More cheerleader lawsuits followed, against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Buffalo Bills, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and others. Soon what appeared to be an isolated labor grievance was looking more like a systemic problem. The women were required to attend rehearsals, practices and charitable events for no additional pay.

They had to pay to clean their own uniforms. And those who showed the slightest weight gain were summarily benched, again with no pay.

A year after the lawsuit, Lacy T. You have to have the right body type, look, personality, charisma and talent. That said, Lacy notes some progress has been made.

Lacy is out of professional cheerleading now, but she keeps in touch with her old colleagues and said many Raiderette rookies are happy with the new terms. You might call her the Susan B. Coming forward has been one of the biggest challenges in a glamour industry where simply being a part of it is an intoxicant.

NFL Cheerleader Salaries (Hourly Wage In )

Cheerleaders are told they are lucky to be there -- and they feel lucky to be there. Many are terrified to speak out about pay, lest they get branded as troublemakers and blacklisted from future seasons.

Cheerleaders say exhausting dance routines and schedule demands are harder work than people realize. Part of cheerleaders' reticence stems from the fact that some see the job as an opportunity whose benefits are not neatly defined by wages: It is a chance to be part of a sport that has gained an almost fabled place in American culture, or perhaps a steppingstone to a career in dance or entertainment.

For others, it is simply labor of love.

Many cheer out of a deep love for football. Lacy said the vast majority of cheerleaders she worked with were either full-time students or had jobs that allowed them the flexibility to cheer on the side. She added there is no single career path that can be described as typical for cheerleaders. And cheerleaders may stumble upon all sorts of ways to parlay their time with the NFL into good careers.

Mireya Mayor, who cheered with the Miami Dolphins in the s, went on to earn her Ph. In an interview with IBTimes last year, Mayor echoed the sentiment of many cheerleaders who say cheering is a part-time passion, not a career.

NFL Cheerleaders Salaries (Hourly, Monthly & Yearly Wages)

Mireya Mayor, who went from being an NFL cheerleader to an anthropologist, said cheerleading was more a lifestyle choice than a career. But to fair-wage advocates and labor lawyers, that love of football is beside the point. Asked about cheerleader pay Tuesday, Brian McCarthy, an NFL spokesman, said the league has nothing to do with cheer squads or cheerleader wages.

Ditto for the cheerleading squad directors of those teams. Behind the scenes, he said, league officials are doing what they can to prevent more lawsuits. In the meantime, some lawmakers are starting to pay attention, most notably in California.

How Much Does An NFL Cheerleader Make? NFL Cheerleader Salary | Celebrity Net Worth

On Thursday, Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego, introduced a bill that would treat cheerleaders for professional sports teams as employees, thereby closing a loophole that critics say allows some teams to treat them as volunteers. The timing of the bill -- three days before Super Bowl XLIX -- was probably not a coincidence, but it speaks to the momentum behind Lacy T.

It was all about fair pay, and I have absolutely no regrets.

Christopher Zara is a senior writer who covers media and culture. Got a news tip? Follow me on Twitter christopherzara. Reuters Labor Of Love Part of cheerleaders' reticence stems from the fact that some see the job as an opportunity whose benefits are not neatly defined by wages: Brent Stirton But to fair-wage advocates and labor lawyers, that love of football is beside the point.

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