YouTuber Deestroying makes major career move with Dwayne Johnson’s UFL: Report

Deestroying is playing football again.

On Tuesday, the current YouTuber and former UCF kicker/punter revealed via the third episode of his miniseries Project NFL that he had been signed by the San Antonio Brahmas of Dwayne Johnson's United Football League (UFL).

It happens to be a spring football competition that emerged from the merger of the XFL and USFL at the end of 2023.

Deestroying has not played professionally since playing on the practice squad of the CFL's Toronto Argonauts in 2021.

He said (segment starts at 11:16):

"This whole entire time I was trying to figure out what my options are. Maybe I have some eligibility left to go back to college. I might get an NFL tryout. Maybe I have to go to the CFL, maybe I have to go play in Europe. Do something. And literally in this moment is where it all just became clear."

Pro Football Network's James Larsen added that he had been training recently with former San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers kicker Nick Novak and veteran special teams coordinator Gary Zauner, who is best known for overseeing Gary Anderson's historic no-miss 1998-99 regular season with the Minnesota Vikings.

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Why Deestroying's entry means so much for Dwayne Johnson's UFL

It is no secret that Dwayne Johnson wants the UFL to be the most prominent and successful spring football league to ever exist. In a recent interview on ESPN's First Take, he expressed confidence in his goal:

"We've got a real shot with this now that we've merged XFL and USFL together to create UFL... As a guy who just loves a game of football, put my hands in the dirt, that was my dream. It never happened for me. But now as life comes full circle, we're able to create these opportunities."

But to sell the league as something to tune into when it begins play on March 30, he needs some star power. And in Deestroying, he may have found the perfect ambassador, thanks to the ex-Horned Frog's online presence and young-skewing demographic.

The man born Donald De La Haye Jr. in Limon, Costa Rica initially gained notoriety when he was disqualified from UCF and the NCAA in relation to his YouTube channel, which had been in operation since 2015.

However, his clout eventually became such that the NCAA itself eventually relented and allowed name-and-image likeness deals, leading to the likes of Olivia Dunne and the Cavinder twins.

Johnson hopes that this online profile and media appeal will instantly boost the UFL's credibility among football fans, especially in regards to its timing during the NFL and college offseasons.