Leading up to the 2021 NFL campaign, Travis Etienne felt he was beginning to hit his stride in camp and show why the Jacksonville Jaguars made him a first-round pick in last April’s draft.
The former Clemson All-American, and ACC’s all-time leading rusher, believed he was poised to have a strong rookie season with the Jaguars. But then unfortunately, his season suddenly came to an end before it even got started, when he suffered a season-ending Lisfranc injury in the team’s second preseason game and had to undergo surgery.
“Definitely going into training camp, rookie minicamp, you’re definitely not thinking that your season’s going to be ended by injury,” Etienne said this week in an appearance on The Players Club Podcast, hosted by former Clemson running back Darien Rencher.
“So, just fast forward, rookie minicamp, having a great minicamp – I mean, like the first couple days were kind of rough, but that’s in everything. But after those first couple hiccups, we were doing great out there. Like, just really showing people who I was for the first time in the Jaguar uniform. Just unfortunately derailed by the injury. But we were definitely headed in the right direction, and I felt like I would’ve had a great rookie season.”
Obviously, Etienne was disappointed after getting hurt and being forced to sit out his entire rookie year, and he wishes the injury wouldn’t have occurred.
But looking at the positives in the situation, Etienne feels he gained perspective — and peace — while being sidelined and having to watch his teammates take the field without him.
The time he had to spend away from playing the game has rekindled Etienne’s love for it, and when he does return to action next season, he wants to be more passionate about football than ever and not take getting to play the sport for granted.
“I just felt like God — just trying to make sense of the injury — I felt like he sat me down for a reason and I felt like he kind of gave me a perspective that I never had about football,” he said. “So, I felt like throughout my injury, I kind of found love in the game. And man, I’m really happy — I’m not happy it happened, but I find peace in knowing why it happened. So, really just can’t wait to get back out there.”
Etienne — the ACC career record-holder for rushing yards (4,952), total touchdowns (78), rushing touchdowns (70) and points (468) — said last month that his rehab was going well and he expected to be ready for training camp come July. He told Rencher that he started squatting in the weight room for the first time last week, has been running for a while now, and is “getting to that 80 percent to 85 percent range” in his recovery.
“I feel like throughout my injury I kind of found love in the game.” @swaggy_t1, @Jaguars RB, on the perspective he gained from his season ending injury
Full Episode: https://t.co/7kU7cAKWvJ pic.twitter.com/5ra8aElOma
— The Players Club Podcast (@playersclub_pod) February 18, 2022
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