Those iconic jump splits that Kelcey Wetterberg performs as a member of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders aren’t as daunting as they seem, she says. Kelcey Wetterberg, center, performs before a Dallas Cowboys game. She said those splits aren’t as daunting as they look.
“If you have the splits down,” she said, “it’s not so bad.” Neither is wearing the sexy outfits, says the 27-year-old from Omaha, who danced at Millard West and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as well as at Arizona State before trying out for one of the most famous cheerleading squads in the world. It’s the stars she sees in the eyes of the little girls who want to grow up to be just like her that she’ll remember more.
“They just go crazy,” Wetterberg said. “You know you can have a pretty big impact.” Claire Wolford of Lincoln was also part of the squad this year.
She was a cheerleader from 2020 to 2024. That impact grew this summer. She had one of the larger roles on “America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders,” a docuseries that covered the 2023-24 season.
Lincoln’s Claire Wolford also was a part of the team. Wetterberg said the response to the show has been “pretty overwhelming.” “I never in a million years expected myself to be on this team and on a Netflix show and have people recognize me when I go out in public,” she said.
The show documented the last of five years on the squad for Wetterberg, who is staying on as part of an all-star team that helps with performances and appearances as needed. She’s focusing more on her career and her marriage this winter in Omaha to actor and Omaha native Nate Crnkovich. She’s still a pediatric home health nurse and will continue working with a little girl in Dallas who appears on the show.
“I think it was very clear to me it was time to leave and let other girls step in and lead,” she said. “It’s been a good transition to still be a part of it in a way.” Wetterberg, one of six kids, said she can still clearly remember her terror when her mom, Debbie, drove her to Texas for the grueling tryouts.
When she saw the hundreds of beautiful women also competing for a spot, she almost changed her mind. Wetterberg said she's had a big impact on her smallest fans as a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. She’s glad she stayed.
Her experiences have helped her gain confidence in herself and recognize what she brings to the table, she said. “I did my best. It’s definitely an environment that will push you to be the best you possibly can be,” she said.
What you see on the TV show is realistic, Wetterberg said. The extra cameras used for filming blended into the background. They didn’t know what would be included until the show aired.
The only thing she wished the show had shown more of was the camaraderie among the women on the team. They sometimes spend 40 hours a week together, despite many of them having full-time jobs like Wetterberg. She was one of the team leaders for a second time, too, and said she had to work hard to overcome her naturally introverted personality.
“It has truly been one of the most rewarding experiences,” she said. “I found a really huge passion and fire inside me to be a leader for this team. There were a lot of years and effort I put in.
” Kelcey Wetterberg said she's loved her time with the Cowboys but is now ready to focus on her nursing career and upcoming marriage. Since the show began airing, besides trying to copy the performance to the song “Thunderstruck,” many have questioned how little the cheerleaders make compared to the millions earned by players on the team. A Dallas staff member declined to say how much the women are paid.
Wetterberg said she appreciates that people are standing up for the team but said it’s a bigger issue than with just the Cowboys. Most dancers don’t make a lot of money, she said. She became part of the team because she loves to dance, something she’s done since she was 3.
It gave her a chance to perform with stars such as Dolly Parton, Queen and Luke Combs. It also allowed her to work at the same time on her other passion, nursing. “Every moment has been so surreal,” she said.
“I really enjoyed my time and wouldn’t change it for the world.” marjie.ducey@owh.
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