Imagine your first week at school and you’re dealing with acclimating yourself to a new schedule, a new living space, and balancing college level sports with coursework. Well that is the reality of most college athletes. Many are already known to the school before they come as prospects but not all are what we call “instafamous.” However Damon(@DamonCRodgers) is well known on social media so many of his classmates had seen him online before ever having an actually real one on one personal interaction. For social media personalities that reach popularity in their teens it is interesting to see how they navigate milestones like attending college while balancing the demands of social media and how that ‘fame’ actually plays out in their real lives. Damon didn’t bring it up. But I’m pretty nosey and I really wanted to know what the reaction was on campus to his social media fame. Honestly, Damon was so humble but admitted that sometimes people had already made assumptions that he was conceited, however, once they had an interaction with him—they were genuinely surprised. I think people may get thrown off by his good looks and the thousands of likes on his photo. But I want to honest with you. He doesn’t think he’s a big deal. He’s like any other teen in college trying to navigate balancing his love life, sports, good grades despite only having 24 hours in a day. In fact in his own words he said, “I know I’m not a real celebrity. There’s going to be a reaction rather it is good or bad…There’s going to be a reaction.” I had a great time chatting with Damon on everything from his love life to his commitment to charity. He’s articulate, down to earth and I see why he has such a loyal fan base. Since he’s started college, he’s had many neighboring universities reach out to him via student organizations to host events or make appearances but his jam packed schedule hasn’t left much room to meet many of those requests. He described the life of a college athlete scholar as a whole different ball game from playing football at his prep school. The amount of hours needed to play competitively at a college level definitely has made him learn how to balance his day differently. College football has larger stakes with championships on the line and training is much more rigorous.
We caught up with heartthrob Damon Rodgers to chat about his journey from the Vine days to his current popularity on the Gram. Damon described his original rise to popularity on line as a result of doing funny video on Vine. Pages started sharing his videos and pictures and he saw his popularity grow on other platforms as well like Instagram. Check out our interview below: What is something that none of your followers know about you? We want the juice!
There’s not much that my immediate and true followers don’t know about me, I’ve shared a lot of information with them over the years. However, I would say that I’m very football driven, the lessons and values I’ve learned from football really translate into my daily life and how I approach every day. I was also captain of my high school football team. Not many people know that.
What roles has your family played in your success:
My family has always been supportive in anything I’ve decided to do in my life or with my life. My parents being divorced, has not stopped either of them from being there every step of the way and giving me valuable advice. I also get a lot of my sense of humor from my brother, who I grew up with.
I admit. I was very nosey before I interviewed you. I had a ton of fun reading your followers’ comments and it was an awesome way to really get a sense of the relationship you have with them. Many of them really look up to you in a major way. Describe some of the ways you have or do impact your followers:
The impact I have on my followers is what really keeps me going. Ever since I began to make videos, I’ve received endless messages about my preventing depression, suicide, sadness, anxiety etc. People often tell me about family members that have passed away and my videos being the only thing that gives them even the slightest smile. I try to only focus on positivity and happiness whenever I post, and having that mindset is what really attracts a majority of my followers.
Let’s keep it real. It is normal to judge someone off of first appearances or social media presence. You’ve definitely captured the hearts of a ton of teen girls from all over the world. I think everyone has a perception of who they think you are but we rather go straight to the source! Describe who you are as a person:
I’m a very energetic and observant person. It interests me to find out how different people act and react in certain situations. I also like to find out what interests other people may have rather than keeping a closed mind and focusing solely what I think is entertaining or cool.
Speaking of hearts. I asked Damon about how he balanced his love life and how he made his decision to go public with his relationship. I know countless of people often try to figure out if they should share their love life online. And for an online star it isn’t as simple as posting a girl’s picture. He said he did take his followers in consideration. He didn’t want to just post a girl he wasn’t in a serious relationship with on his account. He waited several months before going public. I think that’s very mature because of course people will have questions and reactions to break ups and that often becomes its own narrative.
I also probed him about if he thought it had a bad effect on relationships in general. Damon was pretty positive. He said that it boils down to confidence in the strength of your bond and that one should have confidence that social media won’t get in the way of being happy. 
How you’ve juggled school with instafame:
It’s not easy. I’m still trying figure that out. Most people who gain a significant following just stop going to school altogether and try to pursue a career in some kind of entertainment field, and I’ve definitely thought about it. I just feel like having something to fall back on, is always a smart thing to do. It was much easier juggling school and social media when I was in high school, but ever since I got to college, it has been hectic. The demand from my supporters is almost as equal as the demand from my teachers. My supporters want new AND quality material everyday. And my teachers need quality work from me everyday. It’s definitely one of the hardest things I’ve had to deal with in my life.
Where would Damon want to go for a dream vacation?! My dream vacation would be going anywhere soothing and warm and being able to relax and not pay for anything. Tell us a little more about your career or school goals:
For the time being, my goal is to play football, finish school and get my degree. After college, I’d like to pursue acting and/or modeling depending on how everything works itself out.
What special message do you have for your followers:
Just remember that you control your own destiny and happiness, so don’t let society or social media dictate what you can and can’t do. Don’t let anyone else determine what ‘success’ is for YOU.
Everyone has that special “something” that makes them tick. What motivates you:
Knowing that if I want something, I have to go get it on my own. There are no handouts in this world.
So I saw that your charity project has already been majorly successful and has raised thousands in just 48 hours. Tell us a bit more about the “Love More” project:
My overall goal is to spread positivity in anyway I can, so when I thought of coming out with merchandise, I immediately thought of phrases and quotes that would spread a positive message with no hesitation. My first release was a long sleeve that said “Genuine Laughter.” The Love More project is significant because I’ve decided to donate 15% of the proceeds to a foundation called “Save The Children”, an international organization that serves children GLOBALLY by providing support through health, education, and disaster relief.
What’s next on the horizon:
Well in the short term, I’m trying to expand myself through YouTube and grow more as an influencer so that I can have a bigger impact than I do now. The more people I can reach, the more positivity I will be able to spread.
