When Broncos players are in the hunt for custom art, they have another go-to source: Ortavio “OG” Griego, a Denver tattoo artist who has been inking NFL players for six years.
Bo Scaife, a former NFL tight end, was the first to seek out Griego, in 2009, when he worked at the now-shuttered Inferno on South Broadway.
The first Bronco to turn to Griego was safety David Bruton, who followed Griego to the Tennyson art district, where he opened Monkey Fist Tattoo, in 2010. “I owe a lot of it to David Bruton, for coming in,” Griego said. “I’ve tattooed him quite a bit since he’s been here. We just finished his left sleeve. I’ve done his back and a majority of his right arm.”
Griego has been a friend and resource to many Broncos, as well as others in the league — some who even fly him out to their homes for custom work.
Over the years he’s tattooed Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas, Ronnie Hillman and Virgil Green, Washington’s Chris Baker and many others.
RELATED: Gabe Richesson: Brother to Broncos’ strength coach, artist to athletes
In May, millions became aware of Griego’s work, probably without even knowing it was his. Broncos safety T.J. Ward, a Golden State Warriors fan, had Griego tattoo the team’s logo (minus the “s,” intentionally) on the left side of his torso during the NBA’s Western Conference semifinals.
Griego’s all-custom shop — “We try not to do the same thing on people,” he said — doesn’t cater to just NFL players, though; most of his clients aren’t athletes. And to better meet the needs of all, and to allow his shop to close one day a week and host community events, Monkey Fist will soon move into a bigger space on Tennyson Street.
The greater visibility can mean only one thing: Broncos players won’t be the only ones flocking to Griego’s shop.
Nicki Jhabvala: njhabvala@denverpost.com or twitter.com/nickijhabvala
