Pitt long snapper Cal Adomitis will sacrifice his long hair to raise money for Children's Hospital

In the Bible verse Judges 14:19-20, Samson loses all of his strength when Delilah brings in a Philistine to cut his long hair.

Pitt senior Cal Adomitis might be the Samson of ACC long snappers. Yet, he has no fear of losing his strength next year when several pediatric cancer patients from Children’s Hospital Pittsburgh are given shears to cut his long, blonde hair.

Just the same, the event will happen after the season if (when?) Adomitis helps raise $94,000 for child cancer care at Children’s. He wears jersey number 94.

Thanks so much to @ChildrensPgh & my partner in crime, Nora, for making today’s kick-off amazing!! Donate to Cal’s Kids (https://t.co/Vn2VQsEWD6) & let’s get one step closer to crushing childhood cancer‼️#H2P #CalsKids #94KforKids pic.twitter.com/chhbIoz95D

— Cal Adomitis (@CalAdomitis) October 7, 2021

Armed with relaxed NCAA name, image and likeness regulations, Adomitis announced the initiative Thursday at Pitt’s practice facility while seated next to 6-year-old cancer patient Nora Misencik.

Already, $34,538 has been raised thanks to 205 donors, including Allstate and Pitt special teams coach Andre Powell. Adomitis previously was named to the Allstate American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team.

“I thought it was crucial to utilize the new NIL framework to make good use of the platform we’re blessed with as athletes and try to give back,” Adomitis said, noting more than 1,000 children will be treated for cancer this year at Children’s Hospital.

“They are a never-ending beacon of light for people who are fighting tough fights in our city. I’ll shave my head to show our full support. It’s humbling for all of us to see how strong little kids can be.”

Robin Weber, vice president of community relations at Children’s, said: “We’re looking forward to kicking this off and seeing where it goes.”

Adomitis said he chose Children’s partially because his family has helped raise money for past Children’s Hospital Telethons.

“It’s always been a cause that has been so important in Pittsburgh,” he said. “Me, being a Pittsburgh guy, it was a great opportunity to give back to the city I love.

“There is a lot of pride in this city for all the groundbreaking work UPMC and Children’s Hospital Pittsburgh do for cancer care. It really made the choice easy for me on what we should focus on.”

The idea to shave his head originally was raised years ago by Pitt center Owen Drexel, who wondered what it would take for teammates to do the deed. At the time, Adomitis was reluctant, but Drexel was adamant and posed the question again this spring.

“Some of the NIL stuff happened,” Adomitis said, “which allowed us to use our platform a little more.”

Pitt officials got involved, and this time Adomitis was more than happy to sacrifice his locks.

Asked if losing his long hair might be traumatic, Adomitis quickly said, “Not at all.”

But he added, “I might shed a tear because it’s been a long time coming, and it’s really become part of my Pitt uniform.”

The cause carried the day, though. Adomitis is one of several Pitt players to use NIL to help others, including John Petrishen, Tre Tipton and Kenny Pickett.

“We talk about program goals,” coach Pat Narduzzi said. “We talk about graduation and winning championships. One of those is giving back to the community.”

NIL guidelines state that the school is not permitted to talk to players about their opportunities, but Narduzzi said he had no such intention, anyway.

“I let it go, and our kids did it on their own,” he said. “Our kids have done it the right way.”

Meanwhile, Adomitis’ hair will grow back next year when he hopes to sign with an NFL team and continue his long-snapping career.

Read the Bible: Samson’s hair did grow back.

Note: Pickett and Pitt volleyball player Kayla Lund are among 30 athletes in their respective sports nominated for the 2021 Senior Class Award, awarded to seniors or graduate students who excel in the categories of community, classroom, character and competition.