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Minnesota Vikings’ male cheerleaders triggered a debate among NFL fans during the forecast, even when the franchise was far from the first to have them on their sidelines.
Napoleon Jinnies, the first male cheerleader in the NFL when he appeared for Los Angeles Rams in 2018, came out in defense of Blaize Shiek and Louie Conn.
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Cheerleader Napoleon Jinnies during a Preseasy game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on August 24, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Harry How/Getty Images)
Jinnies told People in a recent conversation that the outrage around male cheerleaders was nothing new.
“I roll my eyes,” he told the magazine. “They don’t say anything new.”
Jinnies remembered his own journey that went from competitive cheerleading in college to trying to make a profession out of his passion. He was also not the only male cheerleader on the team.
He said critics sent ugly messages on social media and hecked them at stake. He said comments and criticism did not bother him because they did not attack his cheer or dancing abilities.
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Minnesota Vikings Cheerleader Blaize Shiek performs before the NFL Preseason 2025 game against New England Patriots at the US Bank Stadium on August 16, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
“The comments from people who were from my childhood to Preteen to College were exactly the same comments from these random adults,” he said. “And they don’t say anything about what I put out as an artist.”
He added that he received plenty of support that overshadowed the hate and welcomed the skills of Shiek and Conn.
“Maybe I could see their point if they were bad cheerleaders,” he said of Detractors. “But they are beating-for-beat, step-by-step that kills it with the girls. I look at them as a dance judge, like ‘Well, they shine. Sorry if it flows your feathers.'”
Shiek and Conn have continued to appear for the Vikings despite indignation on social media.
Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders lead the crowd over the third quarter against New England Patriots at the US Bank Stadium on August 16, 2025. (Jeffrey Becker/Imag- Pictures)
Minnesota has started season 2-1 despite losing quarterback JJ McCarthy for a few weeks with an injury.
