DENVER (KDVR) — Colorado native and military member Kyle Johnson decided on a whim to attend Broncos training camp Monday and left with something more permanent than memories.
“I’ve always loved Russell Wilson and I’m a diehard Broncos fan but he just seems like such a good guy,” Johnson said.
Johnson is home in Colorado for just two weeks after spending five months in Poland with the Army. He has to return to base but before he does, he’s leaving his home state with some fresh ink.
“I’m going to try and get his (Wilson’s) signature on my leg and get it tattooed. That would be so cool,” Johnson said.
Sure enough, Johnson and his friends brought a sign to training camp asking Wilson to sign his leg. He said he yelled out to the team leader that he would get his signature tattooed. He said Wilson then walked over and started signing his thigh.
“He grabbed my leg. He took his time and did really nice with it,” Johnson said.
The tattoo has the signature Russ with the number 3. It also has a bible verse Johnson said Russell usually includes in his signature.
“It’s a verse I’m pretty familiar with. It says I shall fall and He shall rise, which is cool for a guy of his status,” Johnson said.
Right after Wilson signed in black sharpie, he jumped in the car with the AC blasting to keep it from smudging and drove to a tattoo shop in Longmont, Johnson said.
“I didn’t think I would even get to see him, there were so many people there. But he gave me knuckles and I felt like we were friends after that. It was so cool,” Johnson said.
But before he left Johson said Wilson fist bumped him and asked him to send a picture of the tattoo when it was done.
“Thank you for signing my leg. I will get you that pic you asked for,” Johnson said.
And now Denver’s new quarterback isn’t the only one to check out Johnson’s permanent memory.