Imagine receiving a Division I scholarship to play football, living out your dream. It has been a long journey of hard work and determination. As you pursue your dream, it all suddenly comes crashing down. The scholarship is lost, and that dream is a thing of the past.
That is what happened to University of Central Florida kicker, Donald De La Haye. It is usually easy to blame the athlete for losing a scholarship, but this case seems different. He lost his scholarship for having a YouTube channel.
Donald De La Haye is just one of hundreds of athletes denied a scholarship due to NCAA technicalities.
As a Freshman at UCF in 2015, De La Haye began his career by playing in ten games, recording eleven touchbacks in thirty-three kickoff attempts.
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In an interview with Sean Levonaitis, a future Division I football player, he was asked if he thought student-athletes should be able to make money off of their names or athletic ability. He responded, “I believe athletes should not be able to make money at levels college and under.” His reasoning was similar to others who share his opinion. “When you are in college playing a sport, that is not your main responsibility.” Education always comes first, and this is why collegiate players are referred to as “student-athletes.” De La Haye knows many people are critical about his situation, but he has his own justification. “I was extremely confused at how a student-athlete like myself could get punished, not for doing anything bad, though, but for using all the things they taught me in class to grow my business. I mean, ain’t that what colleges want? Isn’t that what they aim for? Isn’t that the expectation nowadays?” He continues, “I did nothing wrong. I just hate the fact that other athletes are out there committing terrible, terrible crimes, such as stealing, selling drugs, hitting women and what not, and they only get a little slap on the wrist. But when I use my platform to motivate and inspire others, I’m basically exiled from college football, and I get my scholarship