A goalkeeper for American club Colorado Rapids and the United States National Team- Timothy Matthew Tim Howard is an American soccer player. Tim has a heavily tattooed body. He was an unaccustomed provisional for the 2006 World Cup but later entrenched himself hard as the first-choice keeper of the United States’ international tournament games which kick-started with the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, in which the U.S. concluded as runner-up against Brazil. Tim Howard latched on at both the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, beginning in all their matches. This guy has a tattoo monstrosity too. Let us find about his body inks below.
1. Portraits on Thigh
Tattoo: On his left thigh, Tim has got few portraits tattooed. Tim revealed that the portraits are of the people who are close to him and have been an important part of his life at one point or another. But, he never took the names of the persons whose portraits are these actually.
2. ‘Tiger Head Dagger’ Tattoo
Tattoo: On his right leg, there is a dagger with a roaring tiger’s face on the top and s snake wrapped around the dagger.
Meaning: Tiger head dagger is a traditional tattoo that combines the elements of the symbolism of the tiger, dagger, and snake. Dagger is the symbol of betrayal, bravery, protection, and danger. Whereas the tiger is the symbol of strength and power followed by a snake which is the symbol of power, rebirth, and transformation. The tattoo on Tim’s leg represents his free-spirited nature and independence.
3. Roman Numerals Tattoo
Tattoo: Across his chest, Tim has got few roman numerals inked as, ‘MLXXIX MMVII MMV’.
Meaning: The Roman numerals in his tattoo stand for ‘1079 2007 2005’.
4. Shoulder Tattoo
5. Skull Tattoo
Tattoo: There is a skull inked on the inner side of Tim’s right bicep.
Meaning: Skull is the symbol of evil and death. However, they also stand for the positive aspects of
6. Spider Web Tattoo
Tattoo: A huge spider web is inked on Tim’s right knee cap.
Meaning: Spider Web tattoo is the symbol of destiny and mortality. As per Christian beliefs, the spider web usually represents the devil who is entangled in a manner similar to the way a spider captures its prey in its web. The tattoo is the symbol of good luck and good fortune/wealth.
7. Thigh Tattoo
8. Star Tattoo
Tattoo: There is a nautical star inked near Tim’s left shoulder.
Meaning: A five-pointed star is the symbol of direction and guidance. It is believed to be the token of leading the wearer towards the right path and helping him lead his life in an effective way.
9. ‘Lyrics’ Tattoo
Tattoo: On the left side of his lower abdomen, there are few lines inked as ‘I’ll love you till China and Africa meet And the river jumps over the mountain And the salmon sing in the street’. The lines are taken from the popular song by W. H. Auden
10. ‘The Crucifix Heart’ Tattoo
Tattoo: There is a heart and a cross inked on his inner left thigh.
Meaning: The tattoo is known as The Crucifix. It is a combination of a heart and across. It is the symbol of love, spirituality, and a tribute to someone close who is no more alive.
11. ‘STAY HUMBLE’ Tattoo
Tattoo: On the upper right thigh, Tim has a tattoo that has words tattooed on either side of the design that says, ‘STAY HUMBLE’.
12. Thigh Tattoos
Tattoo: On his inner right thigh, there are multiple figures inked in different positions.
13. ‘What is past is past’ Tattoo
Tattoo: On his left collar bone, Tim has a tattoo that contains lines as ‘What is past is past’.
Meaning: The tattoo stands for the fact that ‘whatever happened in our past holds no relevance now, we should let it go and focus on our present’
14. ‘illmatic’ Tattoo
Tattoo: On his left thigh, Tim got the tattoo of the word, ‘illmatic’.
Meaning: Illmatic is the name of a famous debut studio album that was released by the American rapper, NAS on April 19, 1994. Tim is a huge fan of NAS and this is his second tattoo beside the signature tattoo of NAS which Tim has got on his hand.
15. Bicep Writing
Tattoo: On his left bicep, Tim has another writing tattoo that can be read as ‘Tis grace has brought me safe thus far. And grace will lead me home.’ These are the lines from the Christian Hymn “Amazing Grace”, published in 1779,
16. ’36’ Tattoo
17. ‘1979’ Tattoo
Tattoo: On his neck, time ha got the year 1979 inked.
Meaning: 1979 reflects Tim’s birthyear since he was born on 6 March 1979
18. Bicep Tattoo
Tattoo: There is a blue and black colored mermaid tattooed near Tim’s right wrist.
Meaning: A mermaid tattoo has multiple meanings. It stands for the overall b eauty and the very creation of they woman itself. Also, it symbolsies re-birth and new beginnings.
19. Burning Candle and Cross Tattoo
Tattoo: There is a burning candle inked on Tim’s right inner arm along with a cross tatto inked on its background.
Meaning: Candle is the symbol of spirituality and religion. The burning candle represents the good over evil and light over darkness. It usually is a common tattoo among Christians since candle is always burning in the church and is highly symbolic of their spiritual beliefs. It symbolsies the light in our life which carries the light and honor to lighten up our dark phases and moments of life.
20. ‘Butterfly’ Tattoo
Tattoo: There is a big butterfly inked on the center of Tim’s neck.
Meaning: Butterfly is symbolic of fresh beginnings, freedom, change, and beauty of life.
21. ‘Eagle and Butterfly’ tattoo
Tattoo: There is a colorful phoenix tattoo on Tim’s right forearm. Also, there is a tiny butterfly inked near his left wrist.
Meaning: A phoenix is the symbol of birth, rebirth, strength, and renewal. The whole idea of getting a phoenix inked is to showcase the importance of re-birth just like this mythical bird is born from the ashes of the flames of death. The tattoo reflects the courageous attitude of crossing over the darkest phases of life.
22. Inner Thigh Tattoos
Tattoo: There is a couple inked on the inner side of Tim’s right thigh.
23. Cross Tattoo
Tattoo: There is a big cross inked on Tim’s ;eft bicep.
Meaning: CROSS is the symbol of Christian beliefs and faith. It tells us that Tim is a Christian and holds great faith in Jesus Christ and his blessings. Also, cross itself is the symbol of unconditional love and sacrifice, just like Jesus Christ sacrificed his life for sake of humanity.
24. ‘Crown’ Tattoo
Tattoo: There is a tiny crown inked near Tim’s right ankle.
Meaning: Crown is one such tattoo design which reflects the powerful personality and stern attitude of the wearer. Also, it can meanvictory, self-control, and strength.
25. Elbow Tattoo
26. Angel Tattoo
Tattoo: There is a fairy inked on the inner side of Tim’s right leg.
Meaning: Fairy is symbolic of the beauty of the feminine creation of this universe i.e ‘The women’. Also, they are believed to be the tokens of good luck.
27. ‘Virgin Mary’ Tattoo
Tattoo: There is a tattoo of Virgin Mary along with a portrait of a small boy who is seen standing close to her feet.
Meaning: Virgin Mary is the symbol of unconditional love and hope which the wearer yearns to receive in the hard times of life. It also shows the wearer’s willingness to receive motherly love just like that of Virgin Mary. She is believed to be the perfect symbol of the mother and the source of guidance.
28. Flower on Knee
Tattoo: There is a tribal flower inked on Tim’s left knee cap.
29. Flowers Tattoo
Tattoo: There are few flowers that can be seen on Tim’s right inner arm.
Meaning: Flowers are the symbol of fresh beginnings in life.
30. ‘Flying Birds’ Tattoo
Tattoo: There are three flying birds inked on the Tim’s right shoulder blade.
Meaning: Flying birds are the symbol of coordination, love, freedom, and independence. Also, they can mean to represent the important people of your life. This tattoo shows that nothing is permanent in our lives.
31. Flying doves Tattoo
Tattoo: A pair of flying doves is inked on Tim’s shoulder, one on each side.
Meaning: Flying doves represent the closes bonds of one’s life. It can be the relation with your partner or with your parents. They can also symbolise faith, hope, peace, and innocence.
32. ‘Flying Dove’ Tattoo
Tattoo: There is a flying DOVE BIRD inked on Tim’s waistline.
Meaning: Flying dove bird is the symbol of victory and the fresh beginnings in life.
33. Grandfather’s Portrait
Tattoo: On his left forearm, Tim has got the portrait of his grandfather inked. The portrait shows his grand-dad from his young times. As per Tim, the portrait reflects him from the times when his grandfather was in Hungarian army in 1950.
He got this tattoo from Aurora Studio in Lancaster. Co-owner Sam Wisniewski explicitly says, “He brought in some photographs to work from.
34. ‘HONOUR’ Tattoo
Tattoo: On the corner of his left hand, we can see the word, ‘HONOUR’ inked.
35. ‘Jacob’ Tattoo
Tattoo: His right pec contains the tattoo of his son’s name as, ‘Jacob’. Also, underneath the name there are words inked as, ‘precious son’. This tattoo is Tim’s dedication of his love for his son, Jacob Howard. He has always talked about how deeply he is connected to his family. Below the name are few lines dedicated to his son.
36. Japanese Themed Leg
Tattoo: Tim’s left leg is completely covered with the tattoos which signify the relevance of the Japanese culture and beliefs.
In an interview he said that, his left leg carries flowers, and designs from the Japanese art and culture.
37. Jesus Christ Tattoo
Tattoo: On the inner side of his left bicep, Tim has got the portrait of Jesus Christ tattooed.
Meaning: The tattoo of Jesus Christ is the symbol that Tim is a Christian and holds strong Christian beliefs and faith.
38. Portrait on Thigh
Tattoo: Exactly on the front of his left thigh, Tim has got the portrait of John. F. Kennedy tattooed. John Fitzgerald Kennedy, is often referred to by his initials JFK. He was a famous American Politician who had served the nation as the35th president of the United States from 1961 till the time he was assassinated in his office. The portrait is from the times when he was nearly 40 years of age.
39. Magnet tattoo
40. Mother’s Portrait
Tattoo: Tim has got the portrait of a baby girl inked on his left forearm. As per his claims, this tattoo is of his mother, when she was four years old.
41. ‘NAS’ Tattoo
Tattoo: On his right hand, there is a word tattoo that says, ‘Nas’.
Meaning: The tattoo is the signature of Tim’s favorite American rapper, NAS.
“I was like, ‘Yo, this might be a little weird, but if you sign my hand I would love to get it tattooed,’” he continues. “So he signs my hand. It’s midnight, I’m calling all over Denver trying to find one of my tattoo artists but no one is open. So I had to sleep with my hand off the bed to make sure it wouldn’t smudge. So that’s my favorite. For sure. Easily.”
“I’m a product of the golden era of hip-hop and Nas is the greatest MC of all time,” Howard says. “I’m not a ‘wanna meet you’ type of person, but I had to meet Nas. I pulled out all the stops, talked to a bunch of friends, and I ended up going backstage and meeting him.”
42. Neck Tattoo
Tattoo: Right below the year tattoo, there is a short form written which actually represents the time when Tim was born.
43. ‘unis par C’amour’ Writing
Tattoo: Under his butterfly tattoo there is a french writing that says, ‘unis par C’amour‘.
Meaning: The phase stands for ‘united by love’ when translated into english.
44. ‘NSNO 1878’ Tattoo
Tattoo: On his right thigh, Tim has got the acroynm inked as, ‘NSNO 1878‘.
Meaning: NSNO is the acroynm for Nil Satis Nisi Optimum, a Latin phrase which stands for “nothing but the best will do”, when translated into english.
45. ‘Olympic Rings’ Tattoo
Tattoo: Tim has got the tattoo of Olpympic Rings inked on his left shoulder.
46. Pair of Swallows Tattoo
Tattoo: There is a pair of swallows inked on the left side of Tim’s stomach. The birds are seen facing each other.
Meaning: The pair of swallows symbolise the love, deep bond, and loyalty among family members. It is the reflection of the purest relation in this universe i.e. ‘The Family’. Also, swallows can symbolise the victoru or the ability to achieve victory in life by overcoming darker phases of life.
47. Portrait on Arm
48. Portraits of Children Tattoo
Tattoo: On his left pec, Tim has got the portraits of his children inked. There is a face of a girl and boy which, represents his children-his daughter, Alivia, and his son, Jacob.
49. Superman Tattoo
Tattoo: There is a logo of superman tattooed on Tim’s right bicep.
Meaning: Superman tattoo is one of the oldest pieces which Tim has. It was in 1996 when he got it inked that too by using his brother’s fake id. The Superman tattoo is the symbol of strength, endurance, honor, stableness, and brute force. Tim got this as his first body tattoo because he thought it was cool to have this one!
“I was 16 years old and I went down to this place in Jersey with my brother’s fake ID,” Howard laughs. “It was 1996 and I think Superman was a thing. I think Shaquille O’Neal had a Superman, so I was like, ‘I’m gonna get a Superman.’ It wasn’t the smartest idea, but I was cool the next day in school. At least I thought I was cool, everybody else probably thought I was an idiot (laughs).”
Below you can find few pictures of inked Tim Howard:
