"In NFL, you get paid whether you have a good game or not" - Alaysha Johnson wants fixed pay for track and field athletes

Alaysha Johnson, the 100m hurdler from the US, has expressed disappointment over the unstable financial scenario of track and field athletes, who mainly depend on sponsorships and prize money from events. She also noted that the NFL offers financial assistance to players whether there is a game or not, while track and field doesn't.

Johnson, the eight-time All-American, had a successful NCAA career at the University of Oregon. She earned recognition as the 5-time All-Pac-12 Conference honoree, 2-time Pac-12 Conference champion, and 3-time Big 12 Conference finalist, among other achievements.

The 28-year-old made it to the silver podium in the 60m hurdles at the 2022 USTF Indoor Championships as well as in the 100m hurdles at the USTF Outdoors. She also clinched the 100m hurdles bronze at the 2023 Pan American Games, following up with Paris Olympic qualification after finishing second at the US Olympic trials.

Besides her performance at the trials, Johnson's looks turned heads when she appeared in a self-designed kit and borrowed shoes. The athlete who trains at the House of Athletes to take inspiration from high-performance sports like the NFL and NBA, stood up for athlete independence since it is mostly compromised due to the typical athlete-sponsor equation.

In a recent interview with Forbes, Johnson called out track and field for under-compensating athletes when NFL players are being paid even when they don't play.

"There has to be some way in which we can honestly take care of our athletes. In the NFL, you get paid whether you have a good game or not. Why can't track and field operate the same way?" she queried.

Johnson became No. 1 in the 100m hurdles in the track and field history of the Oregon Ducks, owing to her NCAA success.

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Alaysha Johnson wants to pave the way for the future generation of track and field athletes

Alaysha Johnson running the 100m hurdles at the Diamond League Silesia. 2024 Kamila Skolimowska Memorial. - Source: Getty

To reimagine track and field, Alaysha Johnson expressed her wish to pave a path for the future generation by going through the hassles herself.

"You can be things that are not created yet. You could be the person that has to go through things in order to help other people behind you be able to have a new path," Johnson shared with Forbes.

One of her most recent achievements was competing at the 2024 Athlos NYC, the aim of which resonated with the hurdler's mindset of revolutionizing track and field.

"Athlos is doing an amazing job at redefining what a track meet means," she said. (via Forbes)

Alaysha Johnson also participated in the 100m hurdles at the 2024 LA Grand Prix, finishing runner-up behind Tonea Marshall.