Maxx Crosby got his first tattoo when he was 17 and underage. He used someone else’s ID to write his last name and year of birth in permanent ink, starting with his right hand.
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Now, at 27, Crosby has his full right hand covered, his torso too, as well as his neck. His right hand might appear colorless from a distance, but the upper part is filled with ink too. Over time, he plans to cover it with more tattoos, as well as his back.
“I love my tattoos, it’s part of who I am,” Crosby told GQ in an interview last year.
The most detailed part of Crosby’s tattoo collection is on his torso. Michael Jordan is there, shooting hoops, Kobe Bryant is there too, portrayed in an aggressive pose. There is also Muhammad Ali, celebrating his knockout of Sonny Liston.
These Big Three are Crosby’s “certain inspirations.” He has looked up to the trio for a long time and has learned a great deal from them. Handling interviews and navigating the path of life as an athlete is something only another athlete can truly teach. Crosby had these three as his mentors for such lessons.
“Those are the guys I look up to in a lot of different ways, and so, I wanted to get them on. Obviously a tribute to them and on the mental side of the game, I’ve learned the most from those three.”
The right top of his torso, however, has a larger portrait of his daughter, Ella Rose. “I got her right on my chest. She’s number one for obvious reasons,” Crosby said.
There are also a few roses scattered throughout, an obvious tribute to his daughter Ella and wife Rachel Rose. Nevertheless, it turns out that these tattoos took over 13 hours to complete.
It took five people to tattoo Crosby’s torso
True to the tattoo on his chest that reads — Be Legendary — Crosby has embodied this philosophy in his life. The star defensive end understood that covering his entire torso with permanent ink would take a lot of time, effort, and come with considerable pain. But he was ready for the challenge.
He got in touch with Andres Ortega of Onder Ink (based in Phoenix) to get the job down. It took a total of five people and thirteen hours to complete the inking. Crosby had them at his house for this entire session.
“I met this dude named Ortega in Arizona. And I’d seen him do CeeDee Lamb and a couple other NFL guys. And NBA guys. He ended up coming to the house. They have a whole team, like five people. I did two sessions in a row. It was like 13 hours.”
Ortega’s reputation precedes him, as Crosby’s torso tattoos are quite remarkable and detailed. Aside from these, Crosby has his Raiders logo on his right arm. He got that after being drafted.
He also has a ‘Mad Max’ tattoo, a nod to his iconic nickname. The three-time Pro Bowler has another quote, “Turn pain into power,” inked, which he chose because he is a recovering addict from alcohol and drugs.
