When the Rams packed up their gear and headed back to Los Angeles in 2016, a whole lot of history got left behind in the Midwest. People talk about Isaac Bruce or Kurt Warner. They remember the "Greatest Show on Turf." But if you really want to talk about the heart and soul of those Sundays at the Edward Jones Dome, you have to talk about the St Louis Rams cheerleaders. They weren't just background noise. They were a local institution that bridged the gap between a massive corporate NFL franchise and the actual community of St. Louis.
It’s weird to think about now, but for twenty-one years, that squad was the face of the team more than almost any individual player. Think about it. Players get traded. They hold out for contracts. They retire. But the cheerleaders? They were at the grocery store. They were at the charity auctions. They were the ones teaching dance clinics to kids in North County and West County alike. Honestly, losing the team was a gut punch, but losing the specific culture of that squad felt like losing a piece of the city's identity.
More Than Just a Sideline Routine
Let’s get one thing straight: these women were elite athletes. Period. To make the St Louis Rams cheerleaders roster, you weren't just showing up and looking the part. The audition process was grueling. We’re talking about professional dancers, many with decades of technical training in ballet, jazz, and contemporary dance.
Every spring, hundreds of hopefuls would descend upon the training facilities. It started with preliminary rounds—quick across-the-floor combinations to weed out the people who just wanted to be on TV. Then came the interviews. This is where the Rams differed from some other organizations. They cared deeply about how you spoke. If you couldn't hold a conversation with a CEO or a five-year-old fan, you weren't getting a uniform.
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The final squad usually hovered around 28 to 30 women. Once you made it, the real work began. They practiced multiple nights a week, often for four or five hours at a time, after working full-time jobs or attending university classes. It was a grind. You'd see nurses, teachers, and law students finishing an eight-hour shift and then sprinting to the practice field to drill a high-kick line until it was frame-perfect.
The Keely Frawley Era and Beyond
If you followed the squad during the mid-2000s, you knew the name Keely Frawley. She was the director who really polished the brand. Under her leadership, the St Louis Rams cheerleaders became more than a dance team; they became a production. The routines became more athletic. The calendars became higher quality. They started traveling more for USO tours, visiting troops stationed overseas in places like Djibouti and Kuwait.
The "Line of the Year" awards and the Pro Bowl selections were a big deal. Every year, one dancer was chosen by her teammates to represent the Rams at the Pro Bowl. It was the highest honor. It wasn't just about who was the best dancer; it was about who embodied the work ethic of St. Louis. That meant showing up when it was 10 degrees out for a community appearance at a local hospital without complaining.
The Iconic Uniforms and the Blue and Gold
You can’t talk about this team without mentioning the look. When the Rams moved from LA to St. Louis in 1995, the colors were that classic royal blue and yellow. But the 2000 rebrand changed everything. The "New Millennium" look brought in the Millennium Blue and New Gold.
The cheer uniforms mirrored that shift. We saw the transition from the somewhat dated fringe and sequins of the 90s to the sleek, athletic silhouettes of the 2010s. The iconic white boots remained a staple, though. There’s something about that crisp white leather hitting the turf that just screams "NFL Sunday."
Fans in St. Louis were fiercely protective of that look. When the team started experimenting with "throwback" Sundays, the cheerleaders would often sport retro-inspired outfits that sent the Dome into a frenzy. It was a nod to the history of the franchise, even the parts that happened in California before the move.
Community Impact That Actually Meant Something
A lot of people think NFL cheerleaders just show up for the three hours of game time. That’s barely 10% of the job. The St Louis Rams cheerleaders were involved in over 500 community appearances a year. That’s a staggering number.
- Junior Rams Cheerleaders: This program was massive. Thousands of young girls across Missouri and Illinois grew up in these clinics. They got to perform at halftime once a year, and for many, it was the highlight of their childhood.
- Charity Auctions: Whether it was the United Way or local cancer research, the squad was always there to help raise funds.
- Military Support: The Rams were one of the most active teams when it came to sending their cheerleaders on military tours. These weren't vacation trips. They were long, exhausting journeys into active zones to bring a piece of home to the soldiers.
What Really Happened When the Team Left?
The 2015 season was a weird, emotional roller coaster. Everyone knew the rumors. Stan Kroenke wanted out. The move to Inglewood was looming like a dark cloud over every home game. For the St Louis Rams cheerleaders, it was a precarious position. Do you keep smiling? Do you stay loyal to a brand that’s basically packing its bags while you’re still on the field?
They did. They stayed professional until the very last whistle.
When the move was finalized in January 2016, the St. Louis squad was effectively disbanded. A few dancers were invited to audition for the new Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders, but for most, their journey ended there. It wasn't just the end of a job; it was the end of a sisterhood that had been built over two decades in the Gateway City.
The transition to LA was flashy. The new squad became the first in the NFL to include male dancers, which was a huge, progressive step for the league. But for the fans in Missouri, it felt like a door being slammed shut. The local women who had been the face of the team were suddenly gone, replaced by a new West Coast aesthetic.
The Misconceptions About the Job
There’s a lot of talk about how much NFL cheerleaders get paid. Historically, it wasn't much. For years, the St Louis Rams cheerleaders—like many other squads—were paid what basically amounted to an honorarium per game. Most of them did it for the love of the sport and the opportunities it opened up.
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However, the conversation changed around 2014 when several lawsuits hit the NFL regarding fair wages for cheerleaders. While the Rams weren't the primary focus of the most famous suits (that was the Raiders and the Bengals), the entire league had to take a hard look at how they treated these employees. By the time the team left St. Louis, the compensation structures were starting to look a bit more like actual professional wages, including pay for rehearsals and community appearances.
It’s also a myth that these women were just "trophies." Honestly, the "no-fraternization" rules were incredibly strict. They weren't hanging out with the players in the locker room. They had their own separate entrance, their own locker rooms, and their own rigid set of rules to follow. They were professional entertainers held to a standard of conduct that would make a corporate executive sweat.
Why We Still Talk About Them
So, why does a defunct squad from a moved team still generate so much interest? It’s nostalgia, sure. But it’s also about what they represented. In a city like St. Louis, which often feels overlooked by the coast-biased media, the Rams Cheerleaders were a point of pride. They were "our" girls.
They also paved the way for the current dance culture in the city. Many former Rams cheerleaders went on to open dance studios in the St. Louis area. Others became coaches for the St. Louis Blues' "Blue Crew" or the St. Louis Battlehawks' dance team in the UFL. The DNA of the Rams' sideline is still present in the Missouri dance scene today.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Aspiring Dancers
If you’re looking to reconnect with that history or if you’re a dancer looking to follow in those footsteps, here’s how the landscape looks now:
- The Alumni Network: There is a very active St. Louis NFL Cheerleader Alumni group. They often participate in local charity events. If you're a former dancer, reaching out to these networks is the best way to stay connected to the legacy.
- The UFL and the Blues: If you want that NFL-style performance vibe in St. Louis today, the Battlehawks (UFL) and the Blues (NHL) are where it's at. The auditions for these teams are just as competitive as the Rams' used to be.
- Archiving History: Many fans still collect the old calendars and posters. They’ve become legitimate sports memorabilia. If you have some in your attic, don't toss them—they're a piece of St. Louis sports history that won't ever be recreated.
- Professional Standards: If you’re a young dancer aiming for the pros, remember the Rams' legacy: it’s 50% talent and 50% personality. Work on your public speaking just as much as your pirouettes.
The St Louis Rams cheerleaders might not be on the sidelines at the Dome anymore, but you can’t erase twenty-one years of impact. They were the glitter and the grit of St. Louis football. While the team is now thousands of miles away playing in a multi-billion dollar stadium in California, the memory of those Sunday routines remains a cherished part of the Lou’s sporting heart.
To truly honor that legacy, support local dance programs and the current professional dance teams that still call St. Louis home. The jersey might change, but the talent in this city is permanent.
Next Steps for Enthusiasts:
Check out local alumni dance clinics if you're a younger performer looking for pro-level training. For collectors, verified sports memorabilia sites are currently seeing a price uptick for 1999-2001 era Rams cheerleader calendars due to their "Greatest Show on Turf" era historical significance.