Popeye’s viral Vine kid grows up to win football state championship

EAST ORANGE, N.J. (WVUE) - A kid that was once a viral social media star on the now-defunct video platform Vine is now a high school football state champion in New Jersey.

The kid, Dieunerst Collin, was mistaken for another viral star known as Lil Terio in 2013 and his hilarious reaction to the mistaken identity caught on camera caused him to go viral on Vine, amassing over 19 million views. The video was shot in a Popeye’s restaurant and depicts Collin giving the cameraman an awkward look after he mistakenly identified him as Lil Terio. The video was seen so much that it became a meme and a marketing tool that Popeye’s later used.

Here’s the original video below:

Collin, whose youth is immortalized now as a meme, often appearing as a gif online, reminded the world who he is over the weekend while sharing the update that he is now a state champion by sharing a photo of him and the hardwood next to a still from his old video.

Collin’s East Orange High School squad won the title following a dramatic triple-overtime victory. In the game, a senior named Ahmad Nalls returned a goal-line fumble 100 yards to put East Orange up over Clifton 30-24 for a title in the state of New Jersey.

The viral child star is getting plenty of attention for football as well. He has a separate Twitter account dedicated to his recruitment. He also shared his championship celebrations there as well.

Check out the 6-foot-1 and 315 lbs. senior offensive lineman in his highlight tape below:

The player, nicknamed “The Killer Whale,” was also named to the All-Conference First Team.

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