Usually a kicker being drafted into the NFL is not news, but New Patriots kicker Justin Rohrwasser has been with the team for less than 24 hours and has already caused a ton of controversy.
Rohrwasser, who played at Rhode Island and Marshall, was taken 159th overall in the fifth round of the draft Saturday and caused a wave of criticism when folks noticed he sported a Three Percenters tattoo. He stated he got the tattoo as a teen because he has a lot of family members in the military.
“Obviously, it evolved into something that I do not want to represent and when I look back at it, I should have done way more research before I put any mark or symbol on my body,” Rohrwasser tells USA Today. “It is not something I ever want to represent, so it will be covered.”
On its website, the right-wing Three Percenters group says it isn’t an anti-government militia but “we will defend ourselves when necessary.”
Former ESPN analyst Jemele Hill, who recently criticized Patriots owner Robert Kraft for supporting Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, labeled Rohrwasser as a “white supremacist” in a tweet on Sunday.
The former ESPN host referred to Donald Trump as the same term a few years ago.
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ESPN released an official statement about Hill’s comments regarding Trump: “The comments on Twitter from Jemele Hill regarding the president do not represent the position of ESPN. We have addressed this with Jemele and she recognizes her actions were inappropriate.”
She has since left the company, receiving millions in a buyout.
