KHOU 11 News is hearing from former members of the Houston Texans Cheerleaders standing behind the team in the wake of two lawsuits.
Five women went on camera with our Mia Gradney and said their experience with the Texans was nothing but positive both on and off the field.
Among the women who shared their perspective were a couple of team captains for the squad.
They also cheered multiple seasons and said they were compensated fairly and treated well unlike some other former teammates who allege body shaming and poor pay.
"I could no longer sit back and listen to the negative connotation that was out there," said Ashley Mays, who cheered three seasons for the Texans.
When asked about the physical expectations as a Texans cheerleader, Mays said longtime coach Alto Gary focused more on physical fitness.
"Whether it's building your own stamina, you want a womanly body," she said. "You want to meet somewhere in the middle. Not too fat. Not too overweight."
The women said there were no weigh-ins, or fat checks, which has been alleged by other former cheerleaders.
"For me Alto always celebrated being a woman and having those curves," said Samantha Castaneda, a former cheerleader and captain.
"We had short girls, tall girls on the team. We had curvy girls. We did have skinny girls," said Madison Lee, who cheered four seasons for the Texans. "We had all different shapes and sizes but the bottom line at the end of the day, from the fitness trainers to Coach Alto, they all wanted us to be healthy."
The allegations against the Texans not involving the coach are mostly rooted in money. The women said they were paid the hourly minimum wage, but that it was something they knew ahead time during employee orientation.
The women also said what they didn't make in money was made up for in perks like game tickets, tanning, hair, makeup, and gym access.
But looking back, these five former cheerleaders coveted nothing more than their friendships and time together on the field for the Houston Texans.
"This is more than a team to me," Castaneda said. "This is my family."
MORE