Loudermilk to shed locks to raise money for charity

Samson’s hair gave him great strength. Elvis Presley’s pompadour defined a generation. Joe Namath’s sideburns matched his rebellious personality and then there was that dude from A Flock of Seagulls. An individual’s hair has a way of making — or breaking — a person’s career.

UCF punter Mac Loudermilk’s hair may not help him boom kicks on the football field, but his flowing locks may provide some comfort for those in need.

He is raising money for the charity Locks of Love, which provides hairpieces for financially disadvantaged youths under the age of 21 who suffer from longterm hair loss due to any medical diagnosis or treatment.

“I can always grow my hair back out if I choose to cut it, but when I donate this hair, it’s going to go to somebody who won’t have that ability to,” Loudermilk said. “And if I can make a change in their life, then that’s awesome.”

Loudermilk has long thought about donating his hair, but his plans took shape last week after he won the Mortell Holder of the Year Award. It is given each year to the most outstanding field goal holder in college football. The honor also affords the recipient the opportunity to raise money for a charity of his choice.

The donation of his hair has a personal connection for Loudermilk after two of his relatives went through cancer treatment.

“Seeing them lose their hair, kind of lose who they were with their personality and become a shell of what they used to be,” he said. “… If I can donate my hair and help some kid or an adult get some self-esteem back and boost their mood a little bit, then that’s what I’m going to do.”

Despite growing up with pretty much a buzz cut, he started growing out his hair his freshman year with the goal of eventually donating it to Locks of Love.

Those plans were cut short after he was told former UCF coach George O’Leary had a team rule about long hair — it couldn’t be longer than your shirt collar.

But when coach Scott Frost arrived in 2017, Loudermilk decided to resume growing his hair for charity. When coach Josh Heupel took over in 2018, he asked his punter what was up with the long hair. Once Loudermilk explained it, no one suggested he cut it.

The flowing hair naturally matched the joy Loudermilk brings to the game, becoming a fan favorite thanks to his exuberant celebration of his strong punts and the rest of the Knights’ success on the field. His simulated golf shots and other moves were documented earlier this season by ESPN’s College GameDay.

“He’s got a legacy,” Heupel said of his charismatic punter. “I’m not sure if we’ll ever have anyone quite as animated as him. Mac’s got a ton of personality, but he’s done a great job.”

Once the decision was made to donate his hair, the senior worked out the details with the school’s NCAA compliance office before setting up a GoFundMe page. His goal is to reach $10,000 in donations for Locks of Love, and as of Saturday afternoon he had raised $1,412. The Sabres suspended forward Patrick Berglund indefinitely for failing to report to the team.

The team announced the suspension Saturday before facing the defending Stanley Cup champion Capitals. Berglund missed the last two games with what coach Phil Housley initially called an illness.

“From my knowledge talking to the medical staff, he was ill, so we handled it that way,” Housley said. “Obviously it developed into something different, and (general manager Jason Botterill) and the management are handling that.”

Asked about Berglund not being “all in” with the rest of the team, Housley declined comment.

“We're going to focus on the guys in that locker room,” Housley said. “We do have some depth. We feel really good about our club.”

The Blues signed veteran D Robert Bortuzzo to a three-year extension worth $1.375 million per season. The 29-year-old Bortuzzo has a goal and two assists in 12 games this season. AP