Johni Broome Is One of Auburn's Biggest Stars, but What's up With His Tattoo?

This year's NCAA tournament has lived up to the hype, even though there have been remarkably few upsets. The Final Four is, in fact, just the No. 1 seeds from reach region of the bracket, and given that result, many wanted to know more about each of the teams that are still left in the tournament.

Auburn is one of those teams, and its biggest star is almost undoubtedly Johni Broome. Following his standout performance in the team's game against Michigan State in the Elite 8, many are wondering about the "loser" tattoo behind his right ear. Here's what we know about it.

One of Johni's most prominent tattoos, especially if you see his head, is a tattoo that says "loser" behind is right ear. The tattoo might seem confusing, especially for an athlete who prizes winning above all else. Johni has never fully explained the meaning behind the tattoo, but if you look closely at it, you'll notice that the "s" in loser has been written over in a different color with a "v" so that the tattoo actually says "lover."

What the tattoo seems to be communicating, then, is that there might be people who tell Johni he's a loser (they might even say it in his ear, which could explain the tattoo's placement). Johni's tattoo seems to be a suggestion that he is not a loser but a lover, as if he is trying to preemptively contradict those who might claim that he isn't a winner. That way, he never has to say it out loud.

Johni has long been a polarizing figure among fans of college basketball, but he had a hero's moment during the team's game against Michigan State. He had to leave with 10 minutes left in the second quarter of their Elite Eight game after suffering an injury to his arm, and it was unclear whether he would be back. When he was cleared by doctors and returned to the court with five minutes left, fans rejoiced.

"When Johni came out of the locker room, I hadn't talked to the doctor, but I just asked him, are you good to go? He said, 'I am.' I said, 'well, get your a-- in there,'" head coach Bruce Pearl explained. "Dylan was ready to come out. Dylan was kind of calling the bench. If Johni had not come out, I probably would have just called a timeout."

In spite of his injury, Johni seems like he will be ready for the team's Final Four matchup next weekend. For now, though, he's basking in the glory of helping to carry his team this far in the tournament, happy in the knowledge that there are only two more games to go in the tournament. Johni's got one more weekend to show more heroics before his season with Auburn is at an end.