(CNN Business) --
Freshman Dieunerst Collin's path to Internet meme fame began with a confused look at a Popeyes in New Jersey.
It was a decade ago, and the then 9-year-old was in line waiting for a family package of chicken, biscuits and chips at the fast food chain in Irvington.
A stranger took the phone out of him and started recording Collin, comparing him to Lil TerRio, a guy who was famous on social media at the time for his dance moves.
Collin, who was holding a glass of Popeyes lemonade, looked sideways at the man, wondering why he had a camera in his face.
The stranger later posted a clip to the video-sharing app Vine, where it went viral and was widely used as a GIF to express concern or bewilderment, along with captions like "When your teacher catches you cheating on a test."
A decade later, Collin is a freshman on the football team at Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio, and has come full circle.
Popeyes signed the 18-year-old this month for a sponsorship that will use his name, image and likeness on billboards and other advertisements for the fast-food restaurant.
She's finally cashing in on her six seconds of internet fame, though her family wasn't thrilled about it at first.
“When it happened, we didn't want to be the center of attention.
And just with that, people would come up to my dad and say, 'Hey, we saw your son in this,' trying to make a joke.
My dad didn't like his kids being teased," Collin told CNN.
"But now, the fact that I traded it for a blessing, he likes it."
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Collin takes advantage of an NCAA policy that allows college athletes to earn money from endorsements
A name, image and likeness agreement, commonly known as a NIL, allows college athletes to receive compensation from brand endorsements that use their name, image or likeness for marketing and promotional content.
The agreements stem from a 2021 NCAA policy change that allows student-athletes to take advantage of sponsorship opportunities.
Popeyes announced the deal this month after a social media campaign by Collin and his fans.
To kick off the sponsorship, the fast food chain posted an Instagram video of Collin recounting his unlikely story.
“This is where our story began,” he says in the video with the viral image of him in Popeyes in the background.
“The moment that turned us into a meme.
We don't ask for it.
We didn't get it.
But don't worry little man, we didn't let that stop us.
Because the older we got, the tougher we got.
We learned to support each other.
We turn attention into motivation and motivation into championships.
This is where our story began and now is where a new one begins."
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by @popeyes
The first Popeyes billboard featuring Collin went up last weekend in his hometown of East Orange, New Jersey.
It features the viral image and a new photo of the adult Collin imitating his 9-year-old expression with a larger Popeyes drink in hand.
"Fans should be on the lookout for other fun content to come," Popeyes said in a statement.
"From memes to dreams, Dieunerst and Popeyes will appear on social media once again."
The sponsorship began with a call on social media
The association between the brand and the young man is the result of another moment in social networks.
On January 8, Collin posted a memory of his viral photo on Twitter and Instagram and urged his followers to help him get Popeyes' attention for an NIL deal.
His followers joined in and tagged Popeyes in posts supporting Collin.
“Collin Dieunerst is now a freshman offensive lineman in Division II out of Lake Erie College and if this guy doesn't have a NIL deal by tomorrow, the Louisiana kitchen needs to get rid of upper management,” one man tweeted.
Even other fast food restaurants joined the drive.
“Popeyes, do it for Vine,” Buffalo Wild Wings tweeted, referring to the now-defunct video platform.
“Let's talk over lunch,” rival KFC tweeted in a message tagging Collin.
Proud to welcome @CollinDieunerst to the fam.
pic.twitter.com/nbc61QxIx9
— Popeyes (@Popeyes) January 12, 2023
Within hours, Collin said, Popeyes sent him a private message and a company representative called him with an offer.
A few days later, Popeyes announced the sponsorship on social media.
"Proud to welcome Dieunerst Collin to the family," he said.
Collin said he's excited about the sponsorship and hopes he ends up with his own meal at Popeyes, like rapper Travis Scott and other celebrities have done with fast-food chains like McDonald's.
Until then, he's happy to promote his favorite fast-food chain, where his favorite dish is a chicken sandwich, fries, a cookie, and, yes, lemonade.
He was surprised that people from all over the country supported his effort.
“A lot can happen with the power of the internet behind you,” Collin said.
“I can't believe I can say I'm officially sponsored by Popeyes.
Thanks to everyone who helped spread the word!”
He hopes to play professional football after college.
Collin declined to discuss the financial aspects of his deal with Popeyes.
Louis Moore, an associate professor of sports history at Michigan's Grand Valley State University, said it's unusual for a national brand to sign a relatively unknown athlete to an NIL deal.
“Traditionally, male athletes have to be very popular before they get endorsed by a national brand.
But they are popular because of their success on the field, not because of a meme," Moore said.
“The link with Collin shows that there is a change in this thinking.
Popularity no longer has to be based on athletic success.
Thanks to social networks, young athletes can enter university with a brand that can be attractive to companies.”
Such NIL agreements mean more economic opportunities for college athletes, he said.
Dieunerst Collin on his viral fame: "I never thought it would be this big."
Collin, a communications major at Lake Erie College, hopes to play professional football before becoming a sports analyst.
He never imagined that the Vine clip would bring him fame, and a branded business, a decade later.
In fact, his family tried to remove the video from the internet, he said.
“I never thought it would be this big,” he said.
“I just thought people would go ahead and forget about the meme.
When I talk to my father, he actually gets very emotional because he never expected this (success) for me."
The meme has grown on him and his family.
Collin said his father plans to put up the Popeyes "Memes to Dreams" sign in his barbershop so he can share his son's story with customers.
Does Collin use his meme with his friends?
Not that much.
Most of the time, she prefers to send emojis.
“I've used it less than 10 times,” he said.
"I'm not a big fan of using it, because that's me, but sometimes I send it just to be fun."
Meme
