Grant Walther, the Texas football fan who went viral during the Longhorns’ loss to Georgia, wants to raise money for cancer research by making Matthew McConaughey shave the hair that turned him into a meme.
The 20-year-old, who studies government in Austin, opened up about his remarkable rise to internet fame, which has seen him compared to the “Hawk Tuah” girl and compared to Butthead and country legend Conway Twitty.
Television cameras caught Walther’s scowl — and now iconic hairstyle — late in Texas’ 30-15 loss to the Bulldogs on Saturday.
Since then, he has been stopped by professors, nurses and fellow students. He has been offered sunflower seeds and is enjoying the spotlight. He would like to host a podcast and also appear on the Talk Tuah show. “It’s surreal,” he told DailyMail.com. But Walther also hopes to capitalize on his fame by raising money for charities.
“I like the idea of turning this into some kind of charity effort… giving has always been a pretty essential part of who I am,” said the student, whose father builds affordable housing. “If you get an opportunity like this, it’s best to pass it on to others.”
Texas fan Grant Walther went viral for his performance during the team’s loss to Georgia
The 20-year-old, who studies government, talked about his remarkable rise to fame
So Walther, dressed in his Texas polo, revealed that he would love the opportunity to work with the Longhorns and their most famous fan.
“I know Matthew McConaughey cut players’ hair. Maybe he can cut mine down on the field and raise some money for cancer awareness. My grandmother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, which she subsequently beat,” he said. His great-grandfather also has bladder cancer. “This is the perfect platform for me to advocate for the things I care about most.”
He added: “I want to be a lawyer, that’s my goal. I’ve never had an ‘internet meme’ as something I wanted to achieve. But I think here it is… it was the most otherworldly experience.”
Walther knew life had changed when his image appeared in a conversation with Spanish high school classmates. “I hadn’t been active in that group chat since freshman year,” he said.
Immediately after the match in Austin, he turned around to see his friends staring at their phones in shock. “You’re a meme, Walter,” they told him.
“I know Matthew McConaughey cut players’ hair. Maybe he can cut mine,” Walther said
‘It started with just a few Twitter posts (and) they all told me, “It’ll probably be dead in a day. I wouldn’t worry about it…’ and then I see it posted over and over again.”
Ironically, Walther doesn’t use social media much. But his friends make sure he sees all the memes and all the comparisons. “Conway Twitty, Syndrome from the Incredibles, Butthead… it’s hilarious,” he said.
“There was one comment on Twitter: This looks like a business bro, circa 1983, leaving the squash court at the local Y(MCA). That’s such a strange, specific insult that you just have to appreciate it.’
There are some memes that have especially tickled the Texas fan. ‘I have to be honest. Anyone who suspects that I’m a Southern Texan with an evangelical father or something like that. Those are the ones that appeal to me the most, because in reality I’m from Los Angeles.”
Walther didn’t become a Texas fan until his freshman year. Now it’s ‘an obsession’. He has only missed one home game. He and his friends waited for hours to get good seats for the game against Georgia.
Walther would like to appear on ‘Talk Tuah’, the show hosted by ‘Hawk Tuah girl’ Haliey Welch
“What I appreciate most about Texas football is the community and how welcoming they are,” he said. “If 95 percent of the comments are just getting to me, there’s still that 5 percent of people saying, ‘Don’t worry about it, man. I was there, otherwise we’ll get them next time.’ And I really appreciate that.’
Hateful messages have come in, but he is not influenced by them ‘at all’. Instead, his inbox is full of support and his days are full of the same questions.
“On Monday I was walking across campus and I was stopped dead in my tracks by these people just taking graduation pictures,” Walther explained. “They’re like, ‘Wait, you’re a Texas fan… can we take a picture?’
He’s happy to help – and pull that iconic frown. “I went to the doctor earlier today and a couple of nurses came by and asked, ‘Did you happen to be at the Texas football game?’
His teachers have challenged him in class and new fans have offered him strange gifts.
“I had a guy reach out to me on Instagram and say, ‘Hey, I’m really excited for you. I’m working on a video for you. I’m going to send you four boxes of sunflower seeds. Just post them in your story when you get them.” And I said, “Okay, sure, man, I love sunflower seeds. Just send them.”’
He continued, “There’s a screenshot of (comedian) Shane Gillis (sending a text) saying, “Who is this guy? Bring him to me…Shane, if you’re looking, I’d like to meet you.”
When he is not studying, Walther does a lot of volunteer work. As part of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, he raises money through food and clothing drives. He participates in mock trials and the United Nations model. He pursues his love of philosophy with the Jefferson Scholars.
“My goal has always been law school,” he said. “Maybe this can help me get there, and if it can, I’m happy to use it to do it… this is a huge opportunity for me.”
Walther would love to appear on “Talk Tuah,” the show hosted by Haliey Welch, which recently went viral for its graphic description of sexual acts.
“That would be a life goal that I could honestly check off my bucket list,” he joked. “I’m happy to embrace it, as long as people want to hear from me.”
The 20-year-old is single and ‘waiting’ for the offers. But Walther is also ready to shed the look that made him a meme.
‘I just have naturally thick hair, I use 2-in-1 hair wash (and) I don’t do anything to my hair at all. I wake up every morning and take a shower, wash my hair, and by the afternoon, when it’s dry, it takes a mind of its own and decides to look like this. There’s absolutely nothing I can do about it.’
He always combed it out into a side parting. ‘It’s gotten way too long, I need a haircut. But…I don’t think I can get it cut now, much to my father’s chagrin.” He likes to call it a ‘rat’s nest’.
Walther goes to the salon with a simple request: “Let me part my hair when I have to go out, and when I wake up, don’t make me look like that.” But then I get lazy. I haven’t gone to the hairdresser for 3 to 4 months. And you reap what you sow.’
However, his next haircut could raise money for charity. Walther regularly sees his grandmother and great-grandfather as they battle health problems.
‘They fight strong… but when you see someone go through something so terrible, you realize how strong they are as a person. And it puts life into perspective, right?’ he said.
“Because people might trash me on the Internet. But that’s certainly not the worst thing that can happen to you in the world. There’s always someone else going through something worse.”
