“Greg Whiteley, the EP behind ‘Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders,’ shares how filming Season 2 motivated him to improve his leadership skills”

Netflix acknowledges that Texas has a lot to offer, especially in Season 2 of America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders! Recently, the streaming platform hosted a special event in NYC to promote the sports docuseries. This upcoming season will document the journey of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders from auditions to training camp throughout the underwhelming 2024-2025 season of the Dallas Cowboys.

At the event, Creator/director/EP Greg Whiteley, DCC Senior Director Kelli Finglass, DCC Head Choreographer Judy Trammell, and Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Reece Weaver and Anna Kate Sundvold joined Access Hollywood’s Zuri Hall to discuss the show’s influence, handling newfound fame, and the significance of being part of the team.

Finglass shared during the panel, “I’ve always had to explain what a cheerleader is, but now I no longer need to.” She expressed gratitude to Netflix for showcasing how remarkable her team is, both on and off the field. According to Finglass, “We are proud of their performances, but what makes me proudest is their relatability, vulnerability, and beauty.” Trammell also expressed her immense respect for the cheerleaders. “Through the show, Kelly and I have gained a deeper understanding of their daily experiences,” Trammell stated. “It’s demanding work, but incredibly rewarding, and they handle it with grace.”

Whiteley also revealed that his team was “at home editing the last episode of this series.” He admitted that “Season 2’s are tricky.” In the first season of a show, Whiteley noted, you “get to introduce the world, or reintroduce the world to an entity you’re assuming that people don’t really know the ins and outs of.” Luckily, for the second installment of America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, Whiteley explained that his job was easy because he had “36 incredibly interesting women, [along with] Kelli and Judy, who never stop being interesting.” “I was pleasantly pleased with the number of storylines,” continued Whiteley. “I feel we could go on forever telling the story of this team.”

Towards the end of the panel, Whiteley divulged that the second season of America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders will drop June 18 on Netflix. When pressed for details, simply said: “Anybody that follows football knows that the Cowboys did not have a great year on the football field. Spoiler alert, they did not win the Super Bowl. I’m not sure they even won a single home game.”

Whitely implied that the team’s lackluster season put even more pressure on the cheerleading squad, explaining: “When things are not going well, they feel the pressure to somehow make this event worthwhile for the people that have paid hard earned dollars to come to the game.” Whiteley went on: “It was interesting to see Kelly, Judy and the squad take on that burden and take it seriously.”

Whiteley also shared the impact that the cheerleading team has had on him. “I’m sort of the leader of the film crew,” said Whiteley. “I could learn a lot from the way that these women lead each other.” He noted that “sometimes, there would be somebody that would let the team down” and he watched how the women could retain their “very, very high standard of excellence, but still be compassionate when that happened.” He added that filming Season 2 made him want to be “a better leader” because of what he saw.

After the panel was over, 13 of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders came out to perform their iconic “Thunderstruck” number. There was truly no better way to celebrate the incredible women behind America’s Team.