New England Patriots rookie Justin Rohrawsser apologized for his tattoo that bears the symbol of a far-right group, telling a Boston television station he plans to have it removed.
Rohrawsser, a kicker who was drafted out of Marshall last weekend, originally said he planned to cover it. But in an emotional interview with WBZ Boston, Rohrawsser said it was “shameful I had it on there ignorantly.”
Rohrawsser’s tattoo, located on his arm, depicts the symbol for the “Three Percenters,” a group who denies being a militia but adds “we will defend ourselves when necessary.” The Southern Poverty Center classifies the Three Percenters as an anti-government extremist group.
Rohrawsser said he didn’t know about the symbols’ significance until Saturday, the day he was drafted by the Patriots.
“As soon as I saw what it was linked to on Saturday, it was exactly that time I knew I had to get it totally taken off my body,” he said. “I said cover it up, but I want to get it removed from my body.”
The 23-year-old said he got the tattoo when he was 18, saying he believed it stood for the percentage of colonists who rose up against the British. He said he liked the sentiment, coming from a military family. “I’m very proud to be American,” he said.
Rohrawsser grew emotional when apologizing.
“I’m sorry for all my friends and family that have to defend me,” he said. “Putting them in that compromising position is one of the biggest regrets I’ll ever have.
“To them, I’m sorry. I’m going to learn from this. I’m going to take ownership of it. This is not who I am. No matter what, that’s not who I am. Hopefully you will all find that out.”
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