UF's mark of champions

Years from now, when the grandchildren gather around and ask him what he did at the University of Florida, all Phil Trautwein will have to do is roll up his sleeve. The story will be right there, etched on his massive left arm - an elaborate, 10-inch national championship tattoo.

"It's something I'll never forget," said the senior offensive tackle from Voorhees, N.J. "Some people get Chinese letters or skulls that nobody understands. This is something I'll always remember. It means a lot to me."

Trautwein admits he is rather conservative, not a tattoo kind of guy. But that changed after Florida won the SEC title game in December and earned a spot in the BCS National Championship game against No. 1 Ohio State.

"Jim Tartt and I were in the locker room and decided we were going to get a tattoo after the SEC Championship Game," Trautwein said Wednesday. "Then we found out we were going to the national championship game and we decided if we won that game we'd get a tattoo. At first, we didn't want to get one. When we won that game we said we have to do it."

Tartt, an offensive guard, got his tattoo five days after UF's 41-14 victory over Ohio State.

Trautwein's took a while.

"It took me a couple of months. A guy designed it and everything," he said. "It hurt, it took three hours, it cost close to $350, but it was worth it. At first, I was a little nervous, but after seeing it it was pretty cool, I'm pretty excited about it."

The tattoo covers most of his upper left arm. It features a national championship trophy with an alligator wrapped around it and The Swamp in the background.

The tattoo has been a popular conversation piece since he had it done in April.

"People really like it," Trautwein said. "People will look at it and say, 'That's really cool, I should have gotten one like that.' Everybody liked it. I showed it to my high school coaches back in New Jersey (this summer) and they loved it. Everyone who sees it says, 'That's huge.' "

It's an amazing story, really, Phil Trautwein walking around sporting an enormous national championship tattoo. This is a guy who two years ago was the punt protector on special teams, who in the spring of 2006 was being told by UF coach Urban Meyer he couldn't play.

Now, he owns a national championship ring, a cool tattoo and he's a preseason All-SEC player heading into his senior season.

"When I got that chance to play (in the spring of 2006), I just went as hard as I could to prove to the coaches and everybody that I deserved it," Trautwein said. "Coach Meyer was saying the whole time that I'll never play. I think he did it to motivate me.

"My whole life I've been proving people wrong. In high school I didn't play until my junior year. A lot of people never thought I'd play there."

The way Trautwein sees it, he now has to prove himself all over again.

He's moved from left tackle to right to protect the blind side of left-handed quarterback Tim Tebow. And he has expectations to live up to now that he's preseason All-SEC and showing up on All-America lists.

He seems comfortable with the challenges that lie ahead.

"I practiced all summer doing right tackle," he said. "I actually feel more comfortable now on the right side.

"Being named preseason All-SEC means a lot. It means I need to prove myself. I can't get big-headed. I have to go out there and prove to everybody I'm All-SEC. I really want to prove it."

He's already proved himself to offensive line coach Steve Addazio.

"He's a technician, a great player and a student of the game," Addazio said. "He can play either side. He's playing some center now. He's doing everything right now.

"He's a guy who takes his heart right out of his chest and says, 'Whatever I've got to do coach, I totally believe in you. Whatever it is, let's go.' Whatever it is, whether it's the weight room, whether it's what I call his tool box, his skills as an offensive lineman, he just gives it to you. When you do that with a great work ethic, you're going to be great. He's earned his stripes."

And his tattoo.

That's one part of his game that surprised his coach.

"I saw it and said, 'Why did you do that to yourself?" Addazio said. "I'm not a big tattoo guy."

Trautwein isn't either. This is his first and only one. But now that he has one national championship tattoo, he said he has room for another on his right arm if the Gators win it all again this season.

"I'm hoping," he said. "If we do it again, I'll probably get one."

Robbie Andreu can be reached at 352-374-5022 or andreur@gvillesun.com.