One of the first things Travis Etienne did in his opening press conference after signing with the New Orleans Saints is provide clarity on how to properly say his name. If you want to blame someone for the confusion, blame his Clemson teammates for constantly butchering his name.
The running back has been called “E-T-N” for the last decade when his last name is correctly pronounced “Ay-chan.” When Etienne arrived at college, no one could get his name correct. Eventually, he grew tired of correcting everyone and let it go.
Funny enough, this isn’t even a new story that Etienne is telling now that he’s with the Saints. He’s revealed a story years ago of his name was said growing up before. His return to Louisiana is an opportunity for Etienne to return to his roots. That starts with reclaiming the proper pronunciation of his name.
Joining the Saints is a long term dream come true for Travis Etienne
Along with that return to his roots, Etienne also gets to accomplish a lifelong dream. You see the old tweets! Etienne grew up in Jennings as a Saints fan.
There’s love goes so deep that he and his brother used to emulate the duo of Deuce Mcallister and Reggie Bush. They used to call his brother Reggie Snush because of his snaggletooth. As a youth, Etienne always wanted to play in the Superdome. He was never able to reach the Louisiana State Championship and check that box. It wasn’t until college that Etienne finally got his opportunity. In three attempts, however, Clemson fell in all three attempts.
Etienne broke the drought when the Jaguars defeated the Saints in 2023. Fast forward to 2026, Etienne will play a big role in securing victories for the Saints now 8 or 9 times a season.
Whether it’s playing for a favorite team growing up or just being in a place where he doesn’t need to correct people on how to say his name, it’s clear signing with the Saints provides Etienne with a place of comfort that contributed to his decision.