With the score at 30-15, it seemed as if the Oct. 19 game against the University of Georgia would be the first loss of the season for UT’s football team, and fans weren’t happy. As the cameras panned over the distraught crowd, no one looked as angry or disappointed as government sophomore Grant Walther. 

“That was the moment when we all realized there was no coming back from the score difference there,” Walther said. “It was just coming to terms with the fact that we were going to lose to Georgia, which was a game that me and my friends were looking forward to since it got announced. It was crushing.” 

Yet, what was a difficult moment for the fan later turned him into a campus-wide sensation for his unique head of hair. Soon he became a viral Internet meme dubbed the “Angry Texas Fan.”

“In my mind, I was like, ‘Okay, they turned me into a meme, this will probably be gone in a few days,” Walther said. “But then, the Monday after (the game) on campus, people started recognizing me. I went into one of my classes and they all just started clapping. I was like, ‘Whoa, this is real now, this is actually happening.’” 

Walther decided to use his virality to start a fundraiser for UT cancer research, a personal cause for Walther and his family.

“(My mom and I) talked, and she reminded me what is the most important thing, which is family,” Walther said. “She talked about my grandma who had breast cancer, my great grandpa who has prostate cancer and so many different family members that were afflicted with the disease. We arrived at the conclusion that when something good happens to you, the best thing to do is just pass it forward.” 

The campaign has raised over $7,800 so far, and all proceeds will be donated to UT cancer researchers. Walther said he’s been working with the American Cancer Society for another fundraiser and plans to host a charity event in the spring where he and others want to set the world record for the most people to shave their heads. 

“I’d like it to go to this big, awesome celebration, showing the world what we mean when we say ‘What starts here changes the world,’” Walther said.