Mikey Williams is famed for being the kid with the mullet in his hometown of Marlton, N.J.
Sporting a green Jalen Hurts jersey and a gold chain, the 7-year-old, called “Mikey Mullet” by his football coach, has been growing his shaggy, now chic, hairdo since the pandemic.
Why the hairstyle?
To put it simply, “It’s cool,” he said with confidence.
And he’s not the only one who thinks that. The “business in the front, party in the back” hairstyle has experienced a resurgence, especially among his friends, whom he got the inspiration from.
Other kids in town are “trying to grow [a mullet] to see who can get the longest one,” said mom Brittany Williams.
But Mikey Mullet is hoping to take the lead and be crowned as the winner of the Kids Mullet Championship. His mullet, nicknamed “Chief” on his competition profile after the mascot for the town’s youth football team, is one of 33 that moved into the second round of the competition.
The competition is the kids version of the USA Mullet Championship, which started in 2020 by Michigan-based barber Kevin Begola. The championship raises funds for former Minnesota Viking Jared Allen’s nonprofit Homes For Wounded Warriors. Judging is based on the number of votes, money raised for the charity, and style points given by judges.
With the $5,000 prize, Mikey Williams is hoping to buy Jordans, a PlayStation, and a pencil bat. (That’s right, Phillie Bryson Stott’s No. 2 pencil bat.)
Mikey Williams is still on a hair journey to figure out how to make the funky look his own, whether that’s by curling it, leaving it long, or rocking his current traditional look his football number — 4 — shaved into his head, with lines detailed on the sides for added flair.
The king of mullets needs to consistently look fresh, of course. He gets regular monthly maintenance cuts by Creators Barber Studios in Marlton, the same barbershop where Eagles QB Hurts gets his hair cut by owner Nicholas Vendetti.
“He has an awesome mullet, so I hope that he does really well,” said barber Mike Colella, who has been cutting his hair for several months.
Supporters can vote for Mikey Mullet on the Mullet Champ website under kids contest. The second round of voting ends Tuesday, before the top 25 in the 5-to 7-year-old category make it into the finals. Winners will be announced Aug. 28.