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Napoleon Dynamite, also known as Jon Heder by the uninitiated, was inside Prudential Center on Thursday to hand out Ore-Ida brand tater tots to fans ahead of a Sweet 16 battle between BYU and Alabama.
“I’m here to support BYU, to support tots around the world,” Heder said, according to the AP.
It’s the crossover event we didn’t know we needed. Heder, of course, played the tot-crazed title character in the 2004 cult classic film, “Napoleon Dynamite.” Dynamite carried tots in his zippered cargo pants. Heder was much more traditional on Thursday, serving them out of a platter.
BYU’s leading scorer this season, Richie Saunders, is the great-grandson of Ore-Ida co-founder F. Nephi Grigg. That story came to light during the Big 12 Tournament and has been a wonderful Easter egg in BYU’s run to the Sweet 16. Grigg, his brother, and their business partner are credited with inventing the tater tot in 1953.
If BYU wins its first national championship this spring (+15000 at ESPN Bet), Ore-Ida has pledged to release a limited-edition snack in honor of Sanders’ jumper. The company also changed its name on social media to “Ore-Richie” for as long as BYU remains alive in March Madness.
“I have a connection to tots that harkens back to 20 years ago,” Heder told the Associated Press on Thursday. “Before that time, I also went to BYU. We’re at a crossroads right now where my childhood meets my education meets my professional life. It kind of makes sense for me to return to the middle of the crossroads, to meet the devil again and make some new deals.”
Saunders and Heder, 2 guys with great skills. The NCAA Tournament is the best.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
