On Jan. 17, 2020, Travis Etienne surprised many when announcing he would be returning to Clemson for his senior season that year.
At that point, the former Clemson running back was coming off a junior campaign that saw him earn second-team All-America status, a first-team All-ACC selection and the ACC Player of the Year honor for the second straight season. In 2019, he rushed for 1,614 yards on 207 carries (7.8 yards per carry) and 19 rushing touchdowns to go with 37 catches for 432 yards and four receiving touchdowns over 15 games.
Etienne was expected to be a high pick in the 2020 NFL Draft after amassing 4,038 rushing yards, 56 rushing touchdowns, 567 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns in his first three seasons as a Tiger from 2017-19.
But even with the NFL beckoning, Etienne decided to come back for his senior year because he felt like he still had things he wanted to accomplish in college – including earning his degree – not to mention he simply enjoyed being a part of Dabo Swinney’s program and wanted to return for one more ride with his brothers at Clemson.
“I feel like when it all boils down to it, it was just the brotherhood and just the culture that Coach Swinney and them created,” Etienne said recently on The Players Club Podcast with former Clemson running back Darien Rencher, when asked to reflect on why he came back to Clemson for his senior year.
“Because clearly, my junior year, I had a great draft projection, and I could’ve left. And also, it was just wanting to finish school. I felt like I started it, so I needed to finish it. And I knew just me being me, I leave my junior year, I get millions of dollars, like, I’m not going back to school. So I felt like while I’m in it right now, I definitely have to finish it. And I mean, you only get college one time. You only get that four years one time, and I felt like I had to enjoy those years.”
Also factoring into Etienne’s decision was the fact he felt like, as a junior, he wasn’t mature enough and thus wasn’t ready to have the money and wealth that comes with being a high-round NFL draft pick.
“I felt like coming back for my senior year kind of helped me mature and grow and just have a plan for my future and the next six, seven years down the road,” he said. “And now I have my degree now, I’m not stressing about going back to school or what if I would’ve done this, and it panned out, man.”
Yes, it did.
After returning to Clemson for the 2020 season, Etienne became the ACC’s all-time leading rusher, scorer and touchdown leader, while leading the Tigers to a fourth straight ACC Championship and fourth consecutive College Football Playoff appearance. He also received his college degree that December.
Then, on April 29, 2021, Etienne saw his decision to return pay off when he was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round (25th overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft.
“I still was a first-round draft pick. I had a great senior season,” Etienne said. “Wish we could’ve won a championship, but everything doesn’t go your way every time. But it definitely worked out.”
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