Patriots draft pick kicker Justin Rohrwasser says he will cover up tattoo that resembles a far-right military group, saying it’s ‘not something he wants to represent’
- Patriots kicker Justin Rohrwasser has renounced the right-wing group The Three Percenters after facing backlash for having their logo tattooed on his left arm
- Rohrwasser, who formerly played at Rhode Island and Marshall University, was the 159th overall pick in the fifth round of the draft on Saturday
- The rookie kicker has since said the tattoo does not represent his political views and was not meant to represent an association with the group
- ‘When I look back at it, I should have done way more research before I put any mark or symbol on my body…it will be covered,’ he said
Patriots rookie kicker Justin Rohrwasser has renounced the right-wing group The Three Percenters after facing backlash for having their logo tattooed on his left arm.
Rohrwasser, who formerly played at Rhode Island and Marshall University, was the 159th overall pick in the fifth round of the NFL draft on Saturday.
Though it’s rare for kicker selected near the end of the draft to garner the headlines, Rohrwasser found himself at the center of the media spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
The 23-year-old’s left forearm tattoo, depicting three I’s surrounded by a circle of stars, fell subject to online scrutiny because of the emblem’s ties with the right-wing militia group, The Three Percenters.
However, in a call with reporters on Saturday, the rookie said the tattoo did not represent his political views and was not meant to represent an association with the anti-government group, often accused of being white supremacists.
Patriots rookie kicker Justin Rohrwasser has renounced the right-wing group The Three Percenters after facing backlash for having their logo tattooed on his left arm
The Three Percenters (one member shown right), who take their name from a false claim that three percent of American Colonists fought in the Revolutionary war, are regularly referred to as a right-wing militia and accused of being white supremacists
In a call with reporters on Saturday, the rookie said the tattoo did not represent his political views and was not meant to represent an association with the anti-government group, often accused of being white supremacists
‘I got that tattoo when I was a teenager and I have a lot of family in the military and I thought it stood for a military support symbol at the time,’ he explained. ‘Obviously, it evolved into something that I do not want to represent.’
The Three Percenters, who take their name from a false claim that three percent of American Colonists fought in the Revolutionary war, were founded in 2008 in response to Barrack Obama’s election as president.
According to their website, the group stands for ‘freedom, liberty, and the constitution’ and vows to be ‘the last defense to protect the citizens of the United States.’ The Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League described the Three Percenters as an anti-government extremist group.
In response to the unsavory ties, Rohrwasser told reporters: ‘When I look back at it, I should have done way more research before I put any mark or symbol on my body.
‘It is not something I ever want to represent, so it will be covered,’ he assured.
Images posted to Rohrwasser’s Instagram page shows the tattoo has been on his arm since he was at least 19-years-old
In response to the unsavory ties, Rohrwasser told reporters: ‘When I look back at it, I should have done way more research before I put any mark or symbol on my body. It is not something I ever want to represent, so it will be covered.’
Images posted to Rohrwasser’s Instagram page shows the tattoo has been on his arm since he was at least 19-years-old.
Rohrwasser has a number of other tattoos which read ‘Liberty or death’ and ‘Don’t tread on me’, the famed Boston Tea Party slogan, with another referencing the Dave Matthews Band.
During a 2019 interview, Rohrwasser described his selection of tattoos as ‘random’.
Rohrwasser was drafter to the Patriots as a replacement for their all-time leading goalscorer, Stephen Gostkowski, who was released last month.
Rohrwasser, from Clifton Park, New York, described himself as ‘a hard worker and somebody who is going to chase after the best version of themselves and a good teammate,’ ESPN reported.
During his time at Marshall, the six-foot-three 230 lbs prodigy was named Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Year in 2019 after converting 18 of 21 field goals with a long of 53 yards, while going 35-of-36 extra points.