{"id":521968,"date":"2026-03-13T22:13:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T22:13:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/521968\/"},"modified":"2026-03-13T22:13:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T22:13:08","slug":"travis-etienne-jr-reveals-the-correct-way-to-pronounce-his-last-name","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/521968\/","title":{"rendered":"Travis Etienne Jr. reveals the correct way to pronounce his last name"},"content":{"rendered":"

Running back Travis Etienne Jr. is returning to his home state after signing with the New Orleans Saints in free agency this week<\/a>. He\u2019s also taking the opportunity to clear up the pronunciation of his last name, which he revealed sounds more like \u201cA-chan\u201d than \u201cee-tee-en.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the beginning of his introductory news conference Friday, Etienne was asked: \u201cNow that you\u2019re back here, how would you like your last name pronounced?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGrowing up, it was Travis \u2018A-chan\u2019, so it\u2019d be like \u2018A-C-H-A-N-E\u2019. That\u2019s how you always said it, Travis \u2018A-chan,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cBut when I went to college, I kept telling them my name every day, every day, every day. After like four weeks, they just couldn\u2019t get it. So, I was like, \u2018Man, it\u2019s \u2018ee-tee-en\u2019, how you see it is how you say it.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Etienne, originally from Jennings, La., won a national championship during his sophomore season at Clemson in 2018. He was a two-time ACC Player of the Year and became a first-round draft pick in 2021 by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Even on draft night, commissioner Roger Goodell announced the pick as \u201cTravis \u2018ee-tee-en.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt kind of just took off because it was easier for the announcers to say it, I didn\u2019t have to correct them every day with how to say my name,\u201d Etienne said. \u201cIt made sense, but I\u2019m very much open to being Travis \u2018A-chan\u2019 again, being myself. I don\u2019t have to correct people here on how to say my name each and every day, and I kind of love that.\u201d<\/p>\n

PSA: Travis Etienne Jr. on how to pronounce his last name pic.twitter.com\/UNfFdXcrCg<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 New Orleans Saints (@Saints) March 13, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Travis\u2019 younger brother, Trevor Etienne, is a running back on the Carolina Panthers. His last name was also pronounced \u2018ee-tee-en\u2019 during his rookie NFL season in 2025.<\/p>\n

So, make room, De\u2019Von Achane. The Miami Dolphins running back isn\u2019t the only one with that last name \u2026 sort of.<\/p>\n