A decade after he starred for the Tennessee football team, Alvin Kamara has made a generous donation to the school’s athletic programs. The Vols announced on Thursday afternoon that the athletic department received “a large philanthropic gift” from the New Orleans Saints star, who played two seasons at Tennessee (2015-16) before going on to a record-setting NFL career that enters its 10th season in 2026. Kamara’s contribution will include what UT called a “naming opportunity” inside Neyland Stadium, where he will be honored during Saturday’s Orange & White Game.
Kamara was back in Knoxville last week and spoke to Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel during a spring practice.
He wound up on Rocky Top after starting his collegiate career at Alabama and spending a season at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas, but he was one of the top playmakers of the Butch Jones Era alongside the likes of quarterback Joshua Dobbs and defensive end Derek Barnett.
“There are certain experiences that shape you throughout your life,” Kamara said in Tennessee’s release. “In my heart, it was only right that I pour back into the university that gave me an opportunity when I didn’t quite know what was next. The naming recognition space that we are working on, inside Neyland Stadium, will be a representation of perseverance and faith for everyone who enters for years to come.”
Kamara played in just 24 games for the Vols and rushed for 1,294 yards on 210 carries, caught 74 passes for 683 yards and scored 24 touchdowns (16 rushing, seven receiving, one punt return).
He set Tennessee’s single-game record for all-purpose yards (312) in a double-overtime loss at Texas A&M in 2016, breaking a record previously held by Chuck Webb (294 yards against Ole Miss in 1989). Kamara rushed for 127 yards on 18 carries and caught eight passes for 161 yards and scored three touchdowns against the Aggies (two rushing, one receiving). He and Jamal Lewis are the only Tennessee players to have 100 rushing yards and 100 receiving yards in the same game.
Kamara totaled 1,188 all-purpose yards (596 rushing, 392 receiving, 184 punt return, 16 kickoff returns) and 13 touchdowns in 2016, ranking ninth and tied for third in the SEC, respectively, in those categories.
“Alvin has made an extraordinary difference in our program, and we are profoundly grateful for this generous philanthropic gift,” Tennessee athletic director Danny White said. “Alvin’s leadership and unwavering support have meant so much to us, and we cannot thank him enough for all he continues to do for Tennessee!”
Kamara was a third-round pick of the Saints in the 2017 NFL Draft and has spent his entire pro career in New Orleans. The five-time Pro Bowler, two-time All-Pro selection and 2017 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year owns several franchise records: Rushing yards (7,250), rushing touchdowns (61), total touchdowns (87), yards from scrimmage (12,198), all-purpose yards (12,856) and first downs (601). Since entering the NFL, he ranks third in the league in scrimmage yards and is one of three players to surpass 12,000 yards in that span.
He joined Matt Forte and Pro Football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson as the only NFL players since 2000 with at least 1,100 scrimmage yards in each of his first eight seasons.
The 30-year-old from Atlanta has one year left on his contract after signing an extension during the 2024 season, and per Spotrac he’s totaled more than $67 million in career earnings – not including any compensation he’s received from endorsement deals or business ventures outside of football – during his decade in the NFL.