Jose Capetillo and Brendan Ryan enjoyed quite the rookie season with the Los Angeles Rams. The two out gay cheerleaders received front row seats to the team’s championship run, performing in the Super Bowl with three other out gay teammates.
That’s right: the Rams had five out gay cheerleaders in Super Bowl LIII, an NFL record!
But as it turns out, that triumph was only a harbinger of what was to come. Now in their third season, Capetillo and Ryan are cheer captains, marking the first time an NFL cheerleading squad will be led by two out gay men.
That’s some serious roommate bonding (yes, they also live together)!
We recently caught up with Capetillo and Ryan to talk about their monumental achievement, the coolest experiences they’ve had and why being a cheerleader is a whole lot harder than it looks. Here’s what they had to say…
QUEERTY: How does it feel to be two out gay captains of an NFL cheerleading team?
BRENDAN RYAN: It really is an honor! Even hearing you say that, it just makes it all the more special. It’s very surreal. I still feel like Jose and I just got here, and the fact we’re already moving into our third season, I feel like we just moved to California yesterday.
JOSE CAPETILLO: There are so many incredible people on our team, that narrowing it down to four or five captains is a really difficult task. Knowing that our teammates voted for us to be in this position is a really special feeling. It makes us feel super supported. It’s a really gigantic honor, because like I said, when I look at my team, I could see so many of them doing a great job in this role. So knowing they trust us for this, and especially Brendan and I to step into this role, it feels really, really special.
What’s the coolest experience you’ve had so far?
JOSE: What’s been really, really special has been the travel opportunities we’ve had. One that’s really special in my heart and my experience was when we were able to travel to Sydney, Australia this past February for World Pride, and being the only NFL representation there, and it being our first visit there. That felt really heartfelt to me. It reminded me that my organization stands with inclusivity and diversity. It just made me really proud to be wearing the Rams logo on my chest and dancing around Sydney at World Pride. What an experience.
BRENDAN: Even echoing that, we got the chance to perform in West Hollywood Pride this year, which was so surreal. Growing up back in Michigan, I had never been to a Pride before. So my first Pride was one that I performed at. It felt so special to be embraced by the people of Los Angeles in our very own community. It’s so cool that Jose and I can literally go to the other side of the world with this organization, and we still get the same love and support from people in Australia and around the world. It was so great to be celebrating the Rams and the NFL in such a celebratory space, and feeling so loved. That was one of the greatest honors I’ve had being on this team.
What’s one part about being a cheerleader that people don’t know about?
BRENDAN: I think how hard we work is the first thing that comes to mind. A lot of people see us on the sidelines, and think, ‘Oh wow, they’re just there to look pretty and shake their pom poms,’ and while we do a great job with that, we’re also community ambassadors. We love game days, but when we’re not on the sidelines, we’re constantly out in the community, and I think that’s specifically what makes the Rams so special as an organization. We prioritize community outreach.
JOSE: I couldn’t agree more with us being community ambassadors. But even the stuff on the field, it is tough work. We are athletes. We practice late nights. Dancing on the field for four hours straight and trying to rile up a crowd and keep the vibes and energy just as high, it is a tough job. It is physically tough, you have to be mentally tough sometimes, too. And on top of that, we are all people outside of our persona or jobs as cheerleaders. Some of us are in medical school, some of us are in Masters programs, some of us are starting our own businesses and becoming CEOs. It’s a really cool position to be in.
How do you guys stay in shape?
BRENDAN: When we’re not at LA Fitness practicing, we’re right outside the practice room hitting the treadmills, hitting the weights, all of that good stuff. We actually are fortunate to live right outside Runyon Canyon with lots of good hiking trails and things like that. We don’t have a dog yet, but we’re happy to give walks to our teammates’ dogs at any time.
JOSE: On top of that, I personally am a huge fan of a group exercise class. You can catch me in a Barry’s class, you can catch me in a heated room class. Just something that can be super quick, and I can turn my mind off and listen to the instructions and follow along and get a good workout in. I can do it all.
What are you guys streaming right now?
BRENDAN: One thing I am constantly streaming is Taylor Swift, and I saw her at SoFi on our home turf! So it was super exciting to witness the Eras tour.
JOSE: Loving Feed the Beast by Kim Petras. Obviously, gotta give a shoutout to “Rush” by Troye Sivan. We all know how that song makes us all feel. Taylor, Beyoncé obviously, she’s coming to SoFi soon in September. All the icons. “Padam!”
What’s been your favorite summer activity so far?
BRENDAN: I got to visit home for the first time since moving to California, so I got to see my dog and my family, so that was really special. Right before that, we got the chance to travel to Korea. That was so surreal. We got the chance to perform at the Friendship Festival in Seoul, so we got to represent the United States. We did a 10-minute routine in 90-degree heat. While that might have been the most physically demanding dance routine I’ve done in my career, it was also the most rewarding.
JOSE: I also got to visit home after a while. I got to celebrate my sister’s gradation from her masters’ program, which was really special. I got to meet my nephew for the first time, which was incredibly special to me as well. Being away from home can be super tough at times, but that’s what makes Rams cheer so special. These people are my family away from home, but getting to go back home to Indiana, that was a really special and cherished moment for sure.
Discover more
We go beyond the field with Queerty’s Q&A series and get to know more about our favorite LGBTQ+ athletes and sports figures, from the music they’re streaming to what catches their eyes on the apps!
correctio
no amount of gay is going to make me forget that the NFL is awful organization that grinds the bodies and brains of players into dust and leaves many of them broken and in debt by the age of 40 if not earlier
SoloMcDaniel
There’s a BIG difference between cheerleading and dance team. These guys are on the LA Rams DANCE team. They’re not cheerleaders. The Seattle Seahawks and Baltimore Ravens are the only NFL teams that have full co-ed cheerleading teams. Meaning they stunt, form pyramids and tumble. Kudos to these guys for being one of the first guys on an NFL dance team