17 Athletes Who Have Actually Dated Cheerleaders

Is there anything more American than a cheerleader falling in love with the star athlete? It seems like something out of a movie— totally unrealistic, right? Well, that's where you're wrong! This has, in fact, happened in real life on more than one occasion, and it seems like cheerleaders are just too tempting for professional athletes to pass up. And cheerleaders obviously have trouble controlling themselves as well. Did you know that most cheerleaders actually get fired for "fraternizing" with players? So not only are they risking rejection by flirting with players, but also their jobs.

But those cheerleaders and athletes who have found love on the field will tell you that it was all worth it in the end, and there really are some beautiful stories out there. But then again, there are also some pretty sad and tragic stories, and, of course, not all romances are meant to end happily ever after. The American Dream of a cheerleader and a quarterback kissing after a touchdown really is too good to be true on some occasions, and some of these people have found that out the hard way... Either way, these athletes still got to experience what it was like to date a cheerleader, which is more than many of us will ever experience.

Kelsi Reich And David Nelson

One clear-cut example of an athlete dating a cheerleader is Kelsi Reich and David Nelson. These two love-birds were dating for several years back in 2011 when Bleacher Report published a very special article on their relationship. Why was it such a big deal? Well, in 2011 Nelson's team, the Bills, played the Dallas Cowboys—who Kelsi was a cheerleader for at the time. What he did next made national headlines.

As Bleacher Report stated, David Nelson said that he was planning an extra special celebration if he scored a touchdown during the game. The article predicted he would propose to his cheerleader girlfriend, but instead, he merely hugged her and gave her the game-winning ball.

Still a big deal though, in the eyes of the sporting world. Their relationship would not last, and in 2017, David Nelson married another woman.

Matt Schaub And Laura Schaub

One relationship that actually lasted between a cheerleader and an athlete is the one between Matt and Laurie Schaub. As Heavy reports, Laurie Schaub is an ex-cheerleader who performed for the Atlanta Falcons— a team which Matt Schaub plays for... Coincidence? We think not.

Today, she no longer cheers, but she is a proud mother of multiple children by Matt Schaub.

Matt Schaub himself is a well-known quarterback and was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 2004. He's 36 now but shows no real signs of slowing down. One thing that is probably keeping his spirits up is the fact that his wife was once voted "Football's Hottest Wife" by Fantasy Football Sideline. The two seem committed to family life, and each other.

Kelly Hall And Matthew Stafford

One romance that seems like it was ripped straight of the pages of the American Dream Handbook is the one between Kelly Hall and Matthew Stafford. They actually met when they were both at the University of Georgia. He was a quarterback, and she was a cheerleader... We think you know where this is going. They're literally high school sweethearts, and they're still together to this day.

In fact, as AJC reports, they're married! The two wed in 2016 in what the article calls a "lavish ceremony," and they have identical twin girls, born in March of 2017. Matthew Stafford plays for the Detroit Lions and was once the highest paid NFL player of all time. He's only 30 years old and still has a long career ahead of him. Kelly Hall is no longer a cheerleader...

Abigail Klein And Troy Aikman

Troy Aikman is an ex-quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, and he is one of the best-known names in the history of the sport. Although he's no longer an NFL player, he still makes headlines from time to time and was once named the "Most Eligible Bachelor In Dallas" by Texas Monthly. Although he's dated his fair share of women, eyebrows were raised when he was seen out with one girl in particular.

That girl was none other than Abigail Klein, an ex-Cowboys cheerleader at the time when TMZ reported on their alleged relationship and posted pictures of them apparently going out to dinner together. Some people insisted that the two were just friends, and the relationship didn't really go anywhere after this whole story broke out.

Ann Lux And Will Middlebrooks

While it might seem obvious that cheerleaders start dating the athletes of the teams they're cheering for, it doesn't always pan out that way. In some cases, cheerleaders start dating guys who play for other teams... Hell, they sometimes date guys who play completely different sports! This is what happened when Ann Lux and Will Middlebrooks started dating.

Ann Lux was a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader when she started dating Will Middlebrooks, who was a professional baseball player for the Boston Red Sox at the time.

But it wasn't like they just randomly met at a party. As KETR reports, the two have actually known each other since their childhoods! But the relationship would not last, and they split up in 2012.

Amanda Vanderpool And Ladislav Smid

Another interesting romance between player and cheerleader happened when Amanda Vanderpool and Ladislav Smid had a fling during a time when both were heavily involved in the athletic world. Although Ladislav Smid currently plays in the Czech Hockey League, when he met Amanda Vanderpool, he was playing for the Edmonton Oilers. He has also played for the Calgary Flame in the past.

As the Edmonton Journal reports, the relationship between the ex-Mighty Ducks Cheerleader and the hockey player was blown way out of proportion, and it was probably quite brief. In 2015, the media outlet posted a quote from Vanderpool which read: “Yes, we used to be together a while ago but now we’re just good friends. I will always have a special spot in my heart for Ladi and I truly wish him nothing but the best.”

Lindsay Slott And Hunter Pence

Hunter Pence is a professional baseball player who currently plays for the San Francisco Giants. He started off his career with the Houston Astros, before moving to the Philadelphia Phillies, before finally ending with his current team. It was during his time with the Astros that he allegedly met Houston Texans cheerleader, Lindsay Slott, and the pair began dating.

This was reported on in 2011 by Crossing Broad, and again in 2012 when they claimed that Hunter Pence had ended this short-lived relationship after he left to play for the Philadelphia Phillies. There really isn't too much info about this relationship out there, other than a few pictures of them together. We're guessing it wasn't too serious.

Chloe Butler And Tim Grant

Chloe Butler is one of the few names on this list who has not actually been a cheerleader, but also a pretty skilled athlete. This Australian woman has played in the Rugby Union, as well as in the so-called "Lingerie Football League in America." On top of that, she's also been a cheerleader for the Canberra Raiders (a rugby team in Australia) before getting injured.

She is currently dating Tim Grant, a professional rugby player who plays for the Wests Tigers in the National Rugby League of Australasia. But this isn't the first rugby player she's dated.

According to The Australian, the Australian female athlete also dated Travis Waddell, another Rugby player who played for the Canberra Raiders while she was a cheerleader there.

Chris Cooley And Christy Oglevee

One example of a romance that sparked between an athlete and a cheerleader was when Chris Cooley started dating, and eventually married, Christy Oglevee, a cheerleader for the Washington Redskins. She was actually fired from her job as soon as she started to "fraternize" with the former tight end of the football team. But a few years later, they were married.

The Washington Post wrote an article about this somewhat tragic love story back in 2012, which ended in a divorce and Chris Cooley retiring from professional football. But while it lasted, the couple had quite a relationship and weren't shy about sharing intimate details of their marriage, as the Washington Post reports.

Krystle Campbell And Ryan Howard

Ron Howard is currently a free agent but has been playing professional baseball for a very long time. He played for the Philadelphia Phillies back from 2004 to 2016 and plays first base. In 2012, he married the former cheerleader, Krystle Campbell, who used to cheer for the Philadelphia Eagles. NY Daily News claims that their wedding was in Maui. The two are still apparently happily married.

Pictures that surfaced from their beach marriage showed Krystle and Ron Howard posing for pictures while getting wet in the water— all while wearing their wedding attire. Past articles have noted that Krystle's wedding dress, apparently worth $35,000, was completely destroyed by the sandy waters, something that she didn't look too happy about.

Denny Hamlin And Jordan Fish

You've probably noticed a bit of trend with NFL cheerleaders dating baseball players. While it doesn't happen all the time, it's fairly common. But in this case, an ex-cheerleader named Jordan Fish started dating a NASCAR driver! It seems that it was a good choice for both of them, since they now have two daughters together, as reported by Fox Sports.

According to the article about Denny Hamlin's beautiful girlfriend, they met when Denny was attending a Charlotte Hornets game (they were called the Bobcats back then). According to the article, she "caught his eye," and they later started dating after a couple months. According to her Twitter, she' still a cheerleader... She's just switched to the racetrack instead of the basketball court.

Royce Reed And Dwight Howard

Get ready to learn about one of the most dramatic romances between an athlete and a cheerleader. While he was playing for the Orlando Magic, he met Royce Reed, a cheerleader for the team. They started dating during the 2005-06 season, as Heavy Reports, and Royce Reed soon became pregnant with Dwight Howard's son in 2007.

Soon after the son was born, the couple split up. As Heavy reports, this was only the beginning of the drama.

Over the next few years, there would be a long string of court proceedings between the two, including paternity tests, child support, defamation suits, custody battles, and allegations of abuse. Dwight Howard currently plays for the Charlotte Hornets.

Whitney Wonnacott And Jimmer Fredette

Jimmer Fredette was touted as being the next big thing in the NBA during his rookie season, but things just didn't pan out the way this player might have hoped. He currently plays for the Shanghai Sharks in the Chinese Basketball Association, where he is known as "Jimo Dashen," which translates roughly as "The Lonely Master." But in truth, he's far from being lonely. Just take a look at his wife.

As Heavy reported, he married Whitney Wonnacott back in 2012, and the two have been together ever since.

According to the same article, the two met about three years prior, during an NCAA tournament where Whitney was performing as a cheerleader. The two have known each other for quite some time and welcomed their first child into the world in 2017.

Elizabeth Barry And Alex Smith

Alex Smith is a well-known face in the world of professional football and currently plays as a quarterback for the Washington Redskins. He has also played for the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs in the past. He's had a pretty stellar career, and he's got people talking numerous times. But when he married a cheerleader, he really made headlines.

His woman of choice was Elizabeth Barry, who once was a cheerleader for the Oakland Raiders, as JustJared reports. They were married in 2009 and now have two children together. The article also pointed out how supportive Elizabeth Barry is of her husband, both on and off the field. Although she's no longer a cheerleader, she's definitely her husband's biggest fan.

Zack Greinke And Emily Kuchar

Zack Greinke is one of the hottest names in baseball, and one of the most talented pitchers. He currently plays for the Arizona Diamondbacks and has played for many teams in the past. As Heavy reports, he is married to Emily Kuchar, (now Emily Greinke), who was formerly a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. She actually started cheerleading for this team at the age of just 18!

In addition, she was named Miss Daytona Beach USA in 2009. Heavy posted a quote from the ex-cheerleader, which revealed that the two met in high school: “I was a library assistant, and all of a sudden, Zack started needing to do more homework in the library in the time I was in there. So that’s where it kind of all began." They welcomed their first child into the world in 2015.

Lauren Gardner And Sam LeCure

Sam LeCure is a former professional relief pitcher, and he played for the Cincinnati Reds from 2010 t0 2015, before leaving and eventually becoming a free agent.

One of the most interesting things about this ex-athlete is the fact that he allegedly once dated Lauren Gardner, according to an article by Bleacher Report in 2012. She is actually a pretty prominent media personality.

Although she was once a cheerleader for the Denver Broncos, she really started to make a name for herself when she took the job of sideline reporter for the Lingerie Football League, and eventually was a sideline reporter for the CBS Sports. Bleacher Report points out Tweets aimed specifically at Sam LeCure, wishing him good luck for his games in 2012. Much of this relationship is based on rumor.

Rob Gronkowski And Camille Kostek

Rob Gronkowski is the tight end for the New England Patriots, and it should come as no surprise that he caught the eye of Camille Kostek during his time on the field. The Daily Mail describes his relationship with the New England Patriots cheerleader as "on and off," but also alleges that the two are becoming much more serious about their relationship.

In 2017, the Daily Mail reported that the two were "rekindling" their old romances, citing the pictures from a wedding both attended, and it seemed like the pair were very much an item.

The 2017 article claims that they first started dating two years prior and that Rob Gronkowski is famous for keeping his personal life under wraps, leading to much speculation over whether there really was a relationship between these two, and how serious things were really getting. The article claims that it's rare to see Rob even posting pictures of himself with Camille Kostek, so that could be a sign that he's ready to get more serious.

References: bleachereport.com, heavy.com, ajc.com, tmz.com, ketr.org, edmontonjournal.com, crossingbroad.com, theaustralian.com, nydailynews.com, washingtonpost.com, justjared.com, foxsports.com, dailymail.co.uk

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