After Season of Watching, Former Clemson Star Travis Etienne Still Preparing for First NFL Carry

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne had never experienced a major injury before his Lisfranc in August of 2021.

© Bob Self/Florida Times-Union via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Travis Etienne experienced something in 2021 he'd never dealt with in his life before, and no, it wasn't being a rookie in the NFL.

It was actually being a rookie in the NFL who couldn't even take his first career snap. A Lisfranc injury sidelined the former Clemson star running back in August following a preseason game. 

He had foot surgery and didn't come off of the injured reserve list until late December, but the Jacksonville Jaguars' second first-round selection of the 2021 NFL Draft never planned on seeing action in his first season. 

"I could've gotten back this season but the doctors wanted me to take the whole season off. That way when I do get back I'll be 100 percent," Etienne said to NFL media during a press conference earlier this week. "It's like I never got injured. That's why we went about it this way."

The first major injury of his career gave the ACC's all-time leading rusher an opportunity to focus solely on himself and getting back to good health. 

"I feel like God set me down for a reason," Etienne said. "This is like my first ever injury. I just had to step back and look at the game from the outside in. That gave me a different perspective. I feel like when I come back I just want to be more passionate than ever." 

Unfortunately for Etienne, all he do could in Jacksonville's tumultuous 3-14 season was watch and sit in on meetings. That give him the feeling of being a part of the team, but it also left him with an empty feeling.

“I think being in the meetings every day, it helped me in a way, helped me in a sense because I felt like I was a part of it,” Etienne said. “I feel like I was a part of everything. I was like a little kid going to the birthday, but I just couldn’t have any birthday. That’s the best way I can put it. That’s how this year’s been for me. So next year, I’m just looking forward to just indulging in all the cake that I can.”

The talented running back who rushed for 4,952 yards and 70 touchdowns at Clemson from 2017-20 started running last week for the first time since before the surgery, and his mindset is to be back for training camp and get that first career regular-season carry in 2022 alongside former Clemson quarterback and Jags teammate Trevor Lawrence. 

"I definitely feel like as of now I'll be ready," Etienne said. "I'm ready to go. The next milestone for me is to get back to doing weightlifting, like squats and stuff like that."

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