Writer, Director of Photography
BEFORE THE WORLD CUP, US STARTING DEFENDER TALKS TATTOOS
BY CALEN CARR | MON. JUNE 16, 2014 | 12:00 AM | CULTURE CLUB
Photography by Austin Cary Rhodes
Tonight, Team USA will begin its Brazil adventure by playing Ghana in the "Group of Death," the first game against three nations (the others being Germany and Portugal) that eliminated the Americans from previous tournaments. And while USA vs. Ghana will be a tough game to predict, we're turning the focus on a different dynamic: Starting Defender, Geoff Cameron—and his awesome, inspired tattoos.
Calen Carr recently caught up with the 28-year-old soccer star.
Here, Geoff took a rare moment to chat with me on the phone from Brazil, sharing his story of what it will mean to walk out of that tunnel, wearing not only the badge of his country, but the ink of his family crest, as well.
CALEN CARR: Do you have a favorite World Cup memory as a kid? What is it like to be there now, as a player?
GEOFF CAMERON: It would definitely be 1994, Foxborough Stadium. My dad brought me to see Argentina play against Greece. I remember watching the whole game, but being more focused on [Diego] Maradona. He was one of those players you couldn’t take your eyes off, and I remember he scored that day. It’s surreal being here in Brazil now. I remember telling my dad that I wanted to represent my country, to be in a World Cup, and to play professionally. This is a dream come true.”
You see players from every country with tattoos now, but you've taken a really personal approach. Where did you get them done? And who did the work?
I had them all done by a friend, a tattoo artist named Chris Evans who’s based in and around Boston and the Providence area in Rhode Island. I grew up in Attleboro, MA, so I've usually had the work done when I’ve been back home during breaks from playing. I started getting them in 2011, so it’s been a long process where it had to be done piece by piece because of my schedule. I wasn’t in any real rush to do it though, and made sure they were all something that have meaning behind them.
Can you talk a little bit about the detail of what they mean and what they represent to you?
On the inside of my arm is my family crest—Clan Cameron—originally of Scottish heritage. The words, “Aonaibh Ri Cheile,” are written inside the buckled circle of the crest, on the inside of my left bicep. It translates to, “Let Us Unite.” On the other side, I have St. Christopher, the patron saint of travel. The sport has taken me so many places since growing up in Attleboro—from Houston and now Europe for Stoke City—and all over the globe for the national team. The tattoo is a way to signify that journey and to keep me safe.
I don't think people know about your Scottish heritage. Is that something you've always been connected to?
Yes, but I actually recently met some of my relatives in Scotland for the first time. My dad hadn’t seen his cousin Andrew in about 20 years, and when I came over to England, they reached out to me to get the family back in touch. When we played Scotland with the US in Glasgow back in November, Andrew came and brought out his whole family. Then in April, they came to a Stoke game and I surprised them by flying my dad in last minute to be there as well. Andrew was really shocked. It was a great time.
Speaking of the number 20—when I saw you in San Francisco a few weeks ago, you had just gotten another tattoo along those lines.
Yeah, I just got the Roman numeral “XX” on my right forearm. My dad’s birthday is on the 20th and the number 20 has always been my lucky number. To have it for the national team means a lot to me.
What it is like for you to represent your family in Brazil?
Family is everything to me. There’s nothing better than to carry my family with me on my arm and on the back of my jersey. You hear it a lot, but I really wouldn’t be where I am today without the sacrifices made by my mom and dad. I have four stars tattooed on the back of my left arm to represent my mom, dad, and my two sisters, and the script under it says, “Family.” In life, there’s always ups and downs, but the one constant is the love of your family.
I know you and your dad are very close. What influence has he had on your career?
He’s made me the person I am; my whole family has. On my left shoulder, I have a cross and a rosary, and under it I have the words, “Discipline, Dedication, Desire.” These are words my dad would tell me when I was growing up. To accomplish anything in life, you need to have discipline to do the right thing. And the desire part comes from your heart; it’s what you dream about at night.
Calen Carr is an eight-year MLS veteran for Chicago Fire and Houston Dynamo. For daily World Cup 2014 coverage, follow his Instagram project fiftyTofourteen.