Dee Brock founded the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders in 1960, and the story of how she got there is about as unlikely as it gets. She was a Dallas model with no cheerleading background. A friend introduced her to Cowboys president Tex Schramm, and when he told her models wouldn’t work without pay, she suggested high school cheerleaders instead. He said yes.
She directed the squad until 1975, and her fingerprints are all over what people picture today. She raised the minimum age to 18, brought in a choreographer, and sketched the trademark uniform on a legal pad. She also pushed for and achieved an integrated squad in the 1960s, a move that mattered far more than any design choice. Her teams appeared at Super Bowl V in 1971 and Super Bowl VI in 1972, and the attention from those trips led her to overhaul the whole operation.
Brock died at 96. Kelli Finglass, the squad’s director since 1991, confirmed the death and said Brock created a standard, a spirit, and a symbol that inspired generations around the world.
What’s the most memorable cheerleading or game-day tradition you’ve ever seen, here on the Suncoast or anywhere else? Tell us in the comments.
