Loudermilk set to shed his wild locks 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.
Then when Josh Heupel took over as coach in 2018, he asked his punter what was up with the long hair. Once Loudermilk explained it, no one suggested that 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.
Loudermilk’s hair now stretches 10.5 inches, which is half an inch longer than required to make a Locks of Love donation.
“I’ll have a little bit left over to mess with once I cut my hair,” he said with a smile.
“He’s got a lot of locks to give,” Heupel said of his senior’s plan. “It would be a pretty good deal.”
Loudermilk admits he’ll probably miss having his long hair.
“That’s my image, that’s my brand, but I can always grow it back out,” he said.
The punter also plans to trim down his overgrown beard and he knows one person who will be excited to see it happen — his mom.
“My mom is not a huge fan of the beard or the hair, but she’s going to love when she gets her baby boy back,” he said.