Donald De La Haye facts for kids
De La Haye with the Argonauts in 2019
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| No. 19 – San Antonio Brahmas | |||||||||||||||
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| Position: | Kicker | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born: | December 2, 1996 Limón, Costa Rica |
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| Height: | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 170 lb (77 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school: | Port St. Lucie (FL) | ||||||||||||||
| College: | UCF (2015–2016) | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
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| As administrator: | |||||||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||||
| Career UFL statistics as of Week 2, 2024 | |||||||||||||||
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| Player stats at CFL.ca | |||||||||||||||
| Deestroying | |
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| YouTube information | |
| Pseudonym | Deestroying |
| Years active | 2015–present |
| Genre | |
| Subscribers | 6.18 million (Deestroying) |
| Subscriber and view counts updated as of September 23rd, 2024. | |
Donald De La Haye (born December 2, 1996) is a famous YouTuber and a professional American football player. Many people know him online as Deestroying. He plays as a kicker for the San Antonio Brahmas in the United Football League (UFL).
Donald first became well-known during his college days at the University of Central Florida (UCF). He faced a big challenge when the NCAA said he couldn't earn money from his YouTube videos. This event helped change rules for college athletes, allowing them to profit from their own name, image, and likeness (NIL).
Contents
Early Life and College Football
Donald De La Haye moved from Costa Rica to the United States with his family when he was seven years old. He grew up in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
He played football for the University of Central Florida from 2015 to 2016. He was a kickoff specialist, which means he kicked the ball to start plays. He also sometimes played as a holder and even a wide receiver. Donald studied marketing while at UCF.
His YouTube Channel and NCAA Rules
In 2017, Donald's YouTube channel, "Deestroying," became very popular. He made videos showing off his amazing kicking skills and funny sports skits. However, the NCAA had rules that said college athletes could not make money from their fame. They told Donald he had to stop earning money from his videos or remove his face and name from them.
Donald had a tough choice: keep his scholarship and play football, or continue his YouTube channel. He chose to keep his channel going, which meant he lost his scholarship and couldn't play college football anymore.
Donald later sued UCF in 2018. They reached an agreement that allowed him to finish his education there. Since then, Donald has made up with UCF and even attends their games. His case helped bring about new rules that now allow college athletes to earn money from their name, image, and likeness (NIL).
YouTube Career
After leaving the UCF football team, Donald focused more on his "Deestroying" YouTube channel. He started the channel in 2015 when he was a teenager.
His videos changed over time. At first, he made skits about football and trick shots. Later, he added gaming videos and funny impressions of National Football League players like Odell Beckham Jr. and Tom Brady. He also worked with famous players such as JuJu Smith-Schuster and Cam Newton. Donald even partnered with the NFL to create content.
When he left UCF, his channel had about 94,000 subscribers. Now, it has over 5.8 million subscribers! He has also teamed up with other YouTubers, like Logan Paul, for fun competitions.
Professional Football Career
Donald always dreamed of playing in the NFL. He kept showing off his kicking skills in his videos, hoping a team would notice him.
Toronto Argonauts
On May 19, 2019, the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League signed Donald. This was a big deal, and the Argonauts' Instagram account gained over 15,000 new followers because of it!
He played in two preseason games, successfully kicking one field goal from 16 yards. He also punted the ball once for 46 yards. Donald was put on the team's practice roster. However, because of rules about how many American players could be on the team, the Argonauts later put him on a "Suspended list." This allowed him to keep making YouTube videos, which he said earned him more money than being on the practice squad.
Donald continued to make videos showing his football practice. In 2021, he was even invited to work out for the NFL Scouting Combine, which is where NFL teams test college players. He also won a kicking competition called the Kohls Pro Combine kickoff in 2021.
San Antonio Brahmas
On January 30, 2024, Donald De La Haye signed with the San Antonio Brahmas in the United Football League. He competed for the starting kicker spot and won it on March 10, 2024.
In his first two games, Donald was mainly a kickoff specialist. He kicked the ball to start plays, but the team didn't try any field goals. On April 8, 2024, he was placed on injured reserve because he hurt his neck while making a tackle during a kickoff return.
Donald re-signed with the Brahmas on October 29, 2024. He said he wasn't ready to stop playing football yet and had more to achieve.
Esports Career
In April 2022, Donald De La Haye joined FaZe Clan, a well-known esports organization. He even played in a flag football game with FaZe Clan at the 2022 Pro Bowl.
Other Ventures
Donald De La Haye was also a co-owner of the FCF Glacier Boyz. This is a team in Fan Controlled Football, a league where fans help make decisions. He owned the team with other famous people like Quavo and Richard Sherman.
See also
In Spanish: Donald De La Haye para niños
