Travis Etienne Jr. Signs with Saints, Corrects Name

New Orleans Saints running back Travis Etienne Jr. returned to his home state this week, signing a four-year, $52 million contract in free agency after five seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and used his introductory press conference to correct a long-standing mispronunciation of his last name.

Etienne, a Jennings, Louisiana native, addressed reporters on Friday, explaining that his surname, rooted in Creole tradition, should be pronounced "Achane," similar to Miami Dolphins running back DeVon Achane's name. "Growing up, it was Travis Achane, so it'd be like ACHANE. That's how you always said it, Travis Achane," he said. The 27-year-old added that he repeatedly tried to teach the proper pronunciation to coaches, teammates and media during his time at Clemson University starting in 2017, but after about four weeks of frustration, he relented. "I'm like, Man, it's Eeteeen, how you see it is how you say it," Etienne recounted. That simplified version quickly caught on, in part because it was easier for announcers and broadcasters to use, and it followed him into the NFL.

The change became the norm across college and professional football. Etienne helped lead Clemson to a...