NFL star Russell Okung is advocating to be paid in Bitcoin, seeking freedom from intermediaries.

American football player Russell Okung, who has been selected to the NFL Pro Bowl twice, tweeted in May 2019: "Pay me in Bitcoin!" His wish has now been fulfilled as a payment company called Strike has partnered with him to pay half of his $13 million salary in Bitcoin.

Players Who Want to Be Paid in Bitcoin

Russell Okung has been pushing his former team, the Los Angeles Chargers, and his current team, the Carolina Panthers, for the past two seasons to allow him to receive his salary in Bitcoin.

With the assistance of payment company Strike, Russell Okung has been able to convert his salary into Bitcoin. Half of his $13 million salary for the 2020/2021 season will be paid in Bitcoin.

He also responded to his tweet from last year yesterday, changing from "Pay me in Bitcoin!" to "I got paid in Bitcoin!"

However, some netizens asked him why only half and not the full amount. He replied, "Because my wife hasn't fully agreed yet."

NFL's Response: All Players Are Paid in USD

Despite the media hype surrounding Russell Okung receiving Bitcoin as his salary, both the NFL and the Carolina Panthers have stated, according to The Verge, that they pay their players only in US dollars. Converting the salary to Bitcoin is a personal decision made by the player after receiving their salary. There is no official option to be paid in Bitcoin.

Crypto Political Correctness: Life, Liberty, and Bitcoin

Russell Okung's Twitter bio reads: "Life, Liberty, and Bitcoin." In a 2019 interview with Bitcoin Magazine, his strong belief in Bitcoin was already evident.

In a 2015 article titled "Betting On Myself" for The Players' Tribune, he emphasized that athletes do not need agents to negotiate contracts on their behalf. He does not use agents to handle his contracts and encourages athletes to educate themselves, be independent, and savvy business people. Since then, his pursuit of freedom has been apparent.

After expressing his desire to be paid in Bitcoin, Bitcoin Magazine interviewed him. He said, "The core concept of Bitcoin has always resonated with me to some degree." He stated that whether it was his understanding of financial independence, contract negotiations with the NFL, or issues faced as a laborer and an ordinary person, they all interconnect. They all boil down to one thing, which is individual autonomy and the ability to control one's own life. He had never thought these issues were interconnected with his money before.

At that time, he expressed his wish to be an educator, explaining Bitcoin's economics and volatility to those around him, with some friends reconsidering what money is and its composition based on what he shared.