Thursday 29 March 2018 11:56, UK
Two talented dancers are making history by becoming the first-ever men to join an NFL cheerleading squad.
Quinton Peron and Napoleon Jinnies will join 38 women on the Rams team for the coming campaign after beating almost 80 other hopefuls who auditioned for a place during the off season.
The Californians are classically trained dancers and have been performing their whole lives, and both are delighted to have made the cut.
Mr Jinnies said the tryouts were "unlike anything" he had ever experienced.
He told ABC's Good Morning America: "I'm used to getting a call shortly after or an email, but this one was three weeks long and we had a bunch of rehearsals in between, and an extensive interview process.
"But it was really humbling and amazing to be invited every time you had to come back and pitch yourself. High emotions, but it was worth it."
Mr Peron said he was inspired to audition after watching the cheerleaders at a Los Angeles Lakers basketball game.
"I was asking myself: 'Why can't I be down there?'", he said.
"I've choreographed for girls who dance on pro teams, danced with girls on various pro teams, and so I just thought: 'Why not me?'"
Mr Peron said he "danced his heart out" at the auditions, but team captain Emily Leibert said it was not just raw talent that secured the pair a place in the squad.
She said: "They are intelligent, they are eloquent, they are more than qualified to be ambassadors, and on top of that they are incredible (dancers).
"They bring so much energy and there's something so magnetic about their performance, you really can't take your eyes off of them."
