NFL Players With Neck Tattoos And Meaning

Aaron Hernandez had a neck tattoo with the words 'Lifetime' and 'Loyalty' written on it. The design also featured a black star and skull.

Hernandez played football for New England Patriots for two seasons between 2010 and 2012 as a Tight end. His career was cut short after being arrested in 2013.

His neck tattoo was made behind bars by MCI-Shirley’s Souza Baranowski Correction Center. The ink on his neck was first seen by people during his appearance at Boston Court House in 2015.

Hernandez's neck ink had the word "Lifetime" written on top and the word "Loyalty" written in the middle section. The design also featured a black star and a skull in the background. The elaborated design was inked on the right side of the player's neck.

The placement of the tattoo was below the ears and stretched from the back of his neck to his jawline. His attorney revealed that Aaron's tatts represented his lifetime behind bars and acceptance of his life in prison.

Lynn Bowden Jr. has a tattoo of a brick path dotted with a heart shape on his neck. The design also looks like artistically made angel wings.

Bowden played for Kentucky during his college days and was drafted by Las Vegas Raiders in the 2020 NFL Draft. He currently plays for New Orleans Saints after signing with the team on June 15, 2023.

Lynn's artistic design stretches on both sides of his neck starting from the middle of his throat. According to The Athletic, his neck tattoo represents the red brick road in front of his grandmother's house in Youngstown, Ohio.

Bowden paid homage to his grandmother with the ink as he grew up with her and a dozen more relatives at her home in Ohio. He has over 70 other tatt all coming from his Kentucky days where he played college football between 2017 and 2019.

Irv Smith Jr. inked a butterfly marking his return to NFL after his knee injury in 2021. Smith also has a large portrait of his mother on his neck.

The American football tight end currently plays for Cincinnati Bengals in NFL after signing the team on March 30, 2023. He played his college football for Alabama between 2016 and 2018.

Smith was drafted by Minnesota Vikings in the 2019 NFL Draft and played for the team for four seasons until 2022. He suffered his season-ending knee injury while playing for the Vikings and his injury was announced on September 1, 2021.

The tight end made his return nearly a year later in July 2022 with a neck tattoo featuring a butterfly. Speaking with the press, Smith revealed his butterfly tattoo represented a fresh start after his injury.

However, the butterfly is not the only ink on his neck, as he featured a much larger portrait of his mother Rose Matamoros.

Ethan Westbrooks has a neck tattoo mentioning his birth year and place of birth. The design features a green star in the middle.

Westbrooks is a defensive end currently playing for the Michigan Panthers of the United States Football League (USFL). Ethan previously played for Los Angeles Rams in the National Football League (NFL).

Westbrooks has a huge neck tattoo covering his entire throat region and some parts of his chest area. The circular design has the word "Oakland" written on the top and "California" at the bottom. One side of the circle is Est. and another features 1990, his birth year.

The middle section of the circular logo-like design is covered with a huge green star. Shadows made with inks fill up the remaining parts of the circle giving depth to the star. His neck tattoo represents his birthplace and his birth year.

The former NFL player gained fame in 2014 after he got a face tattoo, which he revealed to be his motivator to pursue football and did not leave him a choice of getting a normal job in the future. Ethan's face ink reads, "Laugh now, Cry later."

Marvin Jones has a large tattoo covering the back part of his neck. The tribal design has a football twist to the heritage part.

Jones is a wide receiver currently playing for the Detroit Lions in National Football League. Marvin played his college football for the University of California, Berkeley between 2008 and 2011 before being drafted by Cincinnati Bengals in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Marvin was playing for Detroit Lions, his first time around, when he got the huge African-Native American tribal tattoo on the back side of his neck. His tattoo was made at Frost City Tattoo owned by Fred Frost, but the actual free-hand work was done by Vili.

The aesthetic design has a deep meaning for the wide receiver, as it is a way of him connecting to his heritage and ancestry. However, he has given a football twist to his tribal design.

According to Marvin when speaking to Detriot Lions, he said, the wings represent elevation, freedom, and speed, which is what he yearns for while playing football and in his life as well.

Sam Shields has a huge Super Bowl Ring tattoo on his neck. Sam won the Super Bowl XLV with Green Bay Packers against Pittsburgh Steelers.

Shields is a former professional football cornerback who played for Green Bay Packers for six seasons between 2010 and 2016. He joined Packers as an undrafted free agent and won the Super Bowl XLV with the team the following year on February 2011.

While the NFL Lockout place at the time did not allow the players to gather for a big party to receive and show off their rings, Sam had a better idea for the celebration. He took the ring to Tattoo artist Sergio Garcia and had it made on his neck.

NFL players tattoos are quite extreme at times and this particular design by Sam Shields features 60 out of 110 diamonds placed on the ring.

Furthermore, the design has the Green Bay Packers logo as well. Sam decided to show off his achievements by making a quick social media post of the photo.

Austin Pettis has a large Mighty Duck logo tattooed on the rear side of his neck. Austin loves hockey and grew up watching the Ducks.

Pettis is a former American football player who played for St. Louis Rams between 2011 and 2015 as a wide receiver. Austin played his college football for Boise State University before being drafted in the 2011 NFL Draft by the Rams.

Austin's tattoo was pictured in October 2014, and his fans were amazed to see a Hockey Team's logo tattooed on the neck of a football player. His tattoo features a huge logo of Anaheim Ducks aka The Mighty Ducks.

Defending his choice of design to get inked, Pettis said he was born and raised in Anaheim and he grew up watching their game. Moreover, he is also a huge fan of the film series and he is an overall sports lover and not just a football fan and player.

Lou Hedley has a beetle inked on his throat and a man and woman on either side of his neck. The man and woman represent his grandparents.

Lou is a former Australian Rules Football player who currently plays for New Orleans Saints in the NFL. Hedley was signed by the Saints as an undrafted free agent after not being able to draft in the 2023 NFL Draft.

The NFL tattoos players list is easily topped by Hedley as he is a heavily inked athlete. The athlete is mostly covered in ink on both of his arms and torso region.

He has most of his body covered with ink and blames his uncontrollable desire to get tattooed after visiting a tattoo shop as the reason for so many tats that he has lost count.

His multiple tattoos on the neck region are some of the most interesting ones, he has got a large beetle on the throat and a man and a woman facing each other on either side of his neck. Lou claims the man and woman represent his grandfather and grandmother.