Fast-food chicken chain Popeyes has signed a D-II college football player to an NIL deal, and it’s somebody that went viral for Popeyes-related reasons 10 years ago.
Dieunerst Collin, who’s been known by many on the internet as “The Popeyes meme kid”, signed an NIL deal with Popeyes on Tuesday night. Collin is a freshman offensive lineman at D-II Lake Erie College.
On Sunday, Collin tweeted, “I NEED EVEYONE TO GO TO MY INSTAGRAM @dieunerst REPOST MY RECENT POST AND TAG @Popeyes I JUST WANNA TALK.”
His social media posts got a lot of attention, and Popeyes listened.
Popeyes quote-tweeted Collin on Tuesday night: “Let’s get that bread(ing) ✍️.”
Let’s get this bread(ing)✍️ https://t.co/rnQaxBNAiz
— Popeyes (@Popeyes) January 11, 2023
That was soon followed by a report from Front Office Sports that Collin has indeed signed an NIL deal with Popeyes.
BREAKING: Popeyes has signed Dieunerst Collin — "The Popeyes meme kid" — to an NIL deal.
Collin is now a freshman offensive lineman at D-II Lake Erie College. pic.twitter.com/xC7UmuJLvY
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) January 11, 2023
In 2013, Collins was in a Vine (RIP) video in which a stranger told him he looked like Vine celebrity TerRio. Collins gave a side-eye, confused look at the camera in Popeyes. That video went viral, and the moment is frequently used still in photo and GIF form across the internet.
Well, now Collin is a D-II football player that won a New Jersey state championship with East Orange High School in 2021.
We’ve come a long, long way.
Dieunerst Collin now has an endorsement deal with Popeyes. pic.twitter.com/y5U0efmTTj
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) January 11, 2023
And now he has an NIL deal with Popeyes, after going viral for a Popeyes moment as a nine-year-old. Incredible.
[Popeyes on Twitter , Front Office Sports on Twitter; Photo Credit: Dieunerst Collin on Instgram]
About Matt Clapp
Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.
He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.