'What happened?' How Bartlesville grad James Droz became a TikTok star

Bartlesville … what happened?

The most happening heartbeat right in town right now belongs to a 2022 Bartlesville High graduate who has catapulted into national prominence without going beyond his computer screen.

He’s the reason why Bartlesville's most popular number — after ’66’ (as in the Phillips 66 company) — is ’77.'

To put it in the vernacular, Bartlesville's James Droz is blowing up on social media.

He is approaching 500,000 followers and 10 million likes on the TikTok platform, people tuning in to watch Droz's videos about a wide array of observations on popular culture — especially athletics.

It's in the realm of sports that Droz — a special needs student with an amazing awareness and uncanny intuition about social undercurrents — has plugged into the consciousness of a massive and growing following.

Earlier this week, Droz’s roll call of devotees stood at 435,000 followers and 9.3 million likes. But, that number has been inflating at an exponential rate.

His utterance “What happened?” is becoming the catchphrase of the year in sports jargon from the high school to the pro-level crowd.

A typical Droz video begins with him calling out somebody or something by name, such as “USC, what happened?” after watching their last game.

In an offering a few days ago, he called out an NFL team and received a rash of responses from both sides.

“Broncos,” he started his commentary. “What happened? How did you lose to the Seahawks … the regular season?”

A phenomenon

Fans and players are paying attention as Droz’s platform mushrooms — and his popularity approaches cult status.

From unannounced out-of-state visitors showing up on the family doorstep to meet Droz, to several football players across the nation choosing to wear his jersey number  — even though he played only one play in four years for the Bruins — life has become very interesting at the Droz household in Bartlesville.

A growing list of people requesting him to make a custom video for someone else, the phenomenon appears to be more part of a crazy dream than an authentic happening.

Yet, it is all bursting reality, says Droz’s mother Susan Hainzinger — who until recently remained skeptical about the extent of her son’s fame.

A big dose of initiative

It began in 2021 when Droz told Hainzinger he didn’t plan to go to college, but that he wanted to make some money on TikTok social media.

“He started making those videos. … He’d watch games all the time, hooping and hollering and yelling at the coaches and refs and the players,” Hainzinger said.

Hainzinger didn’t have a TikTok account at the time — in fact, not until about a month ago.

“About six months ago, he said, ‘Mom, I’m famous,’” Hainzinger said, but she thought he was just having fun.

Sometime after, Hainzinger joked about it with her family until her brother told her Droz was famous.

“Still, I’m not believing,” Hainzinger said. “I think he’s just having fun. But … I started paying attention to it, which was when it started blowing up.”

One of the videos that might have served as a catalyst for the rocket ride to prominence might have been one where he called out USC and Lincoln Riley.

“With the USC video, I sat there and I saw it grow (views) by tens of thousands, minute by minute,” Hainzinger said.

Tough love

The Cincinnati Bengals also have not escaped Droz’s watch.

In fact, any team is subject to make the list.

According to one social media observation, it might be tougher to be the subject of Droz’s comments than to lose.

All this from a young man whom many in society might try to shove in a corner for having a disability.

“He’s done all of this on his own, a Down's syndrome kid,” Hainzinger said. “I have helped him none. He set up the account and did everything.”

Droz has seemed to have caressed a positive impulse in the hearts of many of his followers.

Hainzinger received a video where players from multiple teams chose to wear the number ’77,’ which was Droz’s number in the only game appearance he ever made in high school.

“The tears welled up in my eyes,” Hainzinger said about seeing the players wear James’ number.

Asking for what he wants

It was sometime in 2018 that freshman Droz showed up on the football field and told new Bruin head coach Lee Blankenship he wanted to help out.

“That was completely his idea,” Hainzinger said. “I didn’t know about it.”

Although Droz didn’t join the team as a player, he did become part of the program, while filling many roles.

He stood on the sideline every home game, and most, if not all, road games, offering encouragement to the players and coaches — both by his words and presence.

But, his discourse wasn’t always nicey-nice, so to speak, as he tried to instill fire in the troops, not unlike the tenor of some of his videos.

He once even chided Jason Sport, the head coach who succeeded Blankenship, in a firm but caring way.

Sport also asked Droz to talk to the team in the locker room prior to games.

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The big play

As Droz went into his senior season (2021), Sport reflected on how he could get him into a game.

In the final home game, the Bruins — who were eliminated from making the playoffs — hosted district powerhouse Choctaw.

Sport asked the Choctaw head coach to agree to give Droz a chance to play if the game became lopsided.

It did, and so in the second half, Sport inserted Droz — decked out in full uniform with ’77’ stretched across his broad chest — as a running back.

On the snap, quarterback Nate Neal handed the ball to Droz, who secured it and ran straight up the gut, and then veered slightly to his right, for the 39-yard run to the end zone.

A Bartlesville lineman ran behind him and pointed the way, while a Choctaw player served almost as an ad hoc escort.

Following the score, players from both benches erupted like hot lava from a volcano and swarmed to the end zone to surround Droz.

That had been completely unexpected — especially by the Choctaw team — Sport said after.

Droz walked off the field — with the Bruin student section and most of the rest of the home crowd in a happy frenzy.

Big dreams

This was a young man who had dreamed big  — against all the odds — and pushed until his dream came true.

A year later, that bursting personality is shining on the national stage.

“Yes, I am,” Droz told the E-E during the interview about his gratitude for his growing acclaim. “Well, I wanted to make the videos and I wanted to get some money from TikTok and wanted to get people involved. I did that.”

His favorite video is the one highlighting the Southern California football team.

Oklahoma State and Oklahoma are his favorite college football teams, and he roots most for the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL.

“I love football,” Droz continued. “Football is my favorite sport. I played football.”

Hainzinger said that when Droz was younger, following football helped him to learn how to distinguish numbers.

Droz also is thankful for all his followers.

“I love my people,” he said. “Thank you so much.”

Naturally inspiring

A few weeks ago, the doorbell rang.

Hainzinger answered and observed a young man and woman standing on the porch.

She figured them for salesmen and was ready to say “No, thanks” and close the door when she learned they were a young player and his mother from Kansas.

The young man had traveled to Bartlesville to try out for the Oklahoma Wesleyan University team.

As they prepared for the trip to Bartlesville, they learned that Droz lived here.

They learned where Droz lived.

“They wanted to meet James,” Hainzinger said. “I just about cried because I said to myself, ‘It’s true.'”

Later that evening, the Kansas pair sat down with Droz and Hainzinger and visited for two hours. They asked Droz for his autograph and also presented him with a book on wrestling.

“That’s when I thought I needed to start paying attention,” Hainzinger said. “It’s fun and exciting. I’m awfully proud of him. He tells me three or four times a day he’s famous.”

She believes her son’s charisma is due to his complete sincerity and honesty in saying what he thinks.

“I think it's the simplicity of that question (What happened?),” she said. “He’s an awfully social person and really pretty high functioning. He is smart. He helps my dad with the bills. He’s a great kid. … He has an uncanny ability to read emotion. He can tell in an instant if I had a bad day or if something is bothering me.”

Despite all the hoopla, Hainzinger is determined to help Droz not get distracted too much by the attention.

"He’s an awfully good kid,” she said. “I said, ‘You’re famous but you still have the dishwasher to unload and the trash to take out.'”