Note: The following appears in the Pittsburgh gameday football program.
Over the past four seasons, Tiger fans have borne witness to true greatness at the running back position. In the third quarter against Boston College on Halloween, Travis Etienne broke the ACC record for career rushing yards, previously held by N.C. State’s Ted Brown (1975-78), two decades before the Tiger was even born.
From the moment the Jennings, La. native stepped onto the field in orange and purple, it was apparent he would be a special player. During his freshman season, he averaged 7.2 yards on 107 carries and scampered into the endzone 13 times.
Despite his early success, playing for the Tigers was at one point highly unlikely for the two-time ACC Player-of-the-Year. Etienne was originally committed for a year to play at Texas A&M, but when he decommitted, Clemson quickly became one of his top choices.
“Clemson was one of the top schools, and they offered me. I came and visited, and Clemson sold itself, so it played out perfectly.
“When I got here, it was the genuineness of the coaches. It was the spirit they have around here and the culture that Coach (Dabo) Swinney is building…hands-on.”
That decision has clearly panned out for Etienne, who has had historic success during his time in Tigertown. He has brought home several individual awards to go along with a national championship in the 2018 season.
Despite accomplishing almost everything a running back can in college football, Etienne left last season’s national championship game feeling unsatisfied and as though his work was not yet done. He chose to forego the NFL draft, where he would have likely been picked in the first two rounds, and returned to play at Clemson for his senior season.
Being a second-round draft pick guarantees players and their families, at minimum, some financial security. In an offseason marred by the possibility of college football being canceled altogether, it also would have offered Etienne a higher likelihood of having a season at all.
At the conclusion of his junior season, when he was named ACC Player-of-the-Year for the second consecutive season, he already held Tiger records for single-season rushing yards, rushing touchdowns and total touchdowns, not to mention he entered the season with the best yards-per-carry figure (7.8) in Clemson history.
His greatness was not debatable, and having already brought a national championship to Clemson, the star had nothing left to prove. Regardless, Etienne could not pass up the opportunity to play another football season at Clemson.
“Going home and seeing my nieces and my little brother playing sports and seeing how pure the game was…that’s the reason we got into sports. It was about remembering why I started playing football and why I fell in love with the game, and getting back to that.”
His return has put him in a very valuable senior leadership role, one the Tigers needed during Trevor Lawrence’s COVID-19 induced absence. Verbal leadership is something that did not come naturally for Etienne, but the soft-spoken running back is developing that part of his game.
When asked about Etienne’s ability to lead by example and the relationship he has with younger players, Offensive Coordinator Tony Elliott lauded his talents and his propensity to improve the players around him.
“If Travis had his way, he wouldn’t speak at all. He doesn’t like being in the limelight, but I make it known that guys are watching him. There’s a respect factor and a tangible relationship where guys can ask questions and have conversations to expand their game.”