MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Within hours of being selected by the New England Patriots in the fifth round of the NFL Draft on Saturday afternoon, former Marshall kicker Justin Rohrwasser faced questions regarding his controversial arm tattoo.
The tattoo is associated with a right-wing militia group called the ‘Three Percenters”. Following his selection by the Patriots, Rohrwasser said he would cover up the tattoo that he got when he was eighteen years old. He said he thought the tattoo was a military support symbol.
“I got that tattoo when I was a teenager and I have a lot of family in the military. I thought it stood for a military support symbol at the time,” Rohrwasser said on Saturday.
“Obviously, it’s evolved into something that I do not want to represent. When I look back on it, I should have done way more research before I put any mark or symbol like that on my body, and it’s not something I ever want to represent. It will be covered.”
Rohrwasser told WBZ-TV in Boston Monday that he will remove the tattoo. He told WBZ’s Steve Burton that, “The first time I found out what it was linked to was on Saturday. That’s why it was so surprising.”
“When I was eighteen I got it and it was described to me as the percentage of colonists that rose up against the authoritarian government of the British,” Rohrwasser told Burton.
“I want to get it removed from my body. It is shameful that I had it on there ignorantly.”
Rohrwasser was apologetic at several points in the interview and added that he regretted putting his family in a ‘compromising position’.
Rohrwasser was selected in the NFL Draft and he is in line to replace New England’s all-time leading scorer Stephen Gostkowski. He was 33-of-42 on field goal attempts in his two seasons with the Herd. In his senior season, Rohrwasser was good on 18-of-21 field goal opportunities and was 7-of-8 from 40 yards or longer.