He has also played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Washington Football Team, Miami Dolphins, and San Francisco 49ers.

[1][2] In his first season at Stetson, Payne was named the 2013 Pioneer Football League Defensive Freshman of the Year.

[6][7] Donald Payne was inducted into the Stetson University Athletics Hall of Fame on October 29, 2022.

[23] In week 13 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Payne recorded a team high 13 tackles and sacked Jameis Winston once in the 28–11 win.

[25] The Jaguars won 20–16, the last Raiders game ever played in the Oakland Coliseum before they relocated to Las Vegas.

[26] Payne finished the 2019 season playing in nine games (five starts) and registered 61 tackles, a sack, a pass defense and a fumble recovery.

[33] On August 11, 2021, Payne signed a one-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers,[34] but was waived a few days later.

[41] The Arlington Renegades selected Payne in the third round of the 2023 XFL Supplemental Draft on January 1, 2023.