For those who thought we were done hearing about former UCF kicker, turned media lightning rod, turned middling YouTube personality Donald De La Haye, guess again. The De La Haye saga has once again reared its ugly head with news being revealed that the ex-player is suing several prominent UCF administrators. 

On January 25th, a federal lawsuit was filed by De La Haye. His representation, The Goldwater Institute, is trying to argue that his first amendment right to freedom of speech and 14th amendment right to due process was violated when his athletic scholarship was taken away by the school. 

De La Haye was the player who the University of Central Florida went to bat for with the NCAA as it regards his eligibility. He began to grow an audience on YouTube with videos that revolved around his life and many times involved elements of his standing as a kicker on the football team. 

Once De La Haye grew his audience big enough to monetize those videos, his status as a student-athlete became murky. The NCAA does not let athletes at any level profit off of their likeness, so UCF sought a waiver last summer to accommodate this unique circumstance. 

They were successful in receiving that waiver as was outlined in this official statement from UCF. 

“The waiver, which was granted, stated De La Haye could maintain his eligibility and continue to monetize videos that did not reference his status as a student-athlete or depict his football skill or ability. The waiver also allowed him to create videos that referenced his status as a student-athlete or depict his football skill or ability if they were posted to a non-monetized account. De La Haye chose not to accept the conditions of the waiver and has therefore been ruled ineligible to compete in NCAA-sanctioned competition. UCF Athletics wishes him the best in his future endeavors.”

Orlando Sports News: UCF Knights Perfect Season Tarnished With De La Haye Drama? 

Those provisions were not enough for De La Haye who decided that instead of following the NCAA's conditions he would forfeit his scholarship and enter the "real world" of being an internet personality. No one would argue that the NCAA's rulebook is the picture of fairness, but their decision was pretty reasonable given their usual rulings. 

De La Haye could have accepted their decree and took a positive step forward for student-athletes in the future. This could have cracked the door open for certain exceptional collegiate athletes to expand their earning opportunities. 

Instead, De La Haye rejected the option to stay in school, play football and continue to hone his skills as a video virtuoso. He even went to his YouTube channel to plead with the public for money through a GoFundMe account instead of funding his education with the opportunity he had already earned. 

That account, which was started on GoFundMe's School Fundraising platform, actually raised thousands of dollars but was taken down at some unknown point. De La Haye never re-enrolled at UCF or anywhere else for that matter, so who knows what became of the dollars that were actually donated for educational purposes. 

The cynic or rather the realist in me says it was removed to embolden the case he now pursues against several UCF big hitters. 

Look, we all make mistakes and deserve some leeway, especially as we grow into adulthood. At 29 years old, I continue to make mistakes that I try to learn from. 

There comes a point though when you have to be accountable for your actions. De La Haye has continued to exhibit traits that make so many decry the social media age. 

He has been self-involved, oblivious to a real world with restrictions and in constant search of immediate gratification. These are problems that afflict many of us who have grown up in an era dominated by 24-hour news, Facebook likes and unprecedented connectivity. 

De La Haye turned his back on a school that gave him an opportunity to succeed, both as an athlete and as a professional. There is no question that his following was boosted by the resources he was provided as a member of the football team, but that fact was just swept under the rug in this hoopla. 

UCF had to cover their tracks with the NCAA to avoid any potential sanctions but were still able to petition for a resolution that allowed him to remain as a student, football player and YouTuber. De La Haye decided to throw all that away.

One has to wonder if in a quiet moment, away from all the outside influence, does logic prevail? Does De La Haye regret his decision and dream of what it would have been like to be part of an undefeated season with the Knights? 

We will never know the kind of piggyback publicity De La Haye could have created for his YouTube channel off of UCF's National Championship declaration. 

As much as I dislike the way De La Haye has handled the situation, I will stop ragging on him to point out that he has also been a victim. He has listened to advisors and legal experts who should be older and wiser, but instead are just looking for another moment of publicity or a potential payday. 

Such is life in the real world that De La Haye was so desperate to escape to. 

Carson Ingle has been a sportswriter and sports talk radio host based in Orlando for the past ten years. He can currently be seen several times a week on Spectrum Sports 360's Face-Off segment at 10:30 p.m. on Central Florida News 13, channel 1013. Follow him on Twitter

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