ORLANDO, Fla. — Former University of Central Florida kicker Donald De La Haye is suing UCF athletic director Danny White, President John Hitt, members of UCF's Board of Trustees and other officials, Channel 9 learned Thursday.
De La Haye made headlines last year when he was ruled ineligible by the NCAA for making money from his YouTube videos.
“This is my career. This is my life. This is my passion," he said in a YouTube video.
Read: Ex-UCF kicker stands by decision to give up his eligibility
“This is just so crazy to me, man. It's really so crazy to me, man," he said in a YouTube video. “I was just having innocent fun.”
De La Haye said in the lawsuit, which was Jan. 25, that he offered to demonetize the posts that referenced him as a student-athlete or posts that showed him doing anything relating to his football skills.
Read: Kicker's YouTube profits may be violation of NCAA rules
UCF officials told De La Haye he could not show videos of him throwing a football on the beach with his girlfriend if other videos on the same page were making money.
He was offered a chance to regain eligibility if he took down certain videos and donated his YouTube money to charity, but he didn't agree, UCF officials said.
Read: UCF placekicker gives up eligibility with YouTube videos
Despite the issue, he thanked the university in a video, saying, "I want to thank the whole UCF organization. You guys have been great."
The suit states that he wants UCF policies and practices that have been applied to him to be ruled unconstitutional, and he wants his scholarship reinstated.
Comment from discussion Former UCF kicker Donald De La Haye sues UCF officials over YouTube videos debacle.
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