Mason Randolph: A Life's Journey Told Through Tattoos
Senior offensive lineman Mason Randolph is entering the final stretch of his Boise State career. But his body art tells his life's story up to this point.
Chris Kutz
Mason Randolph is a big believer in symbolism. So much so, he wears it on his sleeve.
Literally.
Randolph, a redshirt senior offensive lineman for Boise State, has played in 36 career games as a Bronco. Each one has its own story, but Randolph - who arrived in Boise as an 18-year-old in 2021 with only one tattoo - has chosen to tell his story on his body through art.
“He’s got all these tattoos now. I remember him as a freshman, and he would hang out in his dorm room and play video games,” said Matt Lauter, Randolph’s teammate and friend. “He was an introvert. And he still is, but he’s able to open up more. He started to be himself when he got those tattoos and really expressing who he is and who he wants to be.”
From the very first tattoo on his left quad that says “Simple Man” to the payout on a bet with Heisman finalist and record-breaker Ashton Jeanty, here is what each of his tattoos symbolize in his life’s journey.
The First, The Foundation
“Simple Man” reads the script across Randolph’s left quad, his first tattoo and ink when he was in high school.
“I’m a pretty simple dude,” said Randolph. “What I like, what I don’t like. I think it’s fitting.”
The tattoo was not an impulse addition to his body. It is more meaningful.
His father got the exact same tattoo in the exact same spot. It established the template for everything that would follow.
“The reason I like tattoos so much goes back to my dad,” Randolph said. “My dad is covered in tattoos - both of his arms, legs. He’s got some stuff on his ribs. Growing up, seeing that stuff, I was always like, ‘Oh, I need to get some of those.’”
His father’s body tells its own story, including with his two sons. He has tattoos of baby portraits of Mason and his brother on his arm. He also has a breast cancer symbol for Mason’s aunt, Jennifer, who passed away from the disease; a rose on his ribs for Mason’s grandmother; a cartoon for Mason’s great grandmother; and a water tower from the town of Placentia, Calif. where he grew up.
“He’s proud of who he knows and what he wants to represent,” Randolph said of his father. “He wants to wake up every day and see a reminder of somebody that’s going to be with him for the rest of his life.”
That matching tattoo with his father established the template: ink with intention. Meaning. Symbolism. Something more than only art.
But Randolph’s next choice would prove he was ready to honor the men who helped him shape him when he needed it most.
Finding His Voice - High School Coaches
Wrapped around Randolph’s right arm in bold script is a modified saying: “As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I’ll fear no evil because I’m the baddest (actual word removed) in the valley.”
It wasn’t scripture that inspired the tattoo. It was football.
“That was a saying that me and my high school offensive line coaches would say,” Randolph explained. “Our whole line, before every single game, would get in a huddle, and it was just a saying, where we were like, ‘All right, it’s time to go.’”
The coaches included Gary Bowers and Michael Cardona, former Boise State teammate Nathan Cardona’s father. The two men became crucial figures during Randolph’s challenges in high school.
“I wasn’t in a good spot in high school,” Randolph admitted. “So, having those two individuals kind of having my back and guiding me in the right direction was something that I’ll forever remember and be grateful for. This is what I want them to be remembered by, and something that I want to live by because it’s all in your brain. You can be the baddest one out there. It’s just you limiting yourself.”
With his foundation set in family and mentorship, Randolph began to explore. Like any young artist finding his voice and style, he went through what he now calls his “thought it looked cool” phase.
Artistic Exploration - Greek Mythology
Cerberus - the three-headed dog from Greek mythology - is sprawled across Randolph’s skin on his right arm and alongside Zeus. The tattoos represent something for any young person: it aesthetically looks good to them.
“No real crazy explanations behind them,” Randolph said with a laugh. “I thought they looked cool. They’re good blenders for tattoos, like making it look good, a flowing scene.”
The Greek mythology did have a purpose. It taught him composition, how individual pieces work together to create something larger.
But experimentation has its limits. As Randolph matured, he began to be a little more intentional with his ink. His next tattoos returned to what mattered most: the people who shaped him.
Family Connections
On Randolph’s right hand, a hummingbird spreads its wings in tribute to his grandmother on his father’s side. The placement drew some family criticism, but the symbolism was perfect.
“She was really big in my life growing up as a kid,” said Randolph. “We would always spend a lot of time at her house and she had a nice backyard. A lot of plants and stuff like that. Hummingbirds would always come and nest in her backyard. So that’s what I correlate with her.”
His grandmother appreciated the sentiment, but not the location.
“She gave me a little fire for the placement,” Randolph laughed. “I was like, “All right, all right. It’s a new age.’”
He later added an owl, which represents his mother, who sees the birds as spiritual messengers.
“She always says whenever she drives around, she sees owls,” Randolph explained. “She’ll tell me, ‘Oh, I saw an owl, like somebody’s watching over me.’”
Honoring family and mentors felt natural, Randolph’s next piece of art would capture something broader: the landscape that had always felt like a second home growing up.
Finding Home
Randolph’s right arm also tells the story of the American West: a cowboy on horseback guiding a stampede through Arizona desert and mountains, the sun blazing from his elbow, clouds drifting across the sky.
His family would vacation in Lake Havasu, Arizona, and Randolph has fond memories of the place. But the Arizona desert and its natural landmarks stood out to him.
“It’s truly one of my favorite places out there,” said Randolph. “It’s beautiful, always a great time.”
But there’s deeper symbolism in the horses.
“All the way from elementary school until high school, every single one of my school mascots was a horse, and now I’m a Bronco as well. For whatever reason, it’s followed me.”
Arizona represented the places that shaped him, but Boise State would introduce him to the person who became his best friend.
Brotherhood - Friendship with Ahmed Hassanein
The Arabic script flowing down the inside of Randolph’s right arm translates to English as “a dream without a plan is called an illusion.” The tattoo represents philosophy, and a friendship that transcends cultures.
Former Boise State EDGE rusher and current Detroit Lion, Ahmed Hassanein and Randolph were fast friends as true freshmen. The two - along with current linebacker Marco Notarainni – would always hang out and grab food together as they learned to settle into their new home.
Randolph was the best man in Hassanein’s wedding last summer. Randolph expects Hassanein to return the favor one day.
The two were last teammates during Boise State’s historic 2024 season. The brotherhood with Hassanein, who grew up halfway around the world from Randolph in Egypt, proved crucial when Randolph faced his greatest test during that season.
Resilience - Season-Threatening Injury in 2024
The knife piercing through the scar on Randolph’s left forearm tells the story of Randolph’s most recent comeback. In the 2024 season opener at Georgia Southern, Randolph tore his bicep late in the game.
“It was actually on the 63rd play in the game,” said Randolph, who wears No. 63 on his jersey and was quick to realize the irony.
"I felt it pop, and I was like, 'Oh no. Something's wrong,'" Randolph recalled. "The trainers ran out, and they're feeling it, and they kind of look at each other and they're like, ‘'All right, let's go.' Doc comes in, does the same thing. He's like, 'Yeah, your season's pretty much done.'"
Randolph refused the initial diagnosis. Further testing, surgery and rehab paved the way for him to return to the field and be a part of the College Football Playoff run.
The knife tattoo doesn’t hide the scar. It celebrates it.
“It’s symbolizing, you can do it, you can get through a lot of things. It’s bringing a focal point to the scar and not hiding it,” Randolph explained. “I want people to see it. I think being able to say that I don’t know how many people have come back from that type of bicep tear in a season.”
He added a tattoo to his right quad, based on a bet with a key player in that run.
Ashton Jeanty and Randolph made a bet before the season, and if Jeanty ran for 2,000 yards, Randolph would get his final rushing total tattooed on his body. This past spring, Randolph paid his end of the bet. His body is another place of immortalization for the legend of Ashton Jeanty.
But working through the bicep injury, and the doubts that came with it, unlocked something in Randolph. If he could come back from what was almost a season-ending bicep tear in the same season, he could certainly be honest about who he really was.
Personal Passions
The Snorlax Pokemon on Randolph’s left knee reveals a side many would not expect from a 310-pound offensive lineman. The sleepy Pokemon character, complete with PBR can dog toys (“It’s called Pub Blue Ribbon. It’s his favorite.”) for his beloved dog, Pumba, represents Randolph’s comfort with his authentic interests.
“I’m a huge Pokemon nerd. I’ve been a Pokemon nerd ever since I was a little kid. Never strayed away from it, never will,” Randolph said proudly. “You can ask Coach D (head coach Spencer Danielson), he always makes fun of me because I have my iPad on the plane and I’m playing Pokemon.”
The tattoo’s placement adds functionality. When Randolph bends his knee, Snorlax appears to breathe, like he’s snoring.
His 1972 GMC C-10 truck, in the American traditional style on his left arm, tells another story.
“I bought it from a Brazilian dude who drove it from South America to Southern California,” Randolph explained about his first car. “He was trying to get rid of it, and it was not in the greatest condition. I love old trucks.”
The truck became a restoration project he shared with father, showcasing another bridge between the two.
The moose skull tattoo across his back - which took two sessions, 14 hours total - represents the culmination of his self-acceptance.
“My mom growing up always called me a moose puppy because I was so big. I was always so much bigger than everybody growing up,” said Randolph. “I also think it looks cool. I think it’s unique. Everybody usually gets the buck skull or something like that. I wanted to do something different.”
Between spring practice and fall camp, Randolph’s body became his journal.
Looking Forward
Today, as Randolph prepares for his final regular season game as a Bronco this Friday at Utah State (2 p.m., CBS and Bronco Radio Network), his skin tells the complete story of his journey - so far. But like any good story, this one isn’t finished.
He has plans to do a Jurassic Park T-Rex claw on his knee (“Huge dinosaur fan. I’ve always been a dinosaur fan.”), an American traditional eagle on his stomach, maybe “The Dude” from The Big Lebowski on his calf with the quote, “The Dude abides.”
“I usually look at a tattoo, I’ll see one that I like, or it reminds me of something, and if it’s constantly there in my head, I’ll write it out,” Randolph explained of his process. “I’ll write out what it means, and where it would go, what I would want to do with it, how I would picture it on my body. And then I let that sit for a little bit.”
The process reflects Randolph’s growth, from impulsive teenager to thoughtful adult, from hiding in his dorm room to someone who is comfortable expressing exactly who he is.
“There’s a whole process you have to go through, because it’ll be on your body for the rest of your life,” said Randolph. “It’s a huge commitment, but something I’m committed to.”
Each tattoo represents Randolph’s story. Through ink and intention, he became someone unafraid to wear his story on his skin, literally and figuratively.
The simple man became a little more complex, expressive and human. And he’s got the tattoos to prove it.
