Travis Etienne living his childhood dream with Louisiana return

By Ross Jackson

Anytime a Louisiana native makes their return to the state by signing with the New Orleans Saints, anticipation is high. It’s often a dream for the player and a lightning rod for the fanbase. All of that is true for Jennings, LA-born running back Travis Etienne Jr. (pronounced “Ay-Chan”), but this return to the state feels unique.

Etienne is a needle-mover of a signing for the Saints. He’s an explosive running back that charted 23 rushes of 20 or more yards since 2022. That’s a far cry improvement from the Saints’ running back room, which has run for a league-low eight in that same span. 

But beyond his impact on the field, Etienne’s off-field connection with the franchise has generated even more warranted excitement. Being a New Orleans Saints player has been a dream for the running back since he was a child. 

“Just seeing the Saints logo,” he said during his introductory press conference. “Just seeing my name associated with the Saints logo, it’s a dream to me, whenever you’re a kid… I mean, I’ve created myself (on Madden) on the Saints multiple times.”

After this offseason, Etienne, who hopes to wear the No. 3 in New Orleans, no longer has to wonder what he’ll look like in a Saints jersey with his name emblazoned across his back. 

The next time he suits up for a game, he’ll don the black and gold colors that he grew up cheering for. It was an opportunity that, once it presented itself, was a no-brainer. 

“Once the Saints reached out, I don’t think there was nothing that could have stopped me from coming here,” he said. “I wasn’t thinking Saints pre-Free Agency because I didn’t really know if they had interest or anything. But whenever the Saints came available, man, it was kind of like a no-brainer to me.”

Etienne and his brother Trevor, who is a running back for the Carolina Panthers, grew up idolizing Saints running backs Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush. Travis saw himself as the McAllister of the pair. 

As his game has continued to expand, he now has a chance to be a part of his own impactful Saints backfield tandem with running back Alvin Kamara. While questions around Kamara’s future have been increasing, he is still under contract for 2026. The prospect of sharing a backfield with the Saints’ all-time rushing touchdowns and yardage leader is an exciting one for Etienne. 

“I would love to play with him,” Etienne said. “It’s the NFL. Whenever you have a group of talented guys, whenever I’m able to come off the field or whenever he comes out the field, the game, defense can’t relax.”

The former Jacksonville Jaguars back rushed for over 1,000 yards in three of his four NFL seasons so far. He now hopes to bring that production and electric playstyle to his home state of Louisiana. When imagining the possibilities he can bring to the Saints, Etienne summed up the prospect in one simple but potent thought.

“Just tune in on Sundays and I feel like you’ll get to see what we’re about.”