The “real” DaeJon Love trolls fake 49ers ‘catfish’ and sees his own business take off: “I was a pro”
The similarly named ex-football pro has turned unexpected viral attention into a growing opportunity
DaeJohn Love never reached the NFL , but an extraordinary case of mistaken identity has suddenly put his football background in front of a much larger audience.
The former indoor professional football player says people have been flooding his social-media accounts after confusing him with Daejon Labrayae Love , the 35-year-old man federal prosecutors accuse of posing as a San Francisco 49ers player while carrying out an elaborate investment scheme.
The names are almost identical. The men are not. According to TMZ, DaeJohn initially began receiving messages from people asking whether he was the person at the center of the federal case.
Once users realized their mistake, however, the attention started producing an unexpected upside.
DaeJohn says his follower count and engagement have increased, while potential brand partners have also approached him about collaborations. Rather than run from the confusion, he is trying to turn it into an opportunity.
The real DaeJohn Love actually played professional football
There is an ironic twist behind the mix-up was that DaeJohn really did have a professional football career. He says he played indoor professional football between 2013 and 2017 and once hoped to make the jump to the NFL.
That opportunity never arrived, but he still has footage from his playing career and now uses social media to share fitness content and motivational messages.
The sudden interest has given that material a new audience. DaeJohn has also made it clear that he doesn't support the behavior alleged against the similarly named man.
He reportedly found some humor in seeing images connected to the case and even contacted the 49ers after the story emerged.
Other users have joined in on the joke, with some suggesting San Francisco should sign the former player who was mistakenly dragged into the story instead.
Federal prosecutors outline alleged $1.3 million scheme
The underlying case is considerably more serious. Federal authorities allege Daejon Labrayae Love and Taylor Jamie Chan , 18, created fictitious investment opportunities to defraud women across several states.
An FBI affidavit says investigators identified 26 alleged victims and accuses Love of presenting himself as either a wealthy San Francisco 49ers player or a successful real-estate investor.
He allegedly met many women through dating apps before encouraging them to put money into investments prosecutors say didn't exist.
Investigators also allege Chan posed as Love ’s financial adviser and participated in communications and video calls designed to make the investments appear legitimate.
The affidavit says Love ’s online persona became convincing enough that search engines occasionally identified him as an actual 49ers player. Prosecutors say approximately $1.3 million was received from alleged victims.
Both defendants face federal fraud allegations and are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. None of that involves DaeJohn Love , whose only connection is an unfortunate similarity in spelling.
Yet instead of allowing the mistake to define him, the former football player is using the strange burst of attention to introduce people to the career, fitness work and message that actually belong to him.
