National Football League (NFL) veteran and former star of the VH1 dating show ‘Ochocinco: The Ultimate Catch’, Chad Johnson, is currently exploring bitcoin.
The six-time Pro Bowler took to Twitter on 14th April, writing that he had first heard about bitcoin through a discussion with a friend, and that he was eager to learn more.
Discussing the concept of @Bitcoin with a friend. Can y’all show me how easy it is? #Bitcoin pic.twitter.com/blS4OVPe37
— Chad Johnson (@ochocinco) April 14, 2014
Johnson, 36, spent the majority of his professional career with the Cincinnati Bengals, though he later had brief stints with the New England Patriots and the Miami Dolphins.
Though Johnson put up respectable numbers during his early career, he became more well known for his off-the-field antics in the late 2000s, notably changing his legal name to Chad Ochocinco in 2008 and then back to Johnson in 2012.
Johnson is expected to work out for the Canadian Football League’s Montreal Alouettes next week. He has been out of professional football since he was released by the Miami Dolphins in 2012.
Community reaction
At press time, the tweet had garnered a respectable response on Twitter, earning 31 retweets and 32 favorites.
However, Johnson did receive some misinformation as well, with one user suggesting that bitcoin is not yet taxable.
Other comments directed Johnson to popular tutorial videos and resources, while one user even went so far as to send the NFL star a small amount of bitcoin through the QR code he provided.
@ochocinco just sent you a few fractions of a penny’s worth lol but you should get the idea
— Rhymes With Brice (@BeeNyce) April 14, 2014
At press time, Johnson had only garnered around 0.001 BTC, or roughly 50 cents, in contributions.
NFL interest grows
Johnson is not the first NFL player to talk openly about bitcoin.
For example, earlier this February, Seattle Seahawks star cornerback Richard Sherman began accepting bitcoin for purchases on his personal website. Sherman and the Seahawks would later win Super Bowl XLVIII, handily defeating Payton Manning and the Denver Broncos 43 to 8.
“I hear it’s the currency of the future,” Sherman wrote in a Facebook post that quickly drew the attention of bitcoin users and American football fanatics.
That news followed the announcement that the Sacramento Kings NBA franchise would accept the digital currency, becoming the first professional sports team to do so.
Most recently, the San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team followed suit by embracing bitcoin as a payment method as well.
Image via Wikipedia