orrey Smith
Torrey Smith has spoken out in support of the male cheerleaders on the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders 2025 team. (Kaitlyn Morris/WireImage)
Former National Football League (NFL) player Torrey Smith has weighed in on the backlash over the two male cheerleaders in the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders 2025 squad, and his response is excellent.
Cheerleaders and athletes in their own right, Blaize Shiek and Louie Conn were announced in May to have made the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders 2025 roster.
However, the announcement only seems to have caught the internet’s attention in the past few days, and has garnered pushback from sporting fans who don’t believe that, *checks notes*, anyone who isn’t an attractive, cisgender woman, should be allowed to take part in the sport.
In a Wednesday (13 August) post on X, the retired two-time Super Bowl champion didn’t hesitate to stand up for inclusion in cheerleading.
“I started a youth football program in West Baltimore a few months ago. It’s been extremely time-consuming and expensive! We added cheer, and I was asked if I would have a problem with a boy cheering,” Smith wrote.
“If he wants to cheer, let him cheer.”
I started a youth football program in West Baltimore a few months ago. It's been extremely time consuming and EXPENSIVE! We added cheer and I was asked if I would have a problem with a boy cheering.
"If he wants to cheer, let him cheer" 🤷🏿♂️
Zero Bullying will be allowed! https://t.co/aUe5SOuKhR
— Torrey Smith (@TorreySmithWR) August 13, 2025
Although the Vikings are the latest team that far-right supporters are vowing to boycott, the idea of having male cheerleaders on a squad is hardly a new one.
The Los Angeles Rams were the first team to introduce male counterparts on the team back in 2018. The Carolina Panthers also made history by hiring the NFL’s first out trans cheerleader in 2022. The athlete, Justine Lindsay, has returned to the squad this year.
Seven NFL teams had a total of 18 men on their cheer squads last season, while approximately half of all collegiate cheerleading teams have men on their teams, as per a UCLA Center study.
Smith’s inclusive post landed him in hot water, with people accusing him of allowing the male cheerleaders to “(take) the place of a deserving female performer”.
The former Baltimore Ravens player effortlessly shut this down, responding, “No MF he is just on the team. He ain’t bothering anyone.”
Smith also noted that his views on inclusion in American football extend beyond his youth cheerleading program. “We also have a girl football player on one of our teams,” Smith wrote.
“I told her she is my favorite player … she is a beast!”
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