You’d be hard-pressed to find an individual as active as Bonnie-Jill Laflin. The multi-faceted reporter for the Dallas Cowboys and host for Audacy Dallas does it all. With professional experience from the NFL, NBA, MLB, silver screen and magazine covers. Laflin could certainly tell you a story or two.
Bonnie-Jill or “B.J.” has Northern California roots, but these days, she spends a considerable amount of time in the Lone Star State. Whether it is reporting on the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Longhorns or tending to her ranch and fur friends, Laflin is always getting after it.
Bonnie-Jill is a pioneer in the sports world and continues to trailblaze for women in the industry as a best selling author..If you’re looking for your next book, In a League of Her Own: Celebrating Female Firsts in Sports is a brilliant collective authored by Laflin. As the NBA’s inaugural female scout, B.J. offers invaluable perspective.
Amidst a hectic NFL and college football schedule, Bonnie-Jill sat down with Playboy’s Gabriel Santiago for a friendly chat. Laflin opens up about myriad personal journeys, including her time at the University of Texas, cheerleading for the Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers, scouting for the Los Angeles Lakers, acting on Baywatch and so much more.
Playboy: Let’s start at the beginning. Tell me about where you grew up and your origin story with sports?
Bonnie-Jill: I grew up in the Bay Area and spent most of my summers in Texas. I still go back and forth often. I come from a really tight-knit family. My mom and dad are still together to this day. My dad had season tickets for the San Francisco 49ers, San Francisco Giants and Golden State Warriors so I was pretty dialed into sports right out of the womb, especially being a daddy’s girl. I immersed myself into sports. I wanted to know everything about sports. I knew I wanted it to be a part of my life and a career at some point.
Playboy: How did that segue into professional sports?
Bonnie-Jill: I ended up being a cheerleader for the Golden State Warriors earning NBA Cheerleader of the Year and then on to the 49ers Gold Rush. Eventually, I went on to what my dad called “the dark side,” and joined the Dallas Cowboys. During the mid-1990s, the NFC Championship Game between the Cowboys and Niners was the Super Bowl, essentially. They called me the “Prime Time of the sidelines,” because I went from San Francisco to Dallas at the same time as Deion Sanders. But hey, it was a chance to join the best cheerleading squad in the world. It wasn’t the best time for my dad, but ironically, he ended up becoming close friends with Michael Irvin and the Cowboys organization. My dad handled it better as the years went on, but in the beginning, it was not his best days as a Niners fan.
Playboy: It’s “Horns up!” for you. What was your time like attending the University of Texas at Austin?
Bonnie-Jill: l loved it. It was hard since I was going to school while also cheering for the Dallas Cowboys. Once I was done cheering, it was much easier to get my studies in. It was brutal doing both at the same time. It was not the typical college life. I was already working in the NFL and had danced professionally for San Francisco Ballet Company. I was caught up with thoughts like, ‘What is my next career move?’ instead of things a typical college kid might be concerned with. But I loved it. I’m a diehard Longhorn. I now cover the Longhorns, as well.
Playboy: Well, as the slogan goes, “Texas is back.” How do you feel about UT’s chances at winning their first national title in nearly two decades?
Bonnie-Jill: I’m really excited about their chances this year. Seeing them ranked No. 1 heading into the game against No. 5 Georgia is fantastic. But we all know that both my Cowboys and the Longhorns can break your heart in end! I don’t want to get ahead of myself and declare Texas the national champion just yet, but I’ll never forget their last title in 2005 against USC. Vince Young and I still reminisce about that incredible game. There’s a lot of pride in Texas football, and I can’t wait to see how the season unfolds! Hook Em!!
Playboy: You have such unique experiences working in the NBA, NFL and college football across several sectors and departments. Care to share a favorite story or two from then?
Bonnie-Jill: There’s so many. Going from being a cheerleader to a reporter to a front office position with the Los Angeles Lakers, there’s a ton. One that comes to mind, when I was scouting for the Lakers and serving as assistant GM of our G-League team, guys weren’t used to seeing a female making choices in basketball operations. In the very initial stages, they kind of forgot who I was. One of the players — I’ll leave his name out — was flirting with me. One of the other players then said, ‘Dude, that’s our boss. That’s who makes cuts.’ He apologized and I handled it well. I understand the confusion. He called me “Boss Lady” for the rest of the season. Thankfully, the culture has changed around female executives.
Playboy: Oh wow. Which Laker greats were you able to work alongside?
Bonnie-Jill: In my case, so many of them took me under their wing. Kobe Bryant, Dr. Jerry Buss, Jeanie Buss, the late Jerry West. So many of them were instrumental in helping me figure out how to carve my way in the sports space.
Playboy: How does it feel to be the NBA’s first female scout?
Bonnie-Jill: There was a lot of pressure. It’s the reason I wrote my book and mentored so many young women. At first, it was not fun. From TMZ articles being written to the Boston Globe ripping me. There were so many things I had to deal with, which is fine. Looking further back, women always had to deal with uncomfortable situations of being under a microscope. There was definitely a target on my back, especially being with the dynasty of the Lakers. What was disheartening was even female media members would attack me. When you don’t come from the typical path, there will be a lot of scrutiny. There was a lot of blood, sweat, tears and me trying to be perfect. I couldn’t make a mistake since I was a female. The daily pressure of that was very taxing and emotionally draining. However, it built character. In the end, it was great. I earned five championship rings out of it, but it didn’t come without its toll.
Playboy: As an actress, you’ve performed on numerous iconic television shows. What are some of your most memorable times from being a part of Baywatch?
Bonnie-Jill: Bonnie-Jill: These will make you laugh. When you appear on Baywatch, they put you through tests to see if you can actually be a lifeguard, such as pulling a 10-pound weight from a pool, treading water and more. I had a recurring lifeguard role, Tina, on 5 episodes. We shot at Will Rogers Beach in Santa Monica and one of the days, I got sucked up by a riptide. The real lifeguards had to come in to save me. We had to stop filming. I thought I was dead. I lived obviously, and Hollywood doesn’t mess around. They re-did my hair and makeup and we got back to shooting.
For my other funny Baywatch story, we filmed in the marina once and they warned us of jellyfish. Of course, I got stung by a jellyfish. Again, the lifeguards had to come get me. It was funny because here I am trying to save people, but instead, the lifeguards are having to save me for a second time. I laugh about it now and I even laughed about it back then. Like, what’re the chances, right?
Playboy: Sheesh! You’ve also spent some time in and around the Playboy Mansion. Care to share a couple stories from your bunny days?
Bonnie-Jill: I was a Playboy Bunny, which is quite different from being a Playmate. Playboy Bunnies don’t pose in the magazine; instead, we served as cocktail servers at Playboy Clubs, recognized by our signature costumes. At 22 or 23 years old in Los Angeles, being part of the Playboy brand felt like a real honor. Imagine being invited to wear that iconic outfit and work in such a vibrant setting—it was surreal.
Playboy: Can you expand on that?
Bonnie-Jill: We all learned the famous Bunny Dip, an iconic pose associated with the suit. During a special one-year celebration, Playboy revived the legendary 1960s Playboy Clubs, where we made appearances and posed for promotional photos. It was an incredible experience to be part of that world.
I have to mention the parties at the Playboy Mansion. They were glamorous, reminiscent of old Hollywood, and provided a unique opportunity to connect with influential people in the entertainment industry. It truly was the who’s who of Hollywood — the hottest ticket in town — so I was always thrilled to receive an invite, especially to the Halloween party where the Mansion staff went all out with the decorations. That was one of my favorite events.
After my Bunny days, I was excited to host the Playboy Fantasy Football Show on Sirius XM with Jaime Faith Edmondson, who’s now married to Evan Longoria. I enjoyed three seasons of hosting, and it became one of the top-rated fantasy football shows at the time. My journey with the brand has been centered on camaraderie, networking, and the excitement of working alongside talented individuals in a dynamic environment.
Playboy: Published author is another title that you hold! What was your inspiration behind writing In A League Of Her Own: Celebrating Female Firsts in Sports?
Bonnie-Jill: It started with publishers coming to me about writing a tell-all book from my time with the 49ers, Cowboys and Lakers, which are very polarizing teams. Considering my close relationships, that’s something I would never do. That was always off the table. I want to do a book that’s inspiring and aspiring and I always wanted to do a one that spoke about the tribulations and the celebrations of the females that have paved the way in sports. There was no book like that, or nothing that is a combination of all the different females in sports. I pitched that idea and it took a long time for my literary agent to find a match. Rowman & Littlefield took it on, which was great. It did so well that we were on the Amazon’s Best Seller list and we’re looking at doing a second because I have to do Caitlin Clark and other females that has since made their way in sports!
Playboy: For those who haven’t read the book yet, who are some women in sports that you personally look up to or have been influenced by?
Bonnie Jill: So many. Billie Jean King, Danica Patrick, Nancy Lieberman, Jackie Joyner Kersee, Laila Ali, Jayne Kennedy, Manon Rhéaume. Another one who sticks out is Romanian gymnast Nadia Comăneci. She had to deal with so much adversity from her weight to being accepted as a female gymnast. She had to win gold and do it in so many events. Her movie Nadia (1984) was so inspirational to me when I was young. I would set up my couch and make it like a balance beam. My parents would scream at me for that. There was also Mary Lou Retton and Florence Joyner who have done so much for sports.It’s remarkable to see women who may be perceived as embodying masculine energy also showcasing a wealth of feminine qualities, all while becoming champions in their fields.
Playboy: Lastly, what’s “a day in the life of Bonnie-Jill Laflin” like right now?
Bonnie-Jill: I start my day at the ranch, waking up early to feed all my rescues..dogs, cats, horses and farm animals. In winter, I make sure they’re cozy with their blankets on. My chickens are great alarm clocks, reminding me it’s time for breakfast!
After that, I hit the gym. Then, I head over to the Audacy Dallas Radio Station for the afternoon show, where we’re the flagship station for the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers.From there, I go to The Star which is the Cowboys’ facility. I make sure to catch Coach Mike McCarthy’s press conference, from there we get to watch about 20 minutes of team practice. After that, it’s locker room availability before we do our show.
After my show I dive into my social media obligations and the record my podcast, “The Weekly Pass,” on Bleav. I also prep for the upcoming MMA fights since I’m the ring reporter for Shawne Merriman’s Lights Out Extreme Fighting. Then heading back home to take care of my animals again. I also coordinate with my VP and Barn Manager for my charity, “Hounds, Heroes and Horses,” where we rescue animals and pair them with veterans. So, that’s my crazy day in a nutshell!
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