Texas was hot in 1972. Specifically, the sidelines at Texas Stadium were scorching, and it wasn’t just because of the sun. This was the year everything shifted for the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders 1970s squads. Before this, "cheerleading" was mostly high-kick routines and pom-poms from local high school girls. It was wholesome. It was fine. But it wasn't a global brand.
Tex Schramm, the Cowboys’ legendary general manager, saw a gap. He noticed the fans weren't just watching the scoreboard; they were watching the sidelines. He realized that professional football wasn't just a game. It was a show. To make that show work, he needed more than just talented athletes on the field. He needed "Sweethearts."
The 1970s didn't just give us the modern cheerleader; it gave us a blueprint for how sports marketing would function for the next fifty years. It’s kinda wild to think that a decision to swap out high school students for a professional dance team in 1972 would eventually lead to reality TV shows and international tours. But that's exactly what happened.
The 1972 Pivot and the Birth of an Icon
If you look back at the early 60s, the "CowBelles & Beaux" were the team's cheer squad. They were cute. They were local. Honestly, they were forgettable. Schramm decided to blow it all up. He wanted a team of dancers who were more polished, more athletic, and—let's be real—more glamorous.
He hired Dee Brock to find a choreographer. They landed on Texie Waterman, a woman who owned a local dance studio and had zero interest in traditional cheerleading. She wanted jazz. She wanted broadway. She wanted a level of precision that professional football had never seen on its grass.
During the 1972 season, the first official "Texas Six" evolved into the squad we recognize now. These women weren't just standing there. They were performing. The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders 1970s uniforms became the stuff of legend almost instantly. The blue stars. The white fringe. The boots. Interestingly, the uniform has barely changed since then. Why mess with something that worked so well? It was a calculated risk that paid off because it bridged the gap between the rough-and-tumble nature of 70s football and the glitz of the burgeoning disco era.
The Wink That Started a Revolution
Super Bowl X. January 18, 1976. The Cowboys are playing the Steelers. This is where the legend truly went nuclear. A cameraman for CBS caught a shot of cheerleader Gwen Werth. She didn't just look into the lens; she winked at it.
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That single second of television changed the trajectory of the organization.
Suddenly, the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders 1970s weren't just a local attraction. They were the "American Sweethearts." The mail started pouring in. We're talking thousands of letters a week. Most of them were addressed to "The Cheerleaders, Dallas, Texas." People didn't even need the stadium address.
What made the 70s squad different from any other team’s dancers was the discipline. Suzanne Mitchell, who became the director in 1975, was basically a drill sergeant in a jumpsuit. She didn't tolerate mistakes. She understood that if these women were going to be famous, they had to be untouchable. No dating the players. No drinking in uniform. No showing up late.
The standards were grueling. These women were working full-time jobs as nurses, teachers, and secretaries, then showing up to practice for hours under the sweltering Texas lights. They weren't paid much either. Honestly, the pay was practically non-existent back then—usually just enough to cover gas and maybe a meal. They did it for the prestige. They did it to be part of the "Stars."
Why the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders 1970s Uniform Became a Cultural Flashpoint
The uniform is more than just clothes. It’s a trademarked piece of American history. Originally designed by Paula Van Wagoner, the outfit was meant to be functional for dance but visually striking from the nosebleed seats.
The midriff-baring tie-front blouse and the short shorts were controversial at first. In the mid-70s, some critics thought it was too much. But the fans? They loved it. It represented a specific kind of Texas confidence. By 1977, the squad was so popular they released a poster. You've probably seen it. It sold over 800,000 copies. That one poster outsold most celebrities of the time.
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Think about that.
A group of dancers from a football team was out-selling Farrah Fawcett in some markets. That's the power of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders 1970s branding. They were the first to prove that you could monetize the "lifestyle" of a sports team outside of just selling tickets and jerseys.
The 1979 TV Movie and Peak Fame
By the end of the decade, the DCC was a full-blown phenomenon. In 1979, a made-for-TV movie titled The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders aired. It was a massive hit. It pulled in a 48 percent share of the television audience. That is an insane number. Nearly half of everyone watching TV in America at that moment was watching a fictionalized version of these women’s lives.
This was the peak of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders 1970s era. They were appearing on The Love Boat. They were on Family Feud. They were doing USO tours to visit troops overseas. Suzanne Mitchell fought hard for those USO tours. She wanted the women to be seen as more than just "sideline eye candy." She wanted them to be ambassadors.
The 70s squad set the bar for every professional dance team that followed. The Laker Girls? The Raiderettes? They all looked at what Dallas was doing and tried to replicate the formula. But Dallas had the head start. They had the "Star."
The Realities of the 1970s Squads
- Training: They practiced five nights a week. Sometimes until midnight.
- The "Look": There were strict requirements for hair and makeup. No "shaggy" looks. No messy buns. Everything had to be camera-ready at all times.
- The Auditions: In the late 70s, thousands of women would show up. The competition was brutal. If you gained two pounds, you might be benched for a game.
- The Players: Contrary to popular belief, the cheerleaders and players rarely interacted. It was a fired-on-the-spot offense for a cheerleader to be caught fraternizing with a Cowboy.
Lessons from the Sidelines
So, what can we actually learn from the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders 1970s today? It’s easy to look back and just see the big hair and the polyester, but there’s a deeper business lesson here.
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First, Schramm and Mitchell understood the power of a "unified brand." Every detail of the DCC was curated to fit a specific image of Americana. They didn't chase trends; they made them. They took a support role and turned it into a primary product.
Second, they focused on "unattainable excellence." By making the rules so strict and the auditions so difficult, they created a sense of exclusivity. Everyone wanted to be them, and everyone wanted to see them.
Third, they knew how to pivot. When the wink went viral in '76, they didn't ignore it. They leaned into it. They recognized that the camera was their most important tool. They started choreographing routines specifically for how they would look on a TV screen, not just for the fans in the stadium.
How to Apply the DCC Mindset to Your Own Projects
- Audit Your Visuals: If you're building a brand, does it have a "uniform"? Is there a consistent look that people recognize instantly? The DCC didn't change their look every season. They stayed consistent for decades.
- Standards Matter: Don't be afraid to set high bars. The DCC became iconic because they were the best dancers, not just because they were on a football field.
- Find Your "Wink": What is that one small detail in your work that connects with people on a human level? For the DCC, it was a moment of personality in the middle of a massive spectacle.
- Monetize the Sidelines: Sometimes your main product isn't the only thing people are interested in. Look at the "peripherals" of your business or project. Is there something there that could be its own brand?
The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders 1970s era ended as the 80s rolled in with new challenges and more competition, but the foundation was set. They turned a sports sideline into a stage. They turned a hobby into a profession. And honestly, they did it with a level of grit that most people today would find exhausting. It wasn't just about looking good; it was about being an elite performer in a world that was just starting to realize how big sports could actually get.
To really understand the DCC, you have to look at the 1978 and 1979 rosters. Names like Tami Barber and Jill Marie Waggoner became household names for a reason. They weren't just "cheerleaders." They were the first influencers, decades before that word even existed.
If you’re researching this era for a project or just because you’re a fan, check out the archives at the Dallas Public Library or look for the original 1977 poster prints. Seeing the actual photography from that time shows you just how much work went into the "effortless" look they projected. The 1970s were a wild time for the NFL, but for the women on the sidelines, it was the start of a multi-million dollar legacy that shows no signs of slowing down.
Next Steps for Deep Diving into DCC History:
- Visit the National Football Museum: Look for the specific exhibits on Tex Schramm to see his original notes on the "Sweethearts" concept.
- Review 1970s Game Film: Watch the transition in camera work from 1970 to 1979 to see how networks began prioritizing sideline shots.
- Read "Deep in the Heart": This book by Ruth Knight provides an unvarnished look at the early days of the squad from a primary source perspective.