How old was the oldest ever Dallas Cowboys cheerleader?

To be a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, you only need to be at least 18 years of age by the time you become a member. Otherwise, there is no age limit. The average age of an NFL cheerleader is 25, and to be able to perform the strenuous physical acts the DCC do - particularly the jump splits - you need to be pretty agile.

That’s of course never stopped some women. The Dallas Cowboys even had a 55-year-old grandmother try out to be a cheerleader once!

The grandmother who tried out for the DCC

In 2012, a 55-year-old woman named Sharon Simmons tried out to be a member of the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders. She wanted to try out back when she was in her 20s, but having a daughter made it difficult to find the time (and the money). Fit as a 20-year old, Simmons decided to go for it in her 50s instead.

Simmons, who had two grandchildren at the time, was a certified personal trainer and nutritionist. She competed in her first fitness event at age 50 and wore a DCC outfit. She placed well, giving her a boost of confidence to just go for it. She started training specifically for what would be required to be a member of the Cowboys cheerleaders. Despite impressing the judges with her audition, unfortunately Simmons didn’t make it past the first day.

How old was the oldest-ever member of the DCC?

The oldest woman to ever be a member of the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders was Linda Badami at 37 years old. She was a member of the squad from 1995-1997. Not only did she defy the odds by making it at her age, but she also happened to be a mother of four boys.

“I’ve never had an age barrier problem,” Badami told the Associated Press in 1997 in her second year as a member. “If someone can look at me and say, ‘if she can do it, I can do something, too’, that’s great. But I just don’t think about it. I just enjoy what I’m doing.”

How old is/was the oldest cheerleader in the NFL?

The oldest person to ever be an NFL cheerleader was Laura Vikmanis, who cheered for the Cincinnati Bengals for six years, starting at the age of 40 and until the age of 46.

Like Simmons, Vikmanis said that family life got in the way of her trying out in her younger years. But the mother of two didn’t let age stop her from trying out in her 40s. After divorcing from her husband, she needed a self-esteem boost, and decided to give it a go at the age of 39. She didn’t make the cut when she first tried out in 2008, but made it the following year and stayed on the squad for the next six years.

“I asked myself what makes me feel good, and it was dancing,” Vikmanis told CBS back in 2011. “I asked myself if I was too old, but I looked at the girls and realized we can all bring something different to the table.”

“I hope there is one person out there who is inspired by my story, to not have fear rule their life and have their self-esteem broken down. You have to dream big or it is not going to happen.”