Earlier this week, we went in-depth with the NBA player whose body is covered in emoji tattoos. Now here's the story behind NFL player Austin Pettis' decidedly righteous Mighty Ducks tattoo.
Pettis' ink burst into the mainstream consciousness on Monday Night Football this week, when just the top of his tat poked out of his jersey and ignited a wave of incredulous speculation. On Thursday, Pettis spoke with StLouisRams.com and gave the world what it wanted: An explanation.
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First, here's what prompted so much speculation on Monday night.
Does Austin Pettis have the Mighty Ducks logo tattooed on his neck cause that's dope pic.twitter.com/v5UWFxwgON— Dane Carbaugh (@danecarbaugh) October 14, 2014
And here's a better look.
WR @Austin_Pettis made headlines with his Mighty Ducks inspired tattoo. HE EXPLAINS: http://t.co/Rl3Z75Zfw8 pic.twitter.com/tPnrYUfejg— St. Louis Rams (@STLouisRams) October 16, 2014
Pettis tells the Rams website that his little sister clued him in on all the buzz after Monday's game. So why the unique ink?
"One, it's a great movie," he says with a laugh before adding: "I'm from Anaheim [where the NHL's Anaheim Ducks play]. I was born and raised. The Ducks were right down the street, so I was able to watch the Angels games, the Ducks games growing up."
And there you have it; it seems the silliest tattoos sometimes have the simplest explanations.
Anaheim's NHL team used to be called the Mighty Ducks in honor of the classic 1990s film, and used the logo tattooed on Pettis' neck. But after an ownership change, team execs changed its name to simply the Ducks in 2006. The team now uses a much blander logo.
"I know you wouldn't expect a lot of football guys to be hockey fans," Pettis says. "But I'm a sports fan, so I enjoy it."
Pettis also says his Rams teammate Kenny Britt, who is from New Jersey, has the logo of the NHL's New Jersey Devils tattooed on his own body. NHL logos tattooed on NFL players: It's a thing, apparently.
Which NFL players do you wish had NHL logo tats like Pettis? Tell us in the comments.
BONUS: 'The Mighty Ducks' Explained in 2 Minutes