At Running Back Or Receiver, Travis Etienne Planning to be ‘Playmaker’ in Jacksonville

Clemson fans know just how explosive former star running back Travis Etienne was during his time as a Tiger and now Jaguars fans get to see firsthand that speed, the skills that allow him to confuse defenders, and the ability he has to change direction on a dime.

Etienne’s arrival in Jacksonville led to a ton of questions from those on the outside looking in. Such as him being moved to receiver during rookie minicamp, not to mention why Jacksonville used a first round pick on a running back after James Robinson had such a fantastic rookie season in 2020.

The former Clemson running back recently sat down with the Jaguars official website and addressed one of those questions, playing wide receiver, in a way only the confident Etienne could.

“I’m going to be a playmaker here,” Etienne said. “They brought me in here to make plays and not just plays, but big plays and that’s what I am going to do. Whether that’s from out wide, or in the slot, or as a running back out of the backfield.”

Etienne arrived at Clemson as a relatively unknown running back from the state of Louisiana, deciding to put his trust in the very successful and very experienced Tigers coaching staff. He is now doing the same thing in Jacksonville, fully trusting that Urban Meyer will put him in a position to be successful.

“I’m a football player, Urban Meyer is a football coach, and I’m going to trust that he knows how to get the most out of me,” Etienne said. “I’m all about getting the most of myself. Just get the ball into my hands and I’m going to try and make something great happen and I feel like the coaches know that and they’re going to find fun ways to do that.”

In return, Meyer, as well as the entire Jacksonville franchise, is hoping Etienne, as well as teammate Trevor Lawrence, can bring a little of that winning culture from Clemson down south to Duval County.

“Coach Meyer brought us here to do that and he wants great people and great players on his team,” Etienne said. “I feel like everyone you see here is here for a reason, because Coach Meyer saw something in them that made him want them to be here just like he wanted Trevor and me. If you have great people, you have a chance to have a great culture, like we had at Clemson. It isn’t guaranteed but it’s possible and I lived that in college and I know that Coach Meyer is building the same culture in this building.”