Texans’ cheerleaders unveil annual swimsuit calendar
Houston Texans cheerleaders in swimsuits.
Need we say more?
Fans got a rare treat as the Texans cheerleaders unveiled their 9th annual swimsuit calendar at the Go Texas Store at NRG Stadium on Saturday.
The 12 calendar cheerleaders were seated in front of their life-size swimsuit photos as they signed autographs and talked with fans. The public was then escorted to the cheerleaders’ locker room for a rare behind-the-scenes look.
“I didn’t really understand why people wanted to see the locker room,” said cheer coach and manager Alto Gary. “As you can you, fans definitely enjoy being here.”
Several hundred fans strolled through the massive locker room, where the rest of the cheerleading squad stood with pompoms and signed autographs. Gary said the Texans cheerleaders’ locker room is significantly bigger than most at NFL stadiums.
“When you have 34 girls, we need as much room as possible,” she said.
The calendar cheerleaders were selected by Gary in April and had their swimsuit photo shoots in May at the El Conquistador Resort’s Palomino Island in Puerto Rico by photographer Trask Smith.
The hardest part, Gary said, was selecting the swimsuits for the calendar. She found styles online at Bloomingdale’s, Victoria’s Secret and even Macy’s.
“You’d think it would be easy picking swimsuits. You want the suits to reflect their personality but still keep it conservative. It’s hard.”
The swimsuits also had to meet the final approval of Janice McNair, wife of Texans owner Robert McNair, Gary said.
This is the first year the Texans invited the public free of charge and the first time the public has seen the cheerleaders’ locker room. Last year, the calendar was unveiled at a private, ticketed event.
George Mass, a longtime Texans fan, said it was an opportunity to meet all of the cheerleaders in one place.
“I won’t have to worry about trying to meet them when the season starts. Now, I can watch the Texans game with no distractions,” he said.
David Matthews brought his 10-year-old daughter, Rylie Matthews, to the event.
“She’s the only one of my five children who will sit down and watch a football game with me. That’s why we’re here,” he said.
The Houston Texans Swimsuit Calendar sells for $10 at the Go Texans store at NRG Stadium.
