulu, Hawaii for the Pro Bowl game at the Aloha Stadium. Throughout the week, we made numerous appearances such as the ESPN Beach Bowl and the Pro Bowl Block Party, just to name a few. Between the appearances, we managed to fit in several rehearsals of the twelve routines we learned by video, choreograph each of our own 30 second solos for the pre-game, and practice the halftime show that we would be performing with the musical group Salt-n-Pepa. The Pro Bowl gave me an opportunity to demonstrate my role as a public relations representative for the Minnesota Vikings when I was visiting patients at the Kapiolani Women’s and Children’s Hospital. I also had the opportunity to speak to hundreds of youth cheerleaders at local cheer and dance clinics held around the island. One memorable moment was when I was greeted at the Honolulu airport with a Hawaiian flower lei welcome from hula dancers. As I got on our bus to go to the hotel, I was surprised to see two familiar faces, Nancy from the Buffalo Jills, who I met in Berlin, Germany at the 1993 American Bowl game and Stephanie from the Kansas City Chiefs Cheerleaders who I met when the Vikings played the Chiefs in Japan at the 1994 American Bowl. I never would have imaged a few years after meeting them both, I would be sitting with them on a bus in Hawaii laughing about our overseas appearances. When I arrived at the hotel, I met my roommate, Sandy Charboneau with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who is now their director. The 1998 Pro Bowl was a wonderful experience, and I feel so blessed to have been a part of it. The cheerleaders were a diversely talented group of individuals, each of us having our own personal achievements, but as we move on in our lives there is one bond that will tie us together forever. I will never forget my Pro Bowl experience, a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Jessica
I had the honor of representing the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders at the 1997 Pro Bowl in Honolulu, Hawaii. It was a week that, while highly memorable, went by in such a flash that I have to remind myself that I was actually there! In addition to the strong and talented ladies I met, I had performance locations one could only dream of. The most memorable moment for me, however, was performing on game day and having the military fly-by above the stadium, followed by the singing of our national anthem. It was incredibly moving. Any other woman from the MVC could have gone that year to represent our team, but I am forever grateful that I had the opportunity. While going to the Pro Bowl was an incredible experience, I realize that the greater privilege for me was being a member of the MVC for 5 wonderful seasons.
Lorrie
Leaving cold Minnesota in January for warm, tropical weathered Hawaii? I can do that! It was my first time going to Hawaii. I was excited and nervous, not knowing what to expect! I wanted to be prepared so I could represent Minnesota proudly. My checklist included: Comps, team posters, cheerleader gifts, swimsuits, camera, pictures, practice music, practice uniforms, and costumes. Now, off to the airport! At the LAX, waiting for our connecting flight to Hawaii, I watched as the Pro Bowl Cheerleader team grew bigger and bigger. Sometimes you can tell who’s a pro cheerleader, even without her uniform. I knew we were finally there when I got lei’d right as I got off the plane. I have so many fun memories from that week: learning formations, practicing routines, and staying up late exchanging cheerleader stories with my Philadelphia Eagles roommate. A jammed packed schedule didn’t leave much time to swim in the ocean, but I took one last wade before boarding my shuttle to airport. Posing on a rock in the ocean was the last picture I remember having the lifeguard take right before a giant wave came. My clothes soaked! Some photos may have gotten lost over the years, but to this day I still wear my Pro Bowl tradition ring as a reminder of all of my Pro Bowl memories. These are my memories.
Traci
Sherry
As a member of the first group of professional cheerleaders in Minnesota, my Pro Bowl experience served as the capstone and crowning moment of my ten years as a professional football cheerleader. I remember being sent a video tape merely a week before my departure and being expected to learn a west-coast choreographer’s style that seemed to have four moves to each beat. Thankfully, we had enough practice time in our small groups to accustom ourselves to those extremely fast routines. The days leading up to the big game were a blur of activities ranging from beach competitions and autograph signings to event performances. We were treated like royalty wherever we went and it was a uniquely touching experience. Looking back, I find that the moments that continue to have a meaningful influence in my life are the impact of performing in an open-air stadium and of looking up in the stands to see Becky, Sarah, and Jessica, my fellow Minnesota cheerleaders who traveled all the way to Hawaii to support me. After spending a week with cheerleaders from across the nation, I realize that there is a common thread that seems to tie all of us together; from our optimistic confidence to our passion for people, professional cheerleaders are all cut from the same cloth.
Mary
