The UFL has lost one of its best-known players to injury. Brahmas kicker Donald De La Haye will be sidelined indefinitely with a neck injury.
De La Haye is better known by his online name: "Deestroying." The 27-year-old runs a popular YouTube channel that showcases his trick-shot kicking abilities, and he has more than 3 million followers on Instagram.
The UFL was treating him as one of its stars for the 2024 season but will have to pivot to focus on other top players.
De La Haye is used to facing adversity in his pursuit of a professional football career. The NCAA famously forced him to choose between playing at UCF in 2017 or maintaining his monetized YouTube channel. He chose the latter, which seemingly ended his football career.
Despite a long layoff, De La Haye returned to the field with the UFL. But his quest to establish himself as a professional-level kicker now will be put on pause. Here's what to know about his injury and how it will impact the Brahmas.
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Deestroying injury update
De La Haye announced Tuesday in an Instagram Story that he fractured his neck during the Brahmas' Week 2 come-from-behind win over the Showboats.
The injury occurred after De La Haye tackled Memphis' Teez Tabor on a kickoff return. The YouTube star lowered his shoulder and helmet to make the stop and came up looking a bit worse for wear.
Get yourself a kicker who isn't afraid to HIT 💥@Deestroying wasn't holding back on this one 😤 pic.twitter.com/i1PVbWjGj0
— San Antonio Brahmas (@XFLBrahmas) April 6, 2024
De La Haye joked on social media after the game that his tackling game needed some work.
"I gotta learn how to tackle [with] the right form," he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
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It isn't clear exactly how long it will take "Deestroying" to recover from the injury. He will likely end up on San Antonio's injured reserve and could miss the remainder of the UFL season depending upon the injury's significance. The Brahmas' final regular-season game is set for June 1.
San Antonio will need to add a kicker with De La Haye sidelined. Punter Brad Wing is the only healthy specialist on the roster, and it doesn't seem likely that he will handle field goal duties for the 2-0 Brahmas.
