Is Deestroying going to the NFL? Former Central Florida Knights kicker eyeing major move
Teams looking for a kicker have a new potential candidate to watch out for: YouTube sensation Deestroying.
Donald De La Haye Jr., the former University of Central Florida kicker turned internet sensation, could be eyeing a move to the NFL.
In a 30-minute long video titled 'My First Day Training For The NFL', the 26-year-old YouTuber claimed he was returning to the field to practice kicking for the first time in a while.
The YouTube star claimed that he is eyeing a return to football in 2024 and has thus begun training to resume his career as a kicker.
In the video, Deestroying made 10 straight kicks from 50 yards and beyond before his first miss, showcasing that he still has the strength and accuracy that made him a key contributor for the Central Florida Knights. For every kick that didn't split the uprights, Deestroying did 10 pushups, and for each one he missed, he did 25.
The kicker-turned-internet-sensation's video has garnered almost 800,000 views on YouTube within 24 hours. In the video thumbnail, Deestroying photoshopped himself wearing a Kansas City Chiefs jersey, perhaps hinting at which team he wants to try out for and potentially join in 2024.
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UPDATE: Deestroying teased a return to the league in an Instagram post on January 12, 2024.
Has Deestroying played in the NFL?
Deestroying was a kicking star at the University of Central Florida but lost his eligibility in 2017 due to his YouTube channel as the NCAA did not allow student-athletes to profit off their name and likeness.
He continued to build his YouTube channel, which he launched in 2015, and as of March 2023, he has over five million subscribers. After graduating in 2018, Deestroying implored NFL teams to sign him via his YouTube channel, but to no avail. The Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League signed him in 2019, but the move did not progress his career.
He participated in a flag football game in the 2022 Pro Bowl as part of FaZe clan's team.
Deestroying has never played in the NFL but is looking to change that in 2024.
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