One Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader is breaking the mold with her signature hairstyle, and it’s causing quite the stir.
When rookie Faith Ward recently announced that she’d earned a spot on the 2025-2026 DCC squad, some social media users noticed that her hair looked a bit different than the rest of the cheerleaders.
In “America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders,” the members of the iconic squad are typically seen wearing their hair down, with lots of volume.
However, Ward was spotted rocking a perky ponytail while sporting the DCC uniform in multiple TikTok and Instagram posts.
Now, the New Zealander is addressing the question on everyone’s mind: Will the ponytail stick around?
During a July 21 interview with ABC Perth, Ward said she understands why people have been curious to know whether she’s allowed to wear a different hairstyle than the rest of the squad.
“It’s crazy because obviously the DCC hairstyle is hair out, fluffy, voluminous, luscious, long locks. I’ve, you know, broken that stereotype,” she said.
The cheerleader then explained how the ponytail hairstyle came about in the first place.
“So, I’m in rehearsal one of the days with my hair out and I am, you know, sweating after doing ‘Thunderstruck.’ (DCC Director Kelli Finglass is) looking at me and she’s like, ‘You know what? I really want to see what your hair would look like tied up,’” she recalled.
The change helped Ward focus more on her choreography and resulted in an unexpected, yet positive perk.
“So I put it up for her and she really liked the way it danced, which was really cool because I was super excited about that because your girl doesn’t want to have her hair out, sweaty in her face (while) dancing,” she said.
When Ward went to uniform fittings, she kept her hair in the ponytail “in hopes that” Kelli Finglass would like it. Luckily, she did.
“I walk in and she goes, ‘You’re giving Ariana Grande! Like, we need an Ariana Grande moment on the team,” she said of Finglass’ reaction. “I was like, ‘Are you serious right now, Kelli? Like this is so exciting!’ She was like, ‘Yeah, but I want your ponytail longer, I want it blonder and then I want to see a cameo day (to determine) whether I prefer you with your hair out or in a ponytail.”
Moving forward, Ward still isn’t positive that the hairstyle will stick around, but she’s cautiously optimistic.
“So right now, it’s looking very hopeful that I will be a DCC with a ponytail. But, we still have to keep an open mind to the possibility that I could be going back to be hair out. So we can’t get too excited yet!” she said.
Second-year DCC veteran Ava Lahey also recently opened up about her hair, which she wears straight instead of curly. In an Instagram video posted on June 27, she said her hair is “naturally really soft and fine” and used to “fall flat after 20 minutes and look really stringy” when she curled it during training camp.
Similar to Ward, Lahey was told her hair “dances better” when she wears it straight.
“I did end up getting cut from training camp that year, but when I made it back to training camp again, I wore it straight right off the bat,” she said.
During the makeover phase, Lahey was told her hair looked great “straight, sleek and blonde” and she was “so happy.”
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