After watching his team lose, a Texas college student got the surprise of a lifetime when he realized he was the talk of the internet because of his hair.
Grant Walther, 20, a sophomore at the University of Texas at Austin, is now the “Texas Hair Guy” when the Longhorns lost 30-15 to the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday, Oct. 19. It became a meme known as.
ESPN’s cameras captured the students’ expressions as they checked their scores, and Walther quickly took the internet by storm.
“I’m sitting there watching the game, completely devastated by what I’m witnessing…and everyone around me is on their cell phones,” Walther told local ABC station He told WFAA what was happening in real time. “And I kind of looked back and thought, ‘Why is everyone on their cell phones?'”
That’s when he learned that his pompadour was going viral.
“They say, ‘Walter, you’re a meme,’ and I’m sitting here completely amazed, because I’m just watching a football game, so how can you be a meme? ?” he added.
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“The past few days have made a crazy semester even crazier,” he summed up the wild experience in a social media post.
Texas Longhorns vs. Georgia Bulldogs game on October 19th.
Steve Rimentani/ISI Photo/Getty
“We’re just going to deal with it,” Walther said of how she’s dealing with the moment of the virus outbreak.
“You can’t stop what’s on the internet,” he told WFAA, adding that although he had had “hurtful things” said about him, he decided to use the experience as an opportunity. added.
“Of course I want to grow my brand and make this something bigger than me,” added the student, who brands himself on TikTok and X as an “Angry Texas Fan.” .
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In an interview with the Daily Mail, the sophomore said he would like to partner with Matthew McConaughey, an avid Texas Longhorns fan, on the fundraiser.
According to ESPN, McConaughey cut Texas defensive end Breckin Hager’s hair on the field after the Sugar Bowl in 2019, and the football player donated his hair to Locks of Love.
“Maybe he can cut mine in the field and raise money for cancer awareness. My grandmother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and has since overcome it,” Waltham said. told the media. This is the perfect platform to advocate for the things I care about most. ”
Texas Longhorns vs. Georgia Bulldogs game on October 19th.
Steve Rimentani/ISI Photography/Get
As for what hair products he uses to achieve his signature look, it’s a 2-in-1 shampoo.
“I washed my hair every morning and dried it, but it would stick straight up,” he told WFAA. “I’m telling you, it has a mind of its own and I have no control over it.”