Titans' Rishard Matthews sports new tattoo honoring the Obamas
Tennessee Titans receiver Rishard Matthews arrived at training camp sporting a new tattoo: a portrait of President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, in profile, inked onto his right calf muscle.
The 27-year old, who is starting his second season with Tennessee and sixth in the NFL, has numerous tattoos, including one that honors his two young children, Zayden and Penelope.
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His portrait of the Obamas is connected to the one for his children, and it sounds like that was intentional; not only does Matthews admire the former First Couple, but he wants their example to inspire his children too.
“The first president I voted for, first black president, first black first lady,” Matthews said, via The Tennessean. “Myself being African-American, they’re obviously great role models and they let the black community and minorities, in general, know that the sky is the limit if you put your mind to it.”
The tattoo is “something that symbolizes that the world is theirs,” Matthews said of his children. “You can do anything you put your mind to.
“My kids are minorities and we need more minority role models in the upper areas in this nation and world in general, and what greater role models than the Obamas?”
Clearly, there are some who will disagree with Matthews. But it’s his body and his tattoo, and it’s personal to him; he isn’t the only African-American to be inspired by the Obamas.
Matthews, a seventh-round pick of the Dolphins out of Nevada in 2012, had a career highs in catches (65), yards (945) and touchdowns (9) last season.
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