Travis Etienne Jr. Clarifies Name Pronunciation After Signing with Saints

We've been saying it wrong all along

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) signals a first down during the third quarter in an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. Bills lead 10-7 at the half over the Jaguars. The Bills defeated the Jaguars 27-24. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

E-T-N? Eh-tee-en?

Any way you've pronounced Travis Etienne Jr.'s name before is incorrect — he clarified it during his introductory New Orleans Saints press conference on Friday.

Etienne Jr. reportedly signed a four-year, $52 million contract just a few hours after the NFL's free agency window officially opened Monday. He is expected to be the clear lead back in New Orleans with Alvin Kamara potentially nearing the end of his time with the Saints.

Solving the name mystery

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) smiles while talking to members of the media after an NFL training camp session at the Miller Electric Center, Friday Aug. 15, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Growing up, it was Travis Etienne (Ay-Chan), and that's how I always used to say it," Etienne explained.

"When I went to college, I kept telling them my name like every day... and after like four weeks, they just couldn't get it, so I'm like, 'It's E-T-N, how you see it is how you say it.' That's how that became. It kind of took off because it was easy for the pronouncers to say it, and I didn't have to correct them every day to say my name."

New #Saints RB Travis Etienne Jr.’s name is actually pronounced:

Travis “Ay-Chan.”

pic.twitter.com/Xjhn8SBDI6

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 13, 2026

Etienne attended Clemson University from 2017-2021, appearing in two National Championship games and winning one. He stood out alongside quarterback Trevor Lawrence and selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first-round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

The now-27-year-old running back has eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards in three of his four seasons since entering the NFL. He posted a near-1,400-yard season in 2025 with Jacksonville with over 1,100 rushing yards and 13 total touchdowns.

It became clear ahead of Etienne's pending free agency that his market would out-price with the Jaguars were looking to spend, but New Orleans was willing to pay that price to add the elite running back.

As for the pronunciation of his name, Etienne says he'd be open to reverting back to his original name, though didn't seem unhappy with the way it's been said since his Clemson days.

"I'm very much open to being Travis (Ay-Chan) again and being myself so I don't have to correct people here on how to say my name," Etienne said.

Whatever way people decide to say his name in the coming seasons, they're going to be saying it a lot. The Louisiana native projects to make a big impact on the field for his hometown team, the Saints, for the entirety of his four-year contract.