TEXAS, USA — During a tense moment late in the fourth quarter at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, with Texas trailing Georgia, ESPN cameras caught a surprising sight: a University of Texas sophomore with enormous hair that quickly became the talk of the game.
Grant Walther, a 20-year-old government major at UT, became an internet sensation before the game even ended. “I was watching the game, feeling crushed by what I was seeing… and everyone around me was on their phones. I turned around and asked, ‘Why is everyone on their phones?’” Walther told WFAA.
That’s when he learned the reason: “They told me, ‘Walther, you’re a meme.’ I was shocked. How could I be a meme just for watching a football game?” he said.
Walther’s huge hair, which he maintains with a simple routine of washing daily with two-in-one shampoo, became the highlight online. “People compared me to Conway Twitty and Syndrome from The Incredibles, and even Butthead,” Walther recalled. “I thought, ‘I’ve already lost the game, and now I’m a meme?’ It was surprising.”
At first, Walther took some of the online jokes personally. But as some comments grew less kind, he decided to embrace the humor. “You can’t stop what’s on the internet. You just have to roll with it,” he said. “I’m happy to take advantage of this and maybe grow my brand from it.”
Campus life quickly shifted from normal to surreal, with strangers stopping Walther to take photos. “People act like I’ve only been to the two games where I was photographed. But I’ve been to every Texas home football game since freshman year except one,” Walther said. “I have a winning record at games I’ve attended. Even if I’m 0-2 recently, I’m confident we’ll turn it around at Vanderbilt and win against Florida when I’m there.”
As for his hair, Walther has no plans to cut it anytime soon. “Cancer is a big issue in my family,” he shared. “If Texas makes the SEC championship or wins the national title, I’d consider cutting my hair to raise money for cancer research. That would be something amazing to do.”
For now, Grant Walther’s iconic hair and upbeat attitude keep him in the spotlight—both on and off the field.
