Simone Biles Debuts as Honorary Houston Texans Cheerleader — and Her Boyfriend Is Her No. 1 Fan
These legendary red boots are made for cheering, and that’s just what Simone Biles will do!
The Olympic gymnast, 20, made her debut as the first-ever honorary Houston Texans cheerleader at NRG Stadium in Texas on Sunday when her hometown team played the San Francisco 49ers.
Biles slipped on the iconic red boots, that were custom-made for her, along with her very own uniform and pom poms. While thousands cheered for Biles from the stands, no one was more supportive of her than boyfriend and fellow gymnast Stacey Ervin Jr.
“Welcoming the newest Houston Texans Cheerleader. Thank you for a dope experience at my first Texans game!” Ervin, 24, captioned a photo of the couple on the sidelines.
“I had such an amazing experience cheering at the Texans Game Definitely a memory to last forever!” Biles wrote for one of her series of behind-the-scenes photos shared on Instagram, also calling Ervin her “right hand” in another photo of the pair.
A post shared by Simone Biles (@simonebiles) on Dec 10, 2017 at 4:41pm PST
Biles met Ervin three years before they started dating, during the P&G Gymnastics Championships (then called the Visa Championships). But, in spring 2016, Nellie Biles (Simone’s adopted mother and biological grandmother) hired Ervin to be a coach at her gym while Biles was away performing on season 24 of Dancing with the Stars. When the Olympic gold medalist returned home after finishing in fourth place, their friendship turned romantic as they spent more time together.
The pair officially announced their relationship on Instagram in August.
A post shared by Houston Texans Cheerleaders (@texanscheerleaders) on Dec 10, 2017 at 10:31am PST
HTC Simone aka @SimoneBiles sees her locker for the 1st time!????????
A post shared by Houston Texans Cheerleaders (@texanscheerleaders) on Dec 10, 2017 at 10:10am PST
In September, Biles told PEOPLE she and Ervin have talked about how their relationship will change when she starts her full-time training again for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
“He’s an elite athlete and he’s traveled and stuff, so he understands it,” Biles said. “We already know in each other’s lives we don’t come first, and that’s okay with the both of us. So we do what we need to do, and then when we come together it’s fine.”