Patriots' Draft Pick Says He'll Cover Controversial Tattoo

The Patriots' first draft of the post-Tom Brady era wasn't overly exciting. No big names, no quarterbacks — but there was some controversy.

New England selected Marshall kicker Justin Rohrwasser in the fifth round. One of Rohrwasser's many tattoos got more attention than the player himself.

Rohrwasser, who also kicked at the University of Rhode Island earlier in his college career, has a Three Percenters symbol tattooed on his arm. The Southern Poverty Law Center says the Three Percenters says the group is "anti-government." The group itself says it is not anti-government and not a militia, but exists to "to utilize the failsafes put in place by our founders to rein in an overreaching government and push back against tyranny."

Rohrwasser's other tattoos include one that says "Don't tread on me" and another reading "Liberty of death."

Rohrwasser said Saturday he is not affiliated with the Three Percenters, having got the tattoo as a kid thinking "it stood for a military support symbol."

He told reporters: "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. It is not something I ever want to represent, so it will be covered."

Rohrwasser was the first kicker taken in the draft. He will try to succeed the franchise's all-time point scorer Stephen Gostkowski, who was released.