Ex-Jaguars RB Etienne Says His Name Was Mispronounced for Years

Travis Etienne reveals his last name is actually pronounced "Achane", not "ETN" as it was commonly said during his time in Jacksonville.

Mar. 13, 2026 at 8:50pm

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Former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne has revealed that his last name has been mispronounced for years, and it should actually be pronounced "Achane" rather than "ETN" as it was commonly said during his time with the team. Etienne said he tried to correct people on the pronunciation during his college days at Clemson, but it never stuck, so he just went with "ETN" to make it easier for announcers.

Why it matters

This story highlights how even professional athletes can have their names mispronounced for years, despite their best efforts to correct people. It also shows how certain pronunciations can become entrenched, even if they are technically incorrect. Etienne's decision to finally set the record straight on the proper pronunciation of his name as he joins the New Orleans Saints is an interesting personal story for NFL fans.

The details

Etienne said that growing up, his name was always pronounced "Travis Achane", with the last name pronounced "AY-CHANE". However, when he went to college at Clemson, people just couldn't get the pronunciation right, so he let them call him "ETN" instead, as that was easier for announcers to say. This mispronunciation then carried over to his time with the Jaguars, where the team's game releases even listed his name as "ETN". Now that Etienne is joining the Saints, he's decided to finally correct the record on the proper pronunciation of his last name.

  • Etienne was a first-round draft pick of the Jaguars in 2021.
  • He missed his rookie season in 2021 due to a Lisfranc injury.
  • Etienne played the next four seasons with the Jaguars from 2022-2025.
  • Etienne signed a free agent contract with the Saints in 2026.

The players

Travis Etienne

A former running back for the Jacksonville Jaguars who is now joining the New Orleans Saints in free agency. Etienne revealed that his last name is actually pronounced "Achane", not "ETN" as it was commonly said during his time in Jacksonville.

Trevor Lawrence

The quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who played alongside Etienne in college at Clemson.

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What they’re saying

“Growing up, it [was] Travis [Achane]. A-C-H-A-N-E. That's how they always said it, Travis [Achane]. But when I went to college, I kept telling them my name, like, every day, every day, every day. After like four weeks, they just couldn't get it.”

— Travis Etienne, Running Back (news4jax.com)

“So I'm like, 'Man, it's [ETN]. How you see it is how you say it.' That's how that became, and it kind of just took off because it was easier for the announcers to say it, I didn't have to correct them every day [how] to say my name. Just when I kind of started learning more about my last name and how it came about ... it just kind of stuck, it made sense.”

— Travis Etienne, Running Back (news4jax.com)

What’s next

Etienne will look to make a fresh start with the New Orleans Saints, where he hopes his name will finally be pronounced correctly as "Achane".

The takeaway

This story serves as a reminder that even professional athletes can have their names mispronounced for years, despite their best efforts to correct people. It also highlights how certain pronunciations can become entrenched, even if they are technically incorrect. Etienne's decision to finally set the record straight on the proper pronunciation of his name as he joins a new team is an interesting personal story for NFL fans.