The Internet is a strange place.

Sure, it can provide an incredible wealth of information on almost any topic. But it can also be an amazing collection of funny clips of dogs talking like people. Both have earned their place in our society.

Somewhere in the middle lies the legend of Haliey Welch. You never know when and what you will go viral for. For Welch, she owes her 15 minutes of fame to a NSFW answer to a question asked of her in a social media video, which earned her the nickname “Hawk Tuah Girl.”

The video went mega viral on TikTok. Welch has fully embraced her moment, appearing on countless talk shows and starting her own podcast, Talk Tuah. Now, the 22-year-old has been linked to an NFL quarterback in dating rumors, with his name being mentioned in MVP talk toward the middle of the 2024 season.

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Sam Darnold-Haliey Welch dating rumors

The Vikings are 5-1 heading into their Week 8 game against the Rams on “Thursday Night Football.” Quarterback Sam Darnold enjoyed a career resurgence at Minnesota early in the season, throwing for 1,370 yards with 12 touchdowns and five interceptions.

At the same time that Darnold was wading into the NFL MVP discussions, Welch's podcast was rocketing up the charts. And due to a social media comment from Darnold, rumors linking the couple arose.

Although Darnold and Welch were not seen together, Darnold commented on a post about Welch's interview with Barstool Sports with a single red heart. The comment doesn't offer much evidence of a romantic relationship, but that never stopped social media.

Why is this sending me lmfaoooooooo pic.twitter.com/9ny8BNd5Sq

– Smalls (@StephieSmallls) July 1, 2024

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Who is Haliey Welch?

Welch was living with her grandma in Belfast, Tennessee, about 60 miles south of Nashville, when her viral response to an interview with a man on the street sent her into the social media stratosphere.

Less than five months after the interview, Welch quit her job at a factory to capitalize on her social media fame. She founded a company and signed a contract with an agent.

Welch even threw out the first pitch at a New York Mets game on August 15 and now hosts her podcast “Talk Tuah” under the auspices of Jake Paul’s media company Betr.