The University of Central Florida athletics department announced Monday afternoon that kicker Donald De La Haye has been ruled ineligible to play football, after the rising junior refused to non-monetize YouTube videos that reference his student-athlete status or depict his football abilities.
UCF kicker @Deestroying has been ruled ineligible for not accepting the terms of a NCAA waiver in relation to monetizing his YouTube videos. pic.twitter.com/lIRmuoRDnC
— Brandon Helwig (@UCFSports) July 31, 2017
According to a statement released by the NCAA later Monday afternoon, De La Haye could have continued to play football for UCF and profit off his YouTube videos, as long as those videos had nothing to do with his athletic status or skills.
NCAA statement regarding Donald De La Haye. pic.twitter.com/0W2YCbEBrF
— Inside the NCAA (@InsidetheNCAA) July 31, 2017
De La Haye’s YouTube channel “Deestroying” currently has over 95,000 subscribers, several of his videos garnering over 100,000 views.
The Port St. Lucie, Florida, native, who served as a kickoff specialist for the Knights the past two seasons, uploaded a video reaction to the school’s decision to his YouTube channel, saying he was “torn apart inside.”
Having lost his athletic scholarship as a result of his ineligibility, De La Haye has also started a GoFundMe page so that he can continue to pursue a degree in marketing.
• Josh Luckenbaugh can be reached at jluckenbaugh@washingtontimes.com.
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