Travis Etienne Jr. feels ‘whole again’ after returning to Louisiana – Saints Wire

Travis Etienne Jr.’s move to sign with the New Orleans Saints has meant more to him than just joining a new team. For the Jennings, La., native, it has already become a return to the place where he feels most comfortable. Etienne discussed the homecoming in a recent appearance on Pardon My Take, opening up about what it means to be back in Louisiana. After spending five seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Etienne is back home.
“I mean, man, this is the best feeling, honestly,” Etienne said. “Just being back home, being around my family. I feel like my family is really important to me, and I didn’t realize how much I was missing them because I was always so busy with work. I was always able to just distract myself on my job. But whenever I got home, it’s like I’m still doing my job, but I just got this feeling of comfort, I guess, or just this sense of — I just feel whole again, really.”
The 27-year-old running back said one of the biggest things that has changed is that he can call his mom to tell her he’s coming home for the weekend, knowing that she’d cook him a home-cooked meal. The meal of choice? Gumbo.
And with all of the food New Orleans and the state of Louisiana pride themselves on, there’s also the challenge of not indulging too much. Etienne admitted that if he had started his NFL career in New Orleans, it might have been a problem.
“I feel like if I hadn’t gotten drafted here and I hadn’t learned the things I learned just being in the NFL, I would’ve been terrible,” Etienne said. He added that his habits would have reflected the way he ate in high school. Now, after five years in the league, Etienne has a much better understanding of the diet and discipline required to sustain success.
The former Jaguars running back signed a four-year, $48 million contract with the Saints this offseason after his fifth-year contract and his rookie contract expired. Etienne rushed for over 1,100 yards and 13 total touchdowns in 17 games played last season. He now looks to bring that same impact to New Orleans, where he’ll be just under three hours from home.

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