LSU Pitcher Thatcher Hurd To Use NIL Money In Rare Way
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The new era of name, image and likeness is different in the world of college athletics. Is it good? Is it bad? There are mixed opinions. For LSU pitcher Thatcher Hurd, he’s certainly doing it right.
Hurd, a first-year Tiger who transferred to Baton Rouge from UCLA, has donated 100% of his NIL money to the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank. Moving forward, he will donate all of his NIL money to local charities.
In an exclusive interview with WAFB’s Jacques Doucet, it was revealed that Hurd’s donation to the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank will pay for 30,000 pounds of food.
“I feel a ton of gratitude that I get to play at LSU with such overwhelming support from the community,” Hurd said in the interview. “I just wanted to give back to the community and that’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”
“I’m lucky enough that I’ve never had to worry where my next meal is coming from. To give a helping hand to those that are in a tough time or don’t know where their next meal is coming from means a lot to me. I’m excited about this.”
The hype surrounding LSU’s 2023 team has the entire country on notice. The Tigers are ranked No. 1 in virtually every preseason poll with championship or bust expectations in Baton Rouge.
With hype and praise comes national notoriety. In an age of NIL, the more success an athlete or program has, the more brand deals will come their way. For Hurd, he’s excited to give back to the Baton Rouge community with his own individual success.
Hurd is coming off of an incredible freshman campaign for the Bruins, appearing in nine games in 2022. Boasting a 1.06 ERA in 34 innings pitched with 48 strikeouts, his season was cut short due to a back injury that is healing well.
His back injury can be best described as a stress fracture in the lower back bones of the spine, but Hurd is progressing well as the season nears.
When healthy, Hurd has proven to be a dominant force on the mound who has the chance to come in and help pitching coach Wes Johnson’s rotation in 2023.
A great player on the field, the UCLA transfer is proving to be an even better person off the diamond after revealing how he will utilize his NIL funds moving forward.