The Most Tattooed Athletes

Athletes get tattoos for a number of reasons: to have a sense of belonging, to alter their public image, to feel powerful, to bring good luck or ward off bad luck, to honor family, to honor their team, to honor their hometown, to honor God, to remind themselves of hard times or humble beginnings or just to see how nifty the tats will look pixelated in the latest version of NBA 2K.

Some athletes stop at one or two.

Some have up to a dozen. 

Others, well, they fill up the canvas.

Click on to see some of the most-inked skins in the sports world.

Honorable Mention: Anastasia Davydova

Hails from: Moscow, Russia

Sport: Synchronized swimming

Ink coverage: Light--about 12 butterflies cascading down her back from the left shoulder to the right butt cheek

Sure, your average NBA player has triple the ink she has, but Davydova is worth an honorable mention because so few swimmers have more than the obligatory dolphin on the ankle.

Honorable Mention: Mitchell Johnson

Hails from: Queensland, Australia

Sport: Cricket

Ink Coverage: Light, full sleeve, large wildcat on torso

Mitchell's latest tattoo became controversial; not that fans objected to the pattern—it's just that they feel inking gone awry shouldn't cause star players to miss games.

35. Josh Hamilton

Hails from: Raleigh, North Carolina

Sport: Baseball

Ink coverage: Light-moderate, 26 tattoos in all, spread out over chest, arms, legs

His images include the word "hammer," a baseball, blue flames, devils, Jesus and tribal signs.

Regarding the devil tattoos he says: "I really regret these. They're a real hard reminder."

34. Courtney Lawes

Hails from: Hackney, England

Sport: Rugby

Ink coverage: Light moderate, two full sleeves, quote on hip

His hip tattoo reads: "The best of times is now." 

33. Allen Iverson

Hails from: Virginia, USA

Sport: Basketball

Ink coverage: Moderate

In his own words: "I got one that says 'FEAR NO ONE,' a screaming skull with a red line through it--'cause you'll never catch me looking scared." 

For a peek at and insight into the meanings of several of his tattoos, click here.

(You know you are in for an inky ride when Iverson is ranked so low on this list.)

32. Digby Ioane

Hails from: Wellington, New Zealand

Sport: Rugby

Ink coverage: Moderate, a full sleeve, a pair of wings across his back, several smaller tats

For some close-ups of his body art, check out this link.

31. Mike Tyson

Hails from: Brooklyn, NY

Sport: Boxing

Ink coverage: Moderate

Say what? Tyson near the bottom too? 

In truth, he'd be off the list if it weren't for the facial tat.

Because of their visibility and shock value, all facial real estate counts double on this list.

His facial tattoo got plenty of media face time in 2011 with the release of The Hangover 2 and tattoo artist Victor Whitmill's lawsuit.

Among Tyson's other tats are portraits of Mao Zedong, Che Guevara, Arthur Ashe and ex-wife Monica Turner.

30. Matt Barnes

Hails from: Santa Clara, California

Sport: Basketball

Ink coverage: Moderate, several arm tattoos, large neck tattoos, three large chest tattoos, full stomach, large banner across top of back, leg tattoos

To check out his back tats, click here.

Barnes got the large angel on his stomach to honor the memory of his mother who died of lung cancer in 2007.

29. Rey Mysterio

Hails from: Chula Vista, California

Sport: Pro wrestling

Ink coverage: Moderate, several large tattoos on torso and arms, full back tattoo

For a slideshow of his tattoos and some insight to their significance, click here.

28. Raul Meireles

Hails from: Porto, Portugal

Sport: Soccer

Ink coverage: Moderate, two full sleeves, full back, back of neck

Meireles' dragon tattoo was widely considered one of the coolest tats in soccer, until Daniel Agger upstaged him with an intricate viking graveyard design down the length of his back.

27. Kenyon Martin

Hails from: Saginaw, Michigan

Sport: Basketball

Ink coverage: Moderate, one near-complete sleeve, multiple other arm tattoos, some neck tattoos, large back tattoo, some chest tattoos

Martin famously had an impression of girlfriend Trina's lips tattooed on his neck, and then equally famously had it covered up to resemble some sort of mutant crown after the breakup.

26. Undertaker

Hails from: Houston, Texas

Sport: Pro wrestling

Ink coverage: Moderate, two full sleeves, wife's name on front of neck, daughters' names on either side of his neck, fighting skeleton on back of neck, stomach banner that reads "B.S.K Pride" (stands for Bone Street Krewe)

His left arm has a fantastical theme with castles, wizards, etc.

25. David Beckham

Hails from: London, England

Sport: Soccer

Ink coverage: Moderate, two sleeves, partial back, back of neck, partial midriff, partial torso

Among his tattoos are a line of Chinese characters running down the side of his torso. The characters translate to: "Death and life have determined appointments; riches and honors depend upon heaven."

24. CC Sabathia

Hails from: Vallejo, California

Sport: Baseball

Ink coverage: Moderate, one full sleeve, large shoulder-to-shoulder back tattoo

23. Shaquille O'Neal

Hails from: Newark, New Jersey

Sport: Basketball

Ink coverage: Moderate, multiple arm, shoulder, chest

While Shaq may not seem to have all that much ink, you have to remember, there is a whole lot of canvas there.

Quote from Shaq regarding his tats: 

"

"First of all, I got my tattoos because I was allowed to get them. You better believe I asked my mom first. And she told me I could get the tattoos, but I had to keep it corporate. See, she thought that when I was done playing ball, no one would give me a job if I was covered with tattoos."

"

22. Aaron Hernandez

Hails from: Bristol, Connecticut

Sport: Football

Ink coverage: Moderate, two full sleeves, some hands

Up his left forearm is a quote composed of 10 two-letter words: "If it is to be, it is up to me."

It was a favorite saying of his late father. 

21. Natasha Kai

Hails from: Hawaii, USA

Sport: Soccer

Ink coverage: Moderate, two full sleeves, various torso, back, legs, feet tattoos

According to Inked magazine: "She has two turtles indigenous to the island on her back, a Polynesian tattoo sleeve on her right arm, and the [Hawaiian] state flower, the hibiscus, on her right shoulder." 

She also has three stars on the back of her neck, the names of her family members and lyrics.

20. LeBron James

Hails from: Akron, Ohio

Sport: Basketball

Ink coverage: Moderate, large banner across top of back, multiple arm and shoulder tattoos, word tattooed on each leg

Check out this web page for a visual time line of King James' body art.

19. Robert Swift

Hails from: Bakersfield, California

Sport: Basketball

Ink coverage: Moderate, two full sleeves, some chest work, smaller tattoos on legs and hands

Among the inked patterns on his arms are the words "Anything is possible" and "Just believe."

18. Randy Orton

Hails from: Knoxville, Tennessee

Sport: Pro wrestling

Ink coverage: Moderate, two full sleeves and a pattern across the top of his back

Among the work on his sleeves, he has a bible verse on the back of one arm and a red rose with his daughter's birthdate in Roman numerals on the opposite forearm. 

According to an article on the WWE website, one of Orton's arm tattoos started as the letters USMC (United States Marine Corps).

When Orton received a dishonorable discharge from the Corps, he had the letters covered up.

17. Andrei Kirilenko

Hails from: Izhevsk, Russia

Sport: Basketball

Ink coverage: Moderate

The full-back tattoo caused quite a media stir when it first came to light.

The image is some type of armored warrior astride a fearsome winged beast.

When interviewed about the art by the Salt Lake Tribune, Kirilenko said, "If I feel like I want [a tattoo], I get one. It's really strange that it gets so much attention. … Ninety-nine percent of players have tattoos."

16. Wilson Chandler

Hails from: Benton Harbor, Michigan

Sport: Basketball

Ink coverage: Moderate-heavy, several arm tattoos, hand tattoo, full back

Among the inked words on his body are the following sayings: "Against all odds" (left forearm), "Death before dishonor" (right forearm), "No worse luck" (hand).

On his back is the X-Men villain Juggernaut with the word "Unstoppable."

15. CM Punk

Hails from: Chicago, Illinois

Sport: Pro wrestling

Ink coverage: Moderate-heavy, two full sleeves, upper chest, left hand, banner across stomach, back of neck

Regarding his Pepsi logo tattoo, he says: "No matter how many people think the Pepsi logo is stupid, it means a lot to me; it represents me being drug free."

14. Jeff Monson

Hails from: St. Paul, Minnesota

Sport: Mixed martial arts

Ink coverage: Moderate-heavy, two full sleeves, most of stomach, half of chest, partial neck, most of back

He says he has three types of tattoos: (1) meaningful ones, including his kids' names, a handprint of his kid, (2) political ones and (3) fun ones..."just because I'm pretty white and they stand out good."

13. Kevin Durant

Hails from: Washington, D.C.

Sport: Basketball

Ink coverage: Moderate-heavy, most of chest and stomach, full back

Durant's inking is a bit unusual in that it's all back- and torso-based, none on the extremities. As a result, it's easy to cover up his body art.

For a while it was even commonly believed that he had no tattoos at all.

12. Daniel Agger

Hails from: Hvidovre, Denmark

Sport: Soccer

Ink coverage: Moderate-heavy, one full sleeve, one partial sleeve, very full back, siblings' names on his chest

Across the top of his back, the following Latin proverb is inked: "Mors Certa, Hora Incerta."

It means: "Death is certain, its hour is not."

For a guide to the graves and viking countenances on his back, click here.

11. Mike Nickels

Hails from: Ocala, Florida

Sport: Mixed martial arts

Ink coverage: Moderate-heavy, two partial sleeves, full back, full chest, full neck

For a view of his frontal tattoos, click here.

10. Gilbert Arenas

Hails from: Tampa, Florida

Sport: Basketball

Ink coverage: Moderate-heavy, full chest and stomach, full back, some fingers

His full-back tattoo is a family tree and reads "Family is heaven in a heartless world."

His finger tattoos are a tribute to Barack Obama.

9. Evangelista and Cristiane Santos

Hail from: Mato Grosso, Brazil (Evangelista) and Paraná, Brazil (Cristiane)

Sport: Mixed Martial Arts

Ink coverage: Moderate-heavy (Evangelista), light-moderate (Cristiane)

Evangelista has a full sleeve, a partial sleeve, full back, partial chest, partial torso, partial neck and back of head.

Among his designs are portraits of Mike Tyson and Che Guevara. 

Cristiane has a large back tattoo, forearm tattoos and a midriff tattoo.

8. J.R. Smith

Hails from: Freehold, New Jersey

Sport: Basketball

Ink coverage: Heavy, chest, neck and arms are almost fully covered

Among his later ink acquisitions is a rainbow-colored "swish" under his chin, just at the top of his neck. 

7. Monta Ellis

Hails from: Jackson, Mississippi

Sport: Basketball

Ink coverage: Heavy

According to a USA Today article:

"

Images of his son and wife highlight a family tree that covers Ellis' chest, entire back and both arms. He's getting his parents and grandparents put on each rib cage this summer, which will fill in the only remaining spots.

"

6. Dennis Rodman

Hails from: Trenton, New Jersey

Sport: Basketball, pro wrestling

Ink coverage: Heavy, most of torso, arms and back

Rodman and his tattoos became so iconic that when an apparel company produced a T-shirt with the likenesses of Rodman's tattoos in their correct anatomical positions, the basketball star filed a court injunction.

And won.

5. Popek Rak

Hails from: Legnica, Poland

Sport: Mixed martial arts

Ink coverage: Ultra-heavy, pretty much his entire torso, arms and back

Check out his body art in this rap video.

4. David Clinger

Hails from: Los Angeles, California

Sport: Cycling

Ink coverage: Ultra-heavy, full face, large neck tattoo

Before Clinger fell out of the news, he was in the process of having the facial markings removed.

3. Chris Andersen

Hails from: Long Beach, California

Sport: Basketball

Ink coverage: Ultra-heavy, two full sleeves, full chest, full neck, full throat, full shoulders, partial hands, partial back

For a video with close-ups of the art, plus hilarious quotes from the Birdman, click here.

For his "Ink Not Mink" PETA commercial, click here.

Best quote (when asked about the blue bird tat under his neck): "That's my thunderbird, man. The King-Thundabird! When I dunk, I bring the thunda."

2. Djibril Cissé

Hails from: Arles, France

Sport: Soccer

Ink coverage: Ultra-heavy, full torso, full sleeves, large back tattoo, multiple leg tattoos, partial head

For a video of Cissé getting some new ink, click here.

1. Justin Miller

Hails from: Torrance, California

Sport: Baseball

Ink coverage: Insanely Heavy

According to the SF Weekly Blog, he's marked up fully from toe to neck, and would go higher if it wouldn't affect his career (and displease his wife).

He even has a tattoo on the inside of his lip.

Best quote regarding his tattoos: "I woke up one day and said, 'Oh crap, I've got a lot of clowns.'"