Collin has come to phrases with the meme in recent times as he has developed one other id by soccer, which he performs at Division II Lake Erie College in Ohio. This month, the 18-year-old used the meme’s reputation to signal a sponsorship cope with Popeyes that may connect his identify, picture and likeness to commercials.
“At first it was really hard,” Collin advised The Washington Post. “But the family and friends that I had told me, ‘Hey, this is going to be something good. You can really flip this.’ A part of me now is pinching himself.”
A Popeyes spokeswoman confirmed the sponsorship deal, including in a assertion: “From memes to dreams, Dieunerst and Popeyes will grace social media feeds once again.”
In August 2013, Collin mentioned his father, Evens, ordered a household rooster meal at a Popeyes in Irvington, N.J. Collin mentioned he stuffed his white cup with candy tea and waited for his household to exit the restrooms. A person, who was recording a video on his cellphone, approached Collin.
The videographer believed Collin seemed just like Lil TerRio, who was widespread for his dance strikes on Vine earlier than it was shut down in October 2016. Collin didn’t know whether or not the videographer was chatting with him or the particular person beside him, he mentioned, so he checked out the digital camera and glanced beside him earlier than shifting his eyes towards the digital camera once more. Collin mentioned he dismissed the encounter as a joke.
Then about three weeks later, his sister, Everlyne, shared the video. People used the brief clip to specific reactions to awkward moments, akin to seeing a trainer exterior college or being requested to work weekends. As a fifth-grader, Collin mentioned classmates nicknamed him “TerRio” as he became well-known for the meme.
Collin mentioned he felt accepted two years later in center college when he met new buddies who had not discovered about the meme. In highschool, Collin mentioned, soccer helped him kind his id and discover belonging. Collin’s teammates offered him with a new nickname, “Killer Whale,” for his blocking on the offensive line.
“People began to know who I really was,” Collin mentioned.
When Collin’s highschool coach, Rae Oliver, discovered about the meme, he mentioned he invited Collin into his workplace. Although he usually internalized his feelings, Collin mentioned, he defined his difficulties overcoming bullying. Oliver mentioned he noticed a probability for Collin to remodel the meme into a advertising and marketing alternative.
After East Orange Campus won a football championship in December 2021, Collin posed for a image with the trophy whereas trying sideways to imitate the meme. When an influencer requested Collin what he would do after profitable, Oliver mentioned Collin responded: “Man, I want some chicken.”
At Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio, coaches discovered about the meme once they started recruiting Collin in 2021. When Collin committed to the small school in February 2022, phrase of the new classmate unfold throughout the scholar physique.
“I don’t think we bargained for the light that Dieunerst was,” Lake Erie Coach Demir “D.J.” Boldin mentioned. “After we truly got to know him, he’s one of the greatest kids, like, ever.”
Collin, who’s 6-foot-1 and 330-pounds, redshirted in the fall to develop. Around January, sports personalities throughout social media started connecting Collin to the well-known meme. Collin, who research communications, tagged Popeyes in a Jan. 8 Instagram submit through which he wrote he was prepared to speak enterprise.
Within a day, Collin mentioned Popeyes responded. He danced throughout his dorm after settling a deal, and Popeyes designed a billboard that includes Collin in Newark.
He’s now Lake Erie’s first soccer participant to obtain a paid sponsorship deal, Boldin mentioned. Collin declined to reveal his wage however mentioned, “It’s a lot.”
“He’s accepting of who he is,” Oliver mentioned. “He’s been able to take the power from the negative side of it and turn that pain into profit.”