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Derek Carr – the highest-paid player in NFL history – has said the “first thing” he’s going to do with the $125 million from his contract extension with the Oakland Raiders is pay his tithing, garnering the praise of Christian leader Franklin Graham.
“The first thing I’ll do is pay my tithe like I have since I was in college,” Carr told CBS Sports after joking about spending money on Chick-fil-A. “Giving $700 on a scholarship check. That won’t change. I’ll do that.”
He added, “The exciting thing for me, money-wise, honestly, is that this money is going to help a lot of people. I’m very thankful to have it and it’s in our hands because it’s going to help people, not only in this country, but in countries all around the world.”
Tithing is the practice of giving 10 percent of what you receive to the church, as instructed in Leviticus 27:30 – “‘A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.”
The Wildcard notes that while 10 percent does not seem like much to most Christians, for Carr, it’ll be $12.5 million over the five-year contract.
“I’m not stingy,” the QB said. “My business manager will probably be on me saying, ‘Hey man, that’s enough.’ I won’t get into when, how or why. It’s not all about that for me. It’s about making a difference. That’s what’s exciting for me is that we’ll be able to do that.”
Derek Carr’s generosity earned the praise of evangelist Franklin Graham, who took to Facebook to applaud the NFL star.
“Derek isn’t ashamed to talk about His walk with Jesus Christ–I appreciate his boldness!” wrote Graham.
Carr is outspoken about his faith, and on his Twitter page describes himself in this way: “Follower of Jesus Christ, Husband, Father and Oakland Raider #RaiderNation What they call work, I call worship!”
Carr said earlier, “I have a very strong faith in God. He is the reason I play football. He has given me this special talent and I want to use it to glorify Him. I am grateful for the opportunity to further His kingdom by sharing my faith on and off the football field. At any moment, any second, my football career could be taken away, but my faith and relationship with God will never be taken from me.”
In the past, the athlete has also stated that the “three most important things in my life are faith, family and football.”
In a video released by The Increase Stories in 2014, Carr shared his conversion experience: “I think Christ really became real to me when my wife [who was a friend at the time] . . . wrote me a letter, and it said ‘You’re not the person that I thought you were,'” Carr said in the video.
Convicted, the NFL star apologizing to his wife and his football team for not being true to his Christian beliefs.
“You guys know what I’ve been doing. I’m a Christian, and I haven’t been living it. . . . I’m a Christian now, and I’ve asked God for his forgiveness. Now, watch how I live my lifestyle,” he said in the video
