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Ray: Ready?
(shouts)
(upbeat music)
Ray Rice.
Superbowl champion, 8 tattoos and counting.
(upbeat music)
My tattoos are our life story.
(upbeat music)
Every tattoo has a different meaning to it
and I think getting this new tattoo of my daughter
probably the most special one that I'm going to get
with my daughter's footprint on it and initials and date of birth.
Give daddy a kiss.
I'm talking about the most precious thing in the world to me is my daughter.
My ribcage might be on fire
but it will be closer to my heart knowing that she's there.
(upbeat music)
I always felt like I want to put something on my body
that was going to remind me of my life.
My first tattoo said only God understand.
I've got my mom's name going down the cross.
I just felt like only God can understand the relationship
we have between me and mom.
Janet: My relationship with Ray I would definitely say it's a best friend.
We cry together, we laugh together.
There's nothing that he cannot tell me.
Ray: My father was killed.
Somebody shot him in the back of the head.
So, it was like I had to be a man at about 12, 13 years old.
Janet: He always thought about me and helping me provide at that time
because he knew there was no father figure.
(slow music)
Mike Shaun was my oldest cousin.
His nickname was SUPE meaning spiritually uplifting people everywhere.
I look up to him for everything.
His dream was cut short when a drunk driver had an accident.
That was a very pivotal time in my life right there
because he was the one person I looked up to was gone.
I was at a point in my life where I didn't know whether to start.
Lashing out, I didn't know whether to continue to play sports
but that was one of the moments where
it definitely could have went really sour from there.
Janet: He chose to go right.
(upbeat music)
Ray: In terms of tattoos, I remember hearing the old saying
that once you get 1, you're going to end up want to get 2.
That's definitely a true saying.
I'm about to get the 914 one at the same time.
Woman in black: There's no way you're going to get 2 tattoos at once.
Ray: If I lay like this I can do it.
Joe: You're like the crucifix.
(laughing)
I still represent the 914 area code.
I grew up in projects in New Rochelle, New York.
(upbeat music)
My phone number still does start with 914.
My mom works in my old middle school Isaac Young.
She works with special needs kids.
(upbeat music)
Janet: This is it.
This is projects where he grew up.
They put up Ray's name on the basketball court
Here to let you know that dreams become a reality.
Ray: We had much but we made the best of our situation and look at us now.
(upbeat music)
Joe: They do 2 at once.
Most folks they can't tolerate that level of tattooing.
It really test your metal as a man.
Ray: I've always had HPT, high pain tolerance.
(drilling)
(upbeat music)
You got to work for anything you want for life.
Nobody has to tell me that it's time to get focused.
(upbeat music)
First time touching a football I was 7 years old.
It was a mandatory situation.
You had to play football and basketball if you were a Rice boy growing up.
Janet: Even as a child, watching how much he put into it,
I knew that he was going to be a special player.
(upbeat music)
Ray: Just to have one Superbowl put you in a pretty special category.
People don't even acknowledge me as pro ball running back
and I'll do a Superbowl champion.
That's a pretty special honor.
(upbeat music)
Joe: I'm a Baltimore native and my family is, they're all big Ravens fans.
I'm waiting for him to run across the goal line
and flex that Superbowl champ tattoo.
That's going to be something special.
I hope I'm sitting down next to my dad when that happens.
Ray: I met some great people along the way in Baltimore
and we all got a story and that's what bonded all of us together.
I had to fill part of the city, man.
I want to be a Raven for the rest of my career.
(upbeat music)
It's done?
(upbeat music)
I want to be able to look at my tattoos
and realize that my life is definitely a blessing.
(upbeat music)
I've been through a lot in my life.
I'm just telling the story on my arms a bit.
Sometimes it's vocals, sometimes it's visual.
(upbeat music)
(drumming)