YouTube star turned kicker Donald De La Haye, widely known by his social media moniker "Deestroying", has recently inked a deal with the San Antonio Brahmas of the United Football League (UFL). De La Haye, who made a name for himself with his viral videos, is no amateur when it comes to the gridiron, having played as a placekicker and receiver during his collegiate years at the University of Central Florida in 2015-16. The social media sensation, who tipped the NCAA's rigid scales with his profitable YouTube presence during his college career, chose his digital craft over the cleats when faced with a stark ultimatum — abandon his online income or his place on the team.
Since picking digital content creation over the sport, "Deestroying" has amassed nearly 5.7 million followers, according to Fox Sports. His return to the field comes at a time when college athletes can now freely profit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL), a dramatic shift from his own experience with the NCAA, which effectively ended his amateur athletic career over a fledgling YouTube channel that netted him about $3,000. "I’d like to say I opened people’s eyes that social media is going to be a big player and a big factor," De La Haye told KENS 5.
The UFL, a fusion of the former XFL and USFL, offers De La Haye a platform to showcase his skills beyond his online persona. Despite his financial success — "a few million dollars last year," he claims — it's clear that the lure of the football field still strongly resonates with him. This sentiment was palpable in a recent video on his YouTube channel where a visibly moved De La Haye said, "I could cry right now, bro," before detailing his journey back to the professional leagues.
De La Haye's influence extends beyond just entertainment. His widely popular 1-on-1 wide receiver drill tournaments have been stepping stones for aspiring football talents. One notable success story is receiver Jahcour Pearson, now a top player in the XFL after shining in De La Haye's competition. "He came to my one-on-one and just killed it. He won probably like six of them. He took a lot of my money," De La Haye recounted with a laugh in the statement obtained by KENS 5. The leap to the UFL marks less than a decade after his decisive career shift from football athlete to online content creator.
