Sophomore forward Cotie McMahon (32) Credit: Caleb Blake | Photo Editor

Several Ohio State athletes walk around with hearts on their sleeves. And legs. And chests or any other empty space they find on their bodies.

For many athletes, the decision to permanently tattoo art on their skin is more than skin-deep and represents their personalities, admirations, goals and religious views.   

Sophomore forward and 2023 Big Ten Freshman of the Year Cotie McMahon is known for her fierce competitiveness on the basketball court, but the tattoos on her body represent a much deeper story.

McMahon has an aspen tree on her right leg for her younger sister who passed away. Originally, though, the tattoo didn’t come out exactly as she’d hoped, leading her to get it covered up with a tiger. The sleeve on her arm was filled with her family’s birth flowers. 

“In the beginning, God created all mighty animals. The tiger fits me perfectly as far as my personality and how I play on the court,” McMahon said. “I started off with my mom’s flower, and I wanted a sleeve, so I just got my whole family because of how much they mean to me.”

Football graduate tight end Gee Scott Jr. is intricately tattooed nearly from head to toe. His back, arm and leg tattoos cover his faith, his hometown and family legacy, and pay tribute to Black civil rights.   

But it is one small picture that means the most to him. 

On game days, Scott’s taped-up wrist carries a football, but off the field and under the tape he carries two words and a symbol worth more than the world to him. 

Scott’s mother, Tara Scott Eckman, died from cardiac arrest due to complications with her Parkinson’s Disease in 2021. He pays tribute to his mom on his right hand with a tattoo that says “Mommy’s Soldier” accompanied by a cross on the opposite end. 

“She was a very, very strong woman,” Scott said. “She favored her kids heavily — that was one of the most important things to her.”

Scott said he’s connected to his mother through the tattoo as she had three of her own on her back for her three sons and the word she thought represented them. Scott’s younger brother was “angel,” his older brother “protector” and he was “soldier.”

“I just always remember in times of discouragement I’m able to look down at my wrist and just know she saw me as her little soldier,” Scott said. “So I — I keep going.”

Scott reflected on how everyone inked on his body from Jesus Christ, Malcolm X and his mom, are all people who have made an impact on his life.

“I’m just very appreciative and am paying tribute to all their lives,” Scott said.

Cade Stover, an Ohio State senior tight end, also honors family on his wrist with a theme of patriotism from there up to his chest. 

A bald eagle can be found etched on Stover’s forearm to his wrist, representing the bird’s qualities that he sees within himself — strong, tough and a maverick — he said. The bald eagle carries an ax with his mother and sister’s names written on it as a symbol of protection. 

Further up Stover’s arm is one of the Black Angus cattle he raised on Stover Farm, owned by his family.

“There was a picture of a bull that we raised from a calf that was real cool outside,” Stover said. “We took a picture when he would exhale and a bunch of steam came out. It’s a beautiful picture.” 

The smoke coming out of the bull forms an American flag, flowing into the top of a smokestack on a tractor in front of a punisher symbol, all sitting on his last name over his chest — commemorating his patriotic appreciation and where he’s from. 

“You won’t find someone that loves America more than me,” Stover said. “It’s kind of a patriotic theme, that’s what I’m going for.” 

Devin Royal, a freshman on the men’s basketball team, had a sleeve from his thigh to his ankle, displaying his beliefs.

It begins with the religious saying, “Speak no evil, see no evil, hear no evil” in a bed of clouds and crosses. The tattoo continues up his leg, with his birth year on his kneecap, followed by a boy looking up to a spotlight on a basketball with the Columbus skyline in the back.

The words, “If you do not believe in yourself, no one will do it for you,” lay above his jersey number and beside his initials.

“You see my faith, which I really like,” Royal said. “It really just speaks to me.”