'Popeyes meme kid' who is now a college football star signs sponsorship deal with fast food giant

Everyone knows the image of that shy kid giving the side-eye as he's oddly approached in a Popeyes.

Well, now he's certainly not being shy at all.

Before TikTok, there was Vine and that’s how the world first met Dieunerst Collin.

A user by the name of TheRealSnoopy published the video titled ‘Terio At Popeyes’, where he asks Collin: "Yo, this n**** Terio at Popeyes.

The camera then shifted back and captured Collin’s famous response that has lived on in meme legend.

But now, Collin is all grown up, and a college football star.

In 2021, he became a state champion with his high school football team in East Orange, New Jersey, according to USA TODAY.

The 19-year-old stands at 6 foot 1 and 330 pounds (149kg) and is an offensive lineman at Lake Erie College’s Division II football program.

Once Twitter got wind of Collin’s success as a football star, users demanded he receive a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NIL deal with the popular fast food giant.

Podcast producer Jim Weber tweeted: “The @Popeyes meme kid @CollinDieunerst is now a freshman offensive lineman at Division II Lake Erie College and if this guy doesn’t have a NIL deal by tomorrow, the Louisiana kitchen needs to clean house on upper management.”

And this kicked off a movement.

The @Popeyes meme kid @CollinDieunerst is now a freshman offensive lineman at Division II Lake Erie College and if this guy doesn't have an NIL deal by tomorrow, the Louisiana kitchen needs to clean house on upper management. pic.twitter.com/JTQs9JhhPk

— Jim Weber (@JimMWeber) January 8, 2023

Seriously @Popeyes.. Do yourselves a favor and get this man an NIL deal with your company immediately 💯 https://t.co/jnVGcRpE3S

— OddSmokerSteve (@OddSmokerSteve) January 10, 2023

I love this idea! I have a connect at @Popeyes It’ll get done, no worries. https://t.co/j4RiqEJvjL

— DJ Washington (@dewayne_jr14) January 9, 2023

I NEED EVEYONE TO GO TO MY INSTAGRAM @dieunerst REPOST MY RECENT POST AND TAG @Popeyes I JUST WANNA TALK🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/Fq00ylsJqs

— Dieunerst Collin (@CollinDieunerst) January 8, 2023

Collins even posted: “I NEED EVERYONE TO REPOST THIS AND TAG @popeyes I JUST WANNA TALK BUSINESS.”

Well, it looks like a little pressure from social media worked, as Popeyes announced it had offered the teen the deal he'd been craving.

"A lot can happen with the power of the internet behind you!" Collin said in a release, as per PEOPLE.

"I can't believe I can say I'm officially sponsored by Popeyes. Thank you to everyone who helped spread the good word!"

To officially mark the partnership, Popeyes had begun rolling out promotional posters with a nine-year-old Collin giving his famous look and an image of him as a freshman playing for Lake Erie College.

Proud to welcome @CollinDieunerst to the fam. pic.twitter.com/nbc61QxIx9

— Popeyes (@Popeyes) January 12, 2023

Many were quick to congratulate the football star, as one person wrote: “MADE IT @CollinDieunerst.”

Another said: “The greatest NIL achievement we’ll ever see.”

While a third commented: “Feeling old but in the good way.”

This surely won’t be the last we see of Collin.