One year ago men’s basketball player Jarrin Forte didn’t have any tattoos. Now he has 55.
“After I got my first tattoo I didn’t want anymore because it hurt,” Forte said, “but after I saw how it turned out, I really like it and decided I wanted some more.”
Forte said he has spent about $3,000 on his tattoos and they all mean something to him.
“The first tattoo I got was my mother’s name – Jodi – on my chest,” he said. “I got it because she is the person who means the most to me. She brought me into this world.”
Another family member Forte has tattooed on his body is his late cousin. There is portrait of him on Forte’s right shoulder and another dedicated to him on Forte’s abdomen.
“My little cousin Tonio’s nickname was Tails. So whenever I take pictures back home, me and my friends do like this (spreads his arms out to make his body form the letter t). So I got a tattoo of Bart Simpson making a “T” for Tails,” he said.
Forte said he gets a lot of different reactions to his tattoos, but most of the time people like them because they stand out. The tattoo which Forte said draws the most interest, is on his right arm.
“The tattoo on my arm is a metaphor,” he said. “It’s a whole bunch of girls stitched into one, so it’s like my perfect girl. Then on top of it, it says I love my Miss Forte.”
Forte said he has a buddy in his hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana that does all of his tattoos.
Although Forte said he would never get any tattoos on his hands or neck so he can stay “business appropriate” with a long sleeve shirt, he is in no way done getting tattoos.
“I don’t think I’ll really stop until I feel like I’m done,” he said. “As soon as I get home I want to get a tattoo that says hard work pays off and has a picture of a basketball.”
