'I've always wanted to do it': South Carolina transfer defensive lineman Deandre Jules talks passion for YouTube
Ever since he was in high school, Deandre Jules always wanted to start a YouTube channel. He loved watching content creators come up with unique, interesting videos and thought maybe someday he could do that too.
“I still watch him today, his name is DDG. He’s like a YouTuber/rapper,” said Jules, speaking about his favorite YouTubers. “Mr. Beast is also fun to watch. He puts out great content, very cinematic videos too. That’s really it.”
But while Jules had the desire to do this, he never could put the wheels in motion to make it happen. As he transitioned into college, football became his priority. And being a college athlete requires a lot of time, something he didn’t have enough of to start his own channel.
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That all changed this past winter, though. After spending four years at Pittsburgh, Jules entered the transfer portal with one year of eligibility left. As he contemplated entering the portal, he thought now was the time to pursue his hobby.
“I was like, maybe I should start a YouTube channel. I’ve always wanted to do it. So I was like, maybe I should just do it now,” he said. “And then, my girlfriend got me a camera for Christmas, so that was what really sparked it off. So I was like, you know what, it’s time to do it. She got me the camera, I’ve got to take advantage of this.”
Jules now had everything he needed to make content. The only thing now was what would he make videos about? Luckily, with the transfer portal still being fairly new, he decided to vlog his official visits to other schools.
His first video, titled “Episode One – I COMMITTED TO SOUTH CAROLINA,” showcased his visit to Columbia. It pulled the curtain on what these visits are truly like for college football players. His second video was about his visit to Florida. But based off the title of his first video, he ultimately decided to become a Gamecock.
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Now over a month into his time at South Carolina, Jules still plans to keep up with his YouTube channel. However, he only sits at 139 subscribers.
“That’s really my hobby right now,” Jules said. “I’m trying to be consistent with that, post videos, post as much content as possible, get it out to the people. It’s about my daily life, what I’ve got going on on a daily basis…By the end of the year, I’m trying to get to at least a 1,000.”
Jules said his plan is to continue to give a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to be a college football player in the SEC. His hope is that it inspires those who have an interest in playing football.
“It’s important to me,” he said. “I feel like the people who want to play football but can’t, those videos on my channel help see what it’s like to be a football player at this level. The behind-the-scenes with all the visits and stuff. I’m going to have more behind-the-scenes with the locker room or maybe a game day-like video. They can have all those YouTube videos right there to watch.”
