Texas student 'beaten down' by observation team Then his big hair went viral

After watching his team lose, a Texas college student got the surprise of his life when he realized he had gone viral… because of his hair.

Grant Walther, a 20-year-old sophomore at the University of Texas at Austin, became a meme now known as the “Texas Hair Guy” when the Longhorns took on the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday, October 19th competed – and lost 30-15.

ESPN cameras captured the student's expression as he recorded the score, and Walther quickly took control of the Internet.

“I'm sitting there watching the game completely devastated by what I'm seeing … and everyone around me is on their cell phones,” Walther told local ABC station WFAA in real time about what was going on. “And I kind of turn around and I'm like, 'Why is everyone on the phone?' “

That's when he found out his pompadour had gone viral.

“They say, 'Walter, you're a meme.' And I'm sitting here absolutely amazed because how could I be a meme? I’m just watching a football game,” he added.

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“Crazy semester, the last few days even crazier,” he wrote in a social media post summarizing the wild ride.

As for how he handled his viral moment, Walther said he's “just going to go with it.”

“You can't stop what's on the internet,” he told WFAA, adding that while some “hurtful things” had been said about him, he chose to view the experience as an opportunity.

“I would obviously like to grow my brand and turn it into something bigger than myself,” added the student, who has branded himself “Angry Texas Fan” on TikTok and X.

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In conversation with The Daily Mailthe sophomore said he would like to partner with die-hard Texas Longhorns fan Matthew McConaughey for a fundraiser.

In 2019, McConaughey cut Texas defensive end Breckyn Hager's hair on the field after the Sugar Bowl, and the football player donated his hair to Locks of Love, according to ESPN.

“Maybe he can cut mine off on the field and raise some money for cancer awareness,” Waltham told the outlet. “My grandmother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and beat it. For me, this is the perfect platform to advocate for the causes that matter most to me.”

As for the hair products he uses to achieve his signature look, it's actually just a two-in-one shampoo.

“I wash my hair every morning and let it dry, but it just sticks up,” he told WFAA. “I'll tell you what, it has a mind of its own and I just can't control it.”