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Meet the Real-Life Loves of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders

Reece Weaver and Will Allman in America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Season 2 ; Megan McElaney and Alex Blaszyk in September 2024.

Reece Weaver and Will Allman in America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Season 2 ; Megan McElaney and Alex Blaszyk in September 2024.

The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders have admirers near and far — especially after the debut of the hit Netflix series America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. But some of the ladies’ biggest fans are their significant others.

Several members of the DCC squad have boyfriends and husbands who show their support for the ladies from the sidelines. Some, like veteran cheerleader Reece Weaver’s husband Will Allman, make the move to Dallas so that their partners can pursue their dream of being on the team — even if it means putting their own career on pause. Others, like season 2 rookie Madie Krueger and her boyfriend, Bryant Nelson, navigate long-distance relationships while balancing the demands of the DCC. Many of the ups and downs in the ladies’ love lives are featured in both seasons of America’s Sweethearts, which takes viewers behind the scenes of the cheerleaders’ professional and personal lives.

While their partners (much like the cheerleaders themselves) come from all over the country with different backgrounds, one thing they share in common is their admiration for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

“When she marched on the field to perform Thunder for the first time, I cried,” Eric Garza, the husband of veteran cheerleader KayDianna Garza, shared on Instagram. “Witnessing all of her hard work culminate into that moment, her first live performance as one of America’s Sweethearts, was absolutely amazing.”

With season 2 of America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders now streaming on Netflix, here is everything to know about the real-life loves of the DCC.

01 of 08

Reece Weaver and Will Allman

Reece Weaver and Will Allman in May 2017.Reece Weaver and Will Allman in May 2017.

Reece Weaver and Will Allman in May 2017.

Will Allman is the husband of Reece Weaver, whose rookie season as a DCC was featured during the first installment of America’s Sweethearts. The two attended the University of Alabama together and met while Weaver was cheering at a basketball game, she revealed in season 1 of the Netflix series.

“He saw me and we connected through social media,” she shared in one episode. “I had never dated anyone before ... Now, we are getting married, which is crazy.”

Following the conclusion of Weaver’s first season cheering for the Cowboys, the two wed on April 20, 2024, in her home state of Florida. At the nuptials, Weaver performed the iconic DCC routine “Thunderstruck” with her fellow cheerleaders in attendance.

During their first year of marriage, the couple added a puppy named Ruby to their family, they revealed on Instagram. Allman, who works for a commercial pressure washing company in Dallas, frequently appears in Weaver’s social media videos and supports her career as a DCC from the sidelines.

“🔥🔥🔥Chef @reece_christinee Cooked, ATE, and didn’t leave a single crumb🔥🔥,” he wrote on Instagram in May 2025, alongside a video of Weaver’s solo from the DCC Tour.

02 of 08

Madie Krueger and Bryant Nelson

Madie Krueger and Bryant Nelson in October 2024.Madie Krueger and Bryant Nelson in October 2024.

Madie Krueger and Bryant Nelson in October 2024.

Bryant Nelson is the boyfriend of Madie Krueger, one of the youngest rookies from the 2024-2025 team. The couple met at the gym and began dating in July 2023, Nelson revealed in season 2 of America’s Sweethearts — but were thrust into a long-distance relationship when Krueger moved to Dallas to audition for the DCC.

While Krueger performs with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and attends Texas Women’s University, Nelson remains four hours south in Pasadena, Texas, where he is in an apprenticeship program with an electrical company.

“We want to have a future together, so we’re going to find a way to make it work,” Nelson said about his relationship with Krueger in an episode from the Netflix series.

And by all accounts, the high school sweethearts appear to be stronger than ever; they even got a puppy together in January 2025, whom they named Kipp.

03 of 08

Ava Lahey and Tyger Vaniter

Ava Lahey and Tyger Vaniter in August 2024.

Ava Lahey/ Instagram

Ava Lahey, one of the rookie cheerleaders featured in season 2 of America’s Sweethearts, has been in a relationship with amateur MMA fighter Tyger Vaniter since 2018, she revealed on Instagram. The long-term couple, who met when they were 17 years old, recently became engaged, as Vaniter popped the question to Lahey in June 2025 in Pensacola, Fla.

“It’s always been you ❤︎” Lahey wrote in an Instagram post announcing the news.

04 of 08

Megan McElaney and Alex Blaszyk

Megan McElaney and Alex Blaszyk in December 2024.

Megan McElaney/ Instagram

Alex Blaszyk is the better half of DCC veteran and group leader Megan McElaney. The couple, who are both originally from California, have been dating since December 2022. They recently purchased a home together, she revealed on Instagram, closing on the property on Valentine’s Day 2025.

McElaney posted a touching Instagram tribute to Blaszyk, a former college baseball player who currently works in MedTech sales, on their two-year anniversary in December 2024.

“Celebrating two years with the man that makes me the happiest girl in the world,” she captioned the post, which featured several photos of the couple. “My right hand guy and best friend. I love you so much and can’t wait for all the adventures to come.”

05 of 08

Sophy Laufer and Jake Van Emburgh

Sophia Laufer and Jake Van Emburgh.

Sophia Laufer/ Instagram

DCC veteran cheerleader Sophy Laufer revealed she was dating professional tennis player Jake Van Emburgh on Instagram in May 2025.

“What my heart’s been up to the past 3 months…❤️” she wrote in the post, alongside a carousel of images of the couple. Van Emburgh, who is originally from Naples, Fla., played tennis at both Oklahoma University and the Ohio State University before turning pro.

06 of 08

Kleine Powell and Luc Powell

Kleine Powell and Luc Powell in June 2025.

Kleine Powell/ Instagram

Veteran DCC Kleine Powell and her husband, Luc Powell, said “I do” in May 2023. The couple, who are both from Kentucky, are high school sweethearts and have been together since 2016.

07 of 08

KayDianna Garza and Eric Garza

KayDianna MacKenzie and Eric Garza in November 2024.

KayDianna MacKenzie and Eric Garza in November 2024.

KayDianna Garza, who appears as a fourth-year DCC veteran in season 2 of America’s Sweethearts, has been married to Eric Garza since March 2023. The two began dating in February 2019, according to Eric’s Instagram, while they were both attending Texas Christian University.

While KayDianna ultimately left the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders at the conclusion of the 2024-2025 season, Eric was her biggest fan during her tenure on the team. At one point, he even started an Instagram account called “The DCC Husband” to chronicle KayDianna's DCC career.

“KD’s worked her tail off ever since she was little, and I can’t express how hard she worked to earn her spot as a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader… but I can show you,” Eric wrote in the account’s only post. “I’ve been recording bts since day 1. Highs, lows, the in-between, you name it.”

He continued, “For me, it was no longer about what the football team was doing, it was about capturing KD having the time of her life and doing her thing on the field.”

08 of 08

Amanda Howard and Joseph Howard

Amanda Howard and Joseph Howard in May 2025.

Amanda Howard/ Instagram

Amanda Howard, a third-year veteran of the 2024-2025 DCC team, has been married to her husband, Joseph Howard, since August 2017. During her three years as a DCC (Amanda chose not to re-audition after her third season), Joseph — who works as a certified public accountant — was always Amanda’s number one fan.

“It’s hard not to be a Cowboys fan when your wife is one of the cheerleaders!” he wrote on Instagram when Amanda made the team in 2022. “I’m so proud of you Amanda … You have worked so hard for this and deserve every bit of it!"

Joseph’s support of his wife’s career with the DCC was unwavering throughout her time with the team — something Amanda was particularly grateful for, she expressed on social media.

“I feel so lucky to get to go through this journey in my life with my hubby by my side,” she shared on Instagram in September 2024, at the start of her third and final season with the team. “He is my biggest fan and I wouldn’t be able to be doing what I love without his constant support and patience.”

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