The Popeyes fried chicken chain has signed a “Name, Image and Likeness” (NIL) deal with the viral “baby meme Popeyes” 10 years after an embarrassing original video of him went viral on Vine.
The guy from the Popeyes meme—real name Dunerst Collin —went viral on Vine in 2013, but it wasn’t because of his own actions.
Instead, many of you remember a clumsy kid who was approached by a random stranger in Popeyes, comparing him to another viral sensation Terio and asking Collin to make a signature “oh” sound.
Of course, Collin had no idea at the time what this man meant, instead just looked at him awkwardly, trying to go about his business, but the Internet really liked it, and has liked it ever since.
Now Collin, a freshman linebacker at D-II Lake Erie College, has made a NIL deal with Popeyes, proving that the internet really closes the circle.
The move was made after fans demanded a NIL for Collin, saying he deserved it by becoming state champion at the end of 2021.
On January 8, Collin posted a message on his social media that he “just wanted to talk” with Popace, and a few days later the deal was done.
“I didn’t know the Internet was like this,” Collin said in a live Instagram post shortly after. “Now I know that it is impossible to doubt the Internet. I appreciate it.”
Dieurnest Collin on IG Live: "I didn't know the internet was like that" pic.twitter.com/ZE1s3O9OFj
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) January 11, 2023
It’s wild to see this story come full circle, and Dinerst Collin has been waiting so long for this viral video to pay off, you can tell how happy he is to have made a deal.
The terms of the deal are not clear, but it was only recently that college players were able to agree to NIL deals, and the NCAA lifted the rules related to them in July 2021.
