When the Patriots and Seahawks face off in the Super Bowl this year, the players won't be the only impressive male athletes on the field.
Patriots' cheerleader Jeremy Greer (he/they) is currently going viral for his performance during the New England Patriots' recent playoff victory against the Los Angeles Chargers.
And next, he's getting ready to cheer in the Super Bowl this Sunday when the Patriots square off against the Seattle Seahawks.
Greer, the only current male member of the Patriots' cheer squad, was born outside Houston, Texas, and began dancing at age 8. By 14, he was attending the High School for Performing and Visual Arts and the Houston Metropolitan Dance Center. After receiving his degree from Texas Christian University's School for Classical & Contemporary Dance, he continued practicing his craft until he joined the Patriots cheer squad.
The Patriots first recruited male cheerleaders in 2019, when Driss Dallahi and Steven Sonntag joined the squad. Now, Driss works as the Patriots' cheerleader manager.
"I never thought that that was really a possibility," Greer told NBC Boston about becoming a pro cheerleader. "I gained this confidence and this new appreciation for dance in this new light because I've never done anything like this."
"I want to be that trailblazer that Driss was for me. I want to be that inspiration that Driss was for me for someone."
"I love the fans, and I love the people that support me. And for everyone who has something negative to say, there are three people who have something great to say. And having that support makes it ten times more worth it."
Greer is a rookie on the dance squad this year, and says he was inspired to try out by seeing Dallahi on social media.
"You only have one chance in your life to go do things like this, so go do it," Greer told WHDH News.
"You don't know what person that's going to reach, even if it's an 8-year-old, 10-year-old kid, we could see them at tryouts in 10 years," Dallahi also told the outlet. "I think the impact goes a lot further than just scrolling on TikTok.
Previously, Greer shared their coming-out journey in detail on their website, where he also talked about wanting to become a possibility model for others.
"Ultimately, I am a dancer and a queer person and anytime I can make life better for my peers in the same boat, I am going to do it," Greer wrote. "Maybe my dance will become more overtly a form of activism. Who knows what the future holds? All I know is the journey is not over yet, and going forward, it is going to be damn hard to shut me up."
Greer will follow in the cheer-history footsteps of Quinton Peron and Napoleon Jinnies from the Los Angeles Rams, who became the first male cheerleaders to perform at the Super Bowl in 2019.
Keep scrolling to see more of Greer.
