A Meme Made This East Orange Teen Famous. Now, He’s Cashing In

EAST ORANGE, NJ — You probably know him as the “Popeyes Kid.” But New Jersey’s Dieunerst Collin has managed to achieve what many other people who have become famous through internet memes have not: turn his notoriety into a payday.

Collin, an East Orange native, was just 9-years-old when a video of him holding a Popeyes soft drink cup and glancing at the camera sideways went viral in 2013. Soon, gifs and memes using screenshots of the video – which was taken as someone teases that he looks like Vine celebrity Lil TerRio – began to spread like wildfire across the internet.

Ironically, the experience was something that Collin rolled his eyes at for years, initially taking it as bullying. But over the years, his unintended fame grew on him. And after his high school football team in East Orange captured a state championship last year, the student-athlete gave a nod to his past on social media, tagging Popeyes with the following message: “I just wanna talk business.”

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After the new meme began to spread online, it wasn’t long before Popeyes reached out to him with a proposal for a name, image and likeness (NIL) deal. And earlier this week, that deal became a reality when a large billboard reading “From Memes To Dreams” went up in Essex County.

“I just want to thank everyone for going in the comments and tagging Popeyes,” wrote Collin, who is now a 19-year-old offensive lineman at Lake Erie College in Ohio.

“That actually led me to where I’m at now, so I’m grateful for that,” he added.

The deal – which some say is one of the highest-profile brand deals a Division II college football offensive lineman has ever nailed down – comes after recent NCAA rule changes that allow players to sell the rights to their name, image and likeness without losing their eligibility. Read More: Sen. Cory Booker Praises NCAA Court Ruling: 'People Over Profits'

While the exact details and amount of the deal remain unclear, the news has gotten big cheers from many internet sports fans and pundits.

“Who got the last laugh now ?" one person commented. "Congrats on the NIL, keep being great, well done."

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