By Marty Gordon
NRVsports@ourvalley.org
Virginia Tech redshirt junior offensive lineman Luke Tenuta is the latest college athlete to take advantage of the chance to make money off his likeness, appearance, and name.
Tenuta, however, is donating all the proceeds from his NIL deal to Micah’s Backpack, a program at St. Michael Lutheran Church in Blacksburg that addresses children’s hunger issues by partnering with local schools to provide assistance to students and families who qualify for the free lunch program. Each week during the school year, students receive a backpack with enough food for the weekend.
The backpacks include two dinners, two lunches, and two breakfasts.
Each week nearly 70 volunteers from various academic, civic, and religious groups work together packing the meals. Partner schools then distribute the meals to the students.
The latest numbers show that more than 300 students at 10 Blacksburg schools receive the backpacks.
The 6-9, 325-pound Tenuta said no child should go hungry. He started nine games last season at right tackle and was named to the third-team All-ACC offense. He was part of an offensive unit that helped produce a conference-best 240 yards-per-game rushing average.
Tenuta was a 2017 Class 3A all-state pick at Western Albermarle High School and was recognized as all-conference, all-district, and all-region. His father, Jon, recently joined the Virginia Tech coaching staff as a senior defensive analyst with over 40 years of coaching experience.
CAMEO is a popular video service that lets fans pay to have their favorite athlete, musician, actor, or other entertainer record a short, personalized message. Iconic athletes such as Drew Brees, Mia Hamm, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are all available for booking on CAMEO.
Designed to connect famous people with their fans, the CAMEO app is one of the first avenues that is attracting college athletes like Tenuta who are now eligible to capitalize financially on their name, image, and likeness (NIL).
CAMEO has over 30,000 celebs ranging from A- to D-list stars who charge anywhere from $5 to over $1,000 per video. The company claims CAMEO makes the absolute best present and fan experience available. It is easy to use, the company says, and a large variety of celebrities and influencers are available to choose from.
Tenuta started his cameo requests at $20.
To donate to Micah’s Backpack, check out www.micahsbackpack.org.
Tenuta can be found at cameo.com/luketenuta.
