Tale of My Tattoo

SHAWNE MERRIMAN
Chargers LB

Merriman was nicknamed Lights Out after knocking out four players while in high school in Maryland. When he delivers a big hit, he pretends to flip the switch on his right forearm. "I always thought of myself as an entertainer," he says. "If you don't love hitting people -- you don't love football."

CHRIS JOHNSON
Rams CB

In March 2003 Johnson, an unheralded player at Louisville, ran the 40 for NFL scouts. He clocked in at 4.18, said to be the best time in the U.S., and the Packers took him in the seventh round. "I'm proud of it," says Johnson, who has 22 tackles. "It will stick with me the rest of my life."

TIM JOHNSON
Raiders LB

Now 27, Johnson got this tattoo on his right biceps nine years ago -- with his mom. "She was going to get one, and I went with her," says Johnson, who's from Fairfield, Ala. "After the tattoo artist got through with the dog, I said, 'Let's put T-DOG on top of that because I'm a little dog.' It's the only tattoo I ever got."

Photographs by Mike Nowak, Bill Stover and Tony Gonzales

Issue date: December 12, 2005