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"Deestroying" AKA Donald De La Haye is a popular name whose life story is as sensational as his college football career was. Many dream of becoming legendary footballers, but few are the ones who reject the football scholarship and pursue a different path. So what led him to opt out of a different career while he played football for the University of Central Florida?
Deestroying might have given up his football scholarship, but he is still very popular among football freaks. For some who may ask, what is their favorite college star doing these days, and why is Deestroying not in the NFL?
The UCF star kicker is having the time of his life and has gained a massive fan following on different social media platforms.
Why is Deestroying not in the NFL?
Deestroying was born in Limon, Costa Rica, but moved to Miramar, Florida with his dad at seven. De La Haye's father wanted him to succeed as a soccer player in high school. He played soccer at Port St. Lucie until plans changed.
De La Haye's friend asked him to try out for the Port St. Lucie High School Football team as a wide receiver. He took on the challenge but didn't impress the coaches. He had soccer experience, so he tried out for the kicker position, and that was it when he knew what he wanted to do next.
His selection on the football team wasn't supported by his dad. He wanted his son to continue playing soccer. But his achievements on the high school football team opened the door for the UCF scholarship. He played for UCF for two years and was later asked to give up his football scholarship.
De La Haye had a YouTube channel titled "Deestroying." He thought of monetizing it in 2017. This went against the rules of the NCAA, which stated that De la Haye cannot maintain a monetizing YouTube channel and continue to play. This led to him becoming a full-time YouTuber and giving up his UCF scholarship.
Which team did Deestroying play for?
De La Haye played football for Port St. Lucie. In 2015, he entered his freshman year and played college football for the University of Central Florida. He played for two years and further gave up his scholarship to pursue his career as a YouTuber.
He still hopes to play in the NFL and is constantly working with his trainer to get back in the game. In 2019, De La Haye entered the Canadian Football League and made it onto the Toronto Argonauts' roster. Although the partnership didn't last long, it helped the Argonauts gain 15,348 followers on Instagram on the day he signed a deal with them.
Deestroying's career stats
De La Haye's best year while playing football for the UCF was in 2016. He started in all 13 games and kicked off 73 times for 4,441 yards with an average of 60.8 yards per kick.
His YouTube channel features NFL celebrities and college football stars. He also showed off his kicking skills, with one of his most famous videos included when he competed against Jake Paul in the 100-meter dash and won the title of the "World's Fastest Entertainer." He currently has 4.67 million followers on YouTube.
