A former Buffalo Bills cheerleader has lifted a lid on the insanely strict rules that the squad had to follow.
The NFL cheerleading squad, known as the Buffalo Jills, found itself at the center of controversy back in 2014, when multiple former members launched a bombshell class-action lawsuit against them, alleging the team violated New York labor laws and exposed them to ‘sexual harassment.’
After a lengthy, eight-year court battle, the lawsuit was settled in 2022, resulting in the team having to pay the former members $3.5 million and the media company that broadcasted the games, Cumulus Media, giving them another $4 million.
Now, former Buffalo Bills cheerleader Shana Klimeczko has spoken out about what being a part of the team was really like behind closed doors to People magazine.
The athlete, who was part of the Jills from 2005 until 2006, said it was ‘a dream come true’ when she accepted onto the squad.
However, she admitted that there were severe regulations that controlled everything from how she kept her hair to what color her nails were.
She explained to the publication that when she tried out for the team, which was disbanded in 2014 amid the lawsuit, she was not only judged by her moves and how well she did the routine, but also by the way she looked.
‘You have to be fit … they judge you on the way you look in your uniform,’ she shared.
A former Buffalo Bills cheerleader has lifted a lid on the insanely strict rules that the squad had to follow
Shana Klimeczko, who was part of the squad from 2005 until 2006, said there were severe regulations that controlled everything from how she kept her hair to what color her nails were
‘You are judged on obviously the way you perform, but not just that, [also] your smile and your hair and your body.’
She said the lengthy audition process went on for ‘weeks’ and involved multiple ‘interviews.’
‘You have to be well-spoken, too, because we do appearances,’ she added.
And while it was a lot of work, she insisted that the coaches ‘weren’t mean’ to them and in the end, she said the exhausting process was totally ‘worth it’ once she made the team.
But things didn’t ease up after she was accepted onto the squad, as Shana said there were a slew of immense requirements for the members.
First, you had to always keep your hair down and ‘not mangled,’ according to Shana.
There were also rules about what makeup you were allowed to wear and how you kept your nails.
Team members were told they had to wear red lipstick and ‘always’ had to have on fake eyelashes; as for their polish, they were allowed to pick from pink, french, or clear.
She said she was not only judged by her moves and how well she did the routine, but also by the way she looked
You had to always keep your hair down and ‘not mangled,’ according to Shana. There were also rules about what makeup you were allowed to wear and how you kept your nails
‘If you did not have the right lipstick or nail color, you were not allowed to be at the game that day or you’d be benched,’ Shana revealed.
There were even rules about how tanned your skin was. Shana dished, ‘We had to be tan. Spray tan or tanning, I did both.’
In addition, she said cheerleaders had to stay in shape and make sure their uniforms ‘fit properly’ at all times.
‘You have to make sure that everything is tucked in, you have to be fit. That’s what you sign up for,’ she said.
‘You can’t [have] things hanging out … when you’re jumping and things like that.’
And while some may think that being a part of an NFL cheerleading squad meant she got to meet a lot of big football players, she said the team was actually not allowed to speak to the sports stars at all.
‘I think it makes sense because you don’t want the players distracted,’ she added.
In terms of pay, Shana said she would recieve $75 for a three-hour game; she also got paid if for any extra ‘appearances’ she made with the team.
In the end, Shana said she had no regrets despite strict rules and low pay, and added that she’d ‘1,000 billion percent’ do it again if she had the chance
But she confessed that she didn’t make much, explaining that she did it for the ‘opportunity to be in the public eye’ rather than for the money.
‘You don’t do it for the money,’ she said. ‘That’s not why you’re a cheerleader for the NFL.
‘It’s a dream come true, right? You can’t expect to become rich off of doing it. You’re not a Buffalo Bill.
‘What you get from being a Buffalo Jill is the opportunity to be in the public eye … You are like a local celebrity. I mean… I still sign autographs here in Newport.’
In the end, Shana said she had no regrets despite the strict rules and low pay, and added that she’d ‘1,000 billion percent’ do it again if she had the chance.
‘That was something I always dreamt of. I’m still definitely really proud,’ concluded the ex cheerleader.
