American football player had to prove his age after no one believed he was actually 12

An American football player became an unexpected viral sensation after no one believed he was actually 12.

Back in December, Jeremiah Johnson won honours at the Youth National Championships in Miami, but it wasn’t his sporting prowess that left jaws on the floor.

A video of him holding his trophy in a parking lot racked up tens of thousands of likes as social media users found themselves discussing his age.

When the man filming the clip in selfie mode asked how old he was, Johnson replied politely: “Uh, 12.”

A separate image of Johnson was also shared on Twitter, with many users in sheer disbelief – noting his moustache and tattoo.

“You can’t be 12 with a Steve Harvey moustache,” one said.

“I’ve had a teammate in football that was 6 ft and he was 11 but u could clearly see he was still a kid. THIS A MAN,” another wrote.

Someone else joked how he ‘def has a mortgage’, while one other added: “Yeah he not 12. Need to see some birth certificates before the game start.”

Generation Nexxt

At the time he broke the internet, Johnson sat down with Talk’R Media Network for an interview, discussing how it felt to have no one believe you’re the age you are.

He was asked: “A lot of people say you don’t look your age. Does that make you feel a certain type of way? What’s your opinion on that?”

To which Johnson replied: “I know I don't look like my age. I mean, it doesn’t really affect me.”

He also went on to address the viral photo where he apparently had a tattoo, saying that there was a pretty simple explanation.

“Yeah, it was fake,” he said.

YouTube/Talk'R Media Network

Johnson also laughed off the fact there were fake birth certificates circulating online that said his year of birth was actually 1989.

“No, there’s no truth!” he giggled.

He continued to say his Instagram started 'blowing up' after his story hit headlines, adding: "I gained, like, 50,000 followers. It just started going up from there."

He's also been recognised while out shopping, even without his football gear on - attention he says feels 'crazy'.

As for that moustache? Believe it or not, that’s already been around for half his life.

“When I was six, I started growing a moustache,” Johnson said.