Robin Williams first NFL male cheerleader 1979

Robin Williams really did appear in Denver Broncos cheer gear in 1979. The footage and photos tied to the current social-media post come from the filming of a “Mork & Mindy” episode in Denver, where Williams — in character as Mork — joined the Broncos’ Pony Express cheerleaders at Mile High Stadium. AP photo captions and later Broncos coverage describe the appearance as the first male cheerleader moment in Broncos history. The episode at the center of it was “Hold That Mork.” IMDb lists it as a 1979 “Mork & Mindy” episode that aired on November 25, 1979, with the plot summary saying Nelson tries to advance his political career by getting Mork the chance to try out as a Denver Broncos cheerleader. ### Was Robin Williams actually a Broncos cheerleader, or was it just for TV? Robin Williams was there as part of a television production, not as a regular member of the squad. (kdvr.com) A Fox31 report, citing AP imagery from the day, says Williams joined the Broncos’ Pony Express cheerleaders while filming “Mork & Mindy” at Mile High Stadium and that the appearance was not the start of a permanent stint. (imdb.com) The AP photo caption is specific about the setting. It describes Williams as wearing a Broncos’ Pony Express cheerleader outfit and joining the squad while filming an episode of “Mork & Mindy” at Denver’s Mile High Stadium on Nov. 12, 1979. (kdvr.com) ### Why do some retellings say November 11 and others November 12, 1979? Two dates show up in the record. Pro Football Reference lists the Broncos’ 45-10 home win over the New England Patriots on Sunday, November 11, 1979. That is the live game many later stories connect to Williams’ on-field appearance. The AP photo caption, however, is dated November 12, 1979, for the filming at Mile High Stadium. (alamy.com) That means the social post is pointing to a real 1979 Broncos appearance, but archived references split between the game date and the photo-service date attached to the shoot. (pro-football-reference.com) ### What does “first male cheerleader” actually mean here? The claim is best read narrowly. Broncos-related coverage says Williams was the first male Denver Broncos cheerleader, and some local reports extend that to say he was technically the first male cheerleader in the NFL because of that filmed appearance. That wording matters because Williams was appearing as a sitcom character during production, not joining the squad in the modern full-time sense. (alamy.com) The evidence that is easy to verify supports the Broncos-history version of the claim most clearly: first male cheerleader for the team, during a 1979 “Mork & Mindy” shoot. (kdvr.com) ### Why was Denver part of a “Mork & Mindy” storyline in the first place? “Mork & Mindy” had a Colorado setting. The show centered on Mork in Boulder, which made a Broncos tie-in a natural local reference for a 1979 episode built around a cheerleader tryout. Secondary Denver histories and fan documentation both connect the Pony Express appearance to that Colorado-based setup. (kdvr.com) The Broncos’ cheer unit at the time was called the Pony Express. Denver Broncos archival pages tracing cheerleader history identify that name for the late-1970s squad, matching the AP caption attached to Williams’ appearance. ### So what is the cleanest way to describe the viral clip? The most accurate shorthand is this: Robin Williams, in character as Mork, appeared with the Denver Broncos’ Pony Express cheerleaders at Mile High Stadium in November 1979 while filming the “Mork & Mindy” episode “Hold That Mork.” Broncos and AP archival references support the appearance; the episode itself aired on November 25, 1979. (denver.citycast.fm) (denverbroncos.com) The post now circulating on X is therefore reviving a real piece of Broncos and television history, not inventing one. The next place to verify it is the episode “Hold That Mork” and the AP photo record from November 1979. (imdb.com)