Buccaneeers wide receiver Mike Evans was such a fan of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali that Evans “like a month ago” got a tattoo of Ali on his forearm.
Ali passed away on Friday, and like many notable athletes have done since the news of Ali’s passing broke, Evans tweeted a goodbye “to one of the greatest and most inspirational athletes of all time.” His tweet included that picture of his tattoo that you see on the right.
Evans told Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times that he would go to the library with his grandmother as a child and read up on Ali, and from that reading he went from being a fan of boxing to a student of almost everything Ali did before and after his boxing career. Evans said he’s been watching a YouTube video of Ali from Gorilla Productions before every game he’s played since college.
“All the trash-talkers in every sport, it’s because of Muhammad Ali,” Evans said. “I’m sure nobody was talking the trash he did before his time. Nobody did that. He had an impact and people don’t know it. He’s one of the best boxers of all time, and one of the most inspirational athletes, giving people motivation.”
