METAIRIE, La. — New Orleans Saints running back Travis Etienne Jr. felt like he was meant to return to Louisiana one day.
Etienne, who played college football for Clemson, spent five seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars after they selected him in the first round of the 2021 draft. He jumped at the chance to sign with New Orleans in free agency this week, allowing him to return home permanently for the first time since 2017.
He’ll be bringing along his 11-month-old son, “Saint,” who was named after the team Etienne and his family loved when he was growing up.
The newest Saint has a son named….Saint. pic.twitter.com/OeNPfl2KIr
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) March 13, 2026
“Just watching the Saints each and every Sunday, just being inspired by Drew Brees, just being inspired by the guys,” Etienne said on Friday. “I actually wore No. 9 in college. So just being inspired by the things around me. People often say, ‘You’re a product of your environment.’ And just watching the same each and every Sunday, growing up, just being around it.”
The love for the Saints runs deep in the Etienne family. His great-grandmother rooted for them and that trickled down to the rest of the family. When Etienne was a child, he and his younger brother Trevor, who is a running back for the Carolina Panthers, pretended to be Saints players.
Etienne said he imitated Deuce McAllister because he had more straight-line speed, while Trevor had moves more like Reggie Bush.
Travis Etienne Jr.’s favorite memory growing up as a Saints fan:
cheering on @Dmcallister26 and @ReggieBush pic.twitter.com/FI7RkvSPqW
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) March 13, 2026
“We’re six years apart, but we were always playing together. And we have a hill inside of Jennings. It’s like a little football field that we all go play at. … I used to call him Reggie Bush, actually Reggie Snush, because he had a snaggletooth, and I was Deuce McAllister. And just going to my grandma and my grandpa’s house each day. Every Sunday, we were watching the Saints, man.”
Etienne said becoming a father was “life-changing” and he’s happy that his son will get to be around family and experience the same culture in which he grew up.
“I feel like becoming a dad is the sole reason I’m here standing with you today. I feel like it’s lots of passion, a purpose inside you that you can’t get from anyone else,” Etienne said. “It’s truly the greatest thing that happened to me, and it’s the reason that I’m able to just have this excitement, have this growth mindset each and every day because whenever I step on that field, whenever my son, 10, 20 years down the road, he’s Googling his dad, I don’t want him to see me with lackluster stats, like ‘My dad really wasn’t good!'”
Etienne will also switch jersey numbers from No. 1 to No. 3 to represent a fresh start back home. He said part of the reason for the switch is that he feels like he’s a different person now because of fatherhood.
Travis Etienne Jr. says he does not want to have the No. 1 jersey.
He wants to switch to No. 3 pic.twitter.com/fU2ONfWgX5
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) March 13, 2026
“I got my own son now and life has changed, and I feel like that chapter has passed,” Etienne said. “I feel like I want a number here that I can create my own elite legacy and hopefully be retired up there one day. I mean, that’s the goal, to leave a legacy and I feel like that’s why I’m here and that’s what brought me here.”
He also said the reasoning behind the number makes sense because the Saints will be the third team he played for since leaving Louisiana to attend Clemson.
“I feel like it took me a long time to figure out this is where I needed to be all along. And so, full circle moment, I’m happy to be here and I just want to be great,” he said.
He said he wants his son to understand his love for football more than anything. And having him root for the Etienne’s favorite team is just an added bonus.
“This isn’t a job for me. It’s a passion. It’s my life. … It’s something I dreamed about all my life. And I want him to … to chase his dream. I want him to understand that everything that he wants in life can become [real] as long as he trusts in God, he puts the work in and understands that ‘treat people the way you want to be treated’ is the main thing. And never think you’re bigger than anyone. And if my son has those tools, I feel like he could be successful wherever he goes in life.”
