EUGENE, Ore. — Somewhere in those 6.5 hours of perpetual pain, Dan Lanning’s phone lit up. But he didn’t see it. He was wincing. He was breathing deeply. Alec Turner, the artist tasked with completing the massive tattoo on the left side of Lanning’s chest, saw the name on the screen, and his eyes bulged.

The incoming call? Phil Knight.

So Turner removed the needle piercing the ribs of Oregon’s gregarious football coach and deadpanned: “Hey, man, you should probably answer this.”

When Phil Knight calls, you stop what you’re doing. Lanning sat on the table, swiped his phone screen and took a respite to talk to the founder of Nike and Oregon’s most famed alumnus and donor. Lanning told Knight where he was and what he was cramming into one session.

The permanent portrait of Lanning’s wife, Sauphia, is sprinkled with various homages to their journey through life —and football — together.

Before Turner dipped the needle in ink on Jan. 4, 2023, he offered Lanning numbing cream. Lanning declined but now admits that, as the hours dragged on, he regretted that decision. He thought to himself: I’m a football coach, right? I should be able to handle this.

“I just didn’t have a big window of time,” Lanning says. “Pain is weakness leaving the body. Let’s go. Knock it out.”

He had just finished his first year as head football coach at Oregon, where the Ducks won 10 games, were in the College Football Playoff conversation most of the season and had a top-10 recruiting ranking for the 2023 class. He was already hooked on life in Eugene.

These were the first steps in Lanning’s project to not only build Oregon into a winner his way, but to sustain it for years to come. His second season with the Ducks in 2023 was another step forward, showcased by a record-setting offense that wowed even a fan base accustomed to them.

But nearly a year to the date he had his map charted in ink, the ultimate test of allegiance arose.

On Jan. 10, 2024, Alabama’s Nick Saban announced his retirement, rocking the college football universe. Lists of candidates to replace the seven-time national championship-winning head coach were formulated by the sport’s insiders almost immediately. Most put Lanning at the epicenter of the speculation cycle.

When working on larger tattoos, the time it takes to complete can be pretty lengthy and take multiple sessions of tattooing. This can be concerning for people who physically can not sit for long periods of time and people who have a hard time doing long sessions because of pain tolerance issues or anxiety.

The key to effectively dealing with is communicating with your artist early in the process of getting a tattoo. Our artists would be happy to work with you in a way that is comfortable and enjoyable for you, because we care about the entire tattooing experience and want that to be enjoyable.

By communicating with your artist they are able to discuss the time it will take and how many sessions you would want that broken up into. So always be upfront with your artist about any health issues or concerns.

If you have anxiety about having long tattoo session or know you have low pain tolerance, there are a few things that can help deal with the process. It’s important to not psyche yourself before the tattoo, mindset has a large effect on how you react to tattooing. If possible, try to find the most comfortable position, this sometimes can be impossible depending on the location of your tattoo. Lastly make sure to stay hydrated and bring small snacks to keep energy up throughout the process.

One place to start when looking for a tattoo is with a tattoo flash. With tattoo flashes you can see lots of choices, some better than others. Sometimes you may find a flash of something you want or are looking for, but the feel or design is not quite what you are looking for. Talk with your artist about what it is you like about the piece, what you would change, color schemes, whatever it is you want to change. Our Artist will work with you through what you want so that we can create the tattoo that is right for you.

Custom drawings are another great way to choose a tattoo. For custom tattoos, be sure to bring your ideas with you, do research before you come in, get reference materials, look at different styles, etc. It is important that if you want a custom tattoo, that you know what you want. Your artist can’t decide what tattoo you would like, they are there to help bring your ideas to your skin.

Wanting to directly copy another persons tattoo can be disrespectful to the wearer of the tattoo and the artist who did the piece. If you have a specific tattoo you like, bring in a picture and we can make something similar with its own unique twist.

Alec Turner

If you are wanting a portrait of someone, it is important that your reference material is the right size, good clarity, and nice resolution. If there is ever any problems with providing these, talk to your artist to see what can be done. The more reference material you bring, the more your artist will have to work with to accurately bring about the portrait.

If you do not know what you want at all, it is best you wait to get a tattoo until there is something that you really want or can’t wait to get. Tattoos are a life long decision, so it’s best to take your time in deciding what you want on your skin forever.