The New Orleans Saints have made a significant move by signing running back Travis Etienne Jr. in free agency, positioning him to likely take over as the lead back from Alvin Kamara. This signing marks a homecoming for Etienne, who returns to Louisiana with a surprising announcement: we've all been pronouncing his name wrong.
During his introductory press conference, shared by the Saints on X, Etienne clarified that his name is pronounced "Ay-Chan," not "Eee-Tee-En." This revelation comes after nearly a decade of his name being mispronounced throughout his college and NFL career.
Etienne explained, "Growing up, it was Travis 'Ay-Chan,' so it was 'Achane.' But when I went to college, I kept telling them my name every day... after four weeks, they couldn't get it, so I'm like 'Eee-Tee-En.'"
This isn't the first time an NFL running back has had to correct the pronunciation of their last name to "Ay-Chan." De'Von Achane of the Miami Dolphins faced a similar situation when his name was mistakenly pronounced as "A-Chain."
As Etienne returns to his roots in Louisiana, he steps into the role of starting running back for the Saints, the team he grew up cheering for. This move not only brings him back home but also introduces an exciting new chapter for the Saints' offense.