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Atlanta Silverbacks Defender Rauwshan McKenzie's Tattoos All Have A Personal Touch

Rauwshan McKenzie connects with his family and more with his tattoos, as well as marking the cities he has played with an Atlanta tattoo up next on the docket
Corey Langley (@coreylangley3} | May 25, 2015

Atlanta Silverbacks central defender Rauwshan McKenzie pays homage to his life's major events through the ink on his skin. 

“To me, it just kind of tells the story of what I’ve been through and what I’ve done in my life,” McKenzie said. “Also, it’s fun art work. I like to put a little bit of ink on my body, and it looks great. My girlfriend loves it.” 

McKenzie’s initial tattoos came a while back. His original piece was a way of reminding him to maintain his faith. McKenzie has played throughout the United States – with stops at Michigan State, Real Salt Lake, Portland Timbers, Chivas USA, and Kansas City – seeing everything the country has to offer. When moving around so much, faith can be tested. 

“It was my first tattoo,” McKenzie said. “It’s just a cross. It’s something simple. I like to say I’m a little religious. I don’t go to church every day, but I like to keep up. We do the Bible Study with the team weekly, so it’s just something that is a reminder.”

His other tattoos are based in the relationships he's formed with teammates or the cities he's called home.

“Yeah, a lot of the guys that I’ve played with are really into tattoos. So a couple of the places I’ve been to, some of the other guys have gone too,” McKenzie stated. “Some of the other places, I just did my research and tried to find a good artist and a good tattoo shop. And I went from there. I try to get a meaning tied to all the teams I've played with and the cities I've lived in.

“One of my favorites – and one of my most recent tattoos – was in Portland. It’s my daughter’s name. She’s a newborn, she’s about four months now. So I got this right when she was born. It was also in Portland when I was playing there.”

Family is another anchor in McKenzie's life.

 “I have some script of all my family members and their birthdays in Roman numerals, so I can keep them close to me wherever I go,” McKenzie said. “Because I travel a lot. I’ve played in different places all over the country, so I like to keep them close.”

People aren't the only inspirations for his ink. His experiences playing college soccer and the city he was born in are memorialized as well. 

“So this one I got when I went to Michigan State University,” McKenzie said. “It’s a Spartan Warrior.”

“My most recent one is of the Chicago skyline. I’m from Chicago. So it has the skyline and underneath is the reflection off of Lake Michigan. Then I’ve got some clouds and some script.”

While McKenzie has tattoos from most of the places he has played, he has yet to get one in Atlanta. That doesn’t mean it isn’t on his to-do list. 

“I would like to cover my whole upper half of my body,” he said. “I still want to try and do my back, finish my arms, and then go to the chest.

“I’m still looking for a good spot so, if any of the fans out there have a good spot to recommend or someone wants to come forward and say ‘Hey, come get a tattoo!’ I’m looking for a place.”

McKenzie’s journey isn’t over. In fact, it probably isn’t even close. But when it’s all said and done, he’ll be able to look down upon himself with gratitude for the people and places that have helped him get so far in one of the toughest soccer landscapes. They’ve pushed him from the beginning, and he has and will continue to give all he has for them. He could never forget. 

Tattoos are just a beautiful way to cherish the memories.

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