The Patriots drafted a kicker with a tattoo of a controversial right-wing militia group, but he says he will get it covered
- The New England Patriots selected former Marshall Thundering Herd kicker Justin Rohrwasser with a fifth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
- News broke shortly thereafter that the special teamer has an arm tattoo of a symbol affiliated with the Three Percenters, a right-wing militia group.
- Rohrwasser claims that he thought the symbol was a means of showing support for the military, but "obviously it evolved into something I do not want to represent," per CBS Boston.
- "It will be covered," he added.
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One of the most recent draftees into the NFL finds himself embroiled in controversy less than a week after joining the New England Patriots.
News broke that Justin Rohrwasser, the Patriots' fifth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, has a tattoo of a symbol affiliated with the right-wing militia group "The Three Percenters." Images of the former Marshall Thundering Herd kicker's forearm ink — which depicts a roman numeral three surrounded by stars — circulated on the internet just after he was selected.
Though "The Three Percenters" has often been linked with white supremacy, their stated goals include advocating for limited government intervention and gun rights. Rohrwasser claims that he thought the symbol was a means of showing support for the troops.
"I got that tattoo when I was a teenager," Rohrwasser said on a conference call with reporters, per CBS Boston. "I have a lot of family in the military. I thought it stood for a military support symbol at the time."
"Obviously it evolved into something that I do not want to represent," he added.
Rohrwasser has since denounced ties to the group and vowed to cover the tattoo in question.
"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," Rohrwasser said on the call. "It's not something that I ever want to represent. It will be covered."
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