Clemson Football: Travis Etienne was almost an Aggie

Clemson football is at Texas A&M and Travis Etienne was once committed to the Aggies. Rusty Phelps, Etienne’s former football coach at Jennings High, talked to us about his former player, the Aggies, and Clemson. 

When sophomore running back Travis Etienne and his Clemson football teammates arrive in College Station, TX, Etienne will step onto a campus that was almost his home. He committed to Texas A&M in June of 2016 but decommitted later in early August.

Clemson started recruiting Etienne after the decommitment, and eventually, he committed to the Tigers on Jan. 26, 2017.

Now the Louisiana native from the small city of Jennings, with a population of over 10,000 people, feels right at home in the small city of Clemson, SC.

“The whole town of Clemson has embraced a kid from a small town in Louisiana. I think at the end of the day,” said Phelps. “He and his family made the best decision for him and that was to be in Clemson.”

Here is more of our conversation with Coach Phelps:

1) Travis had a good freshman year and his early success surprised a lot of people across the country. Did anything you saw from him surprise you?

Russell Phelps: I thought as the year progressed Travis got better at understanding the system. I always thought the running ability, the vision and catching the ball out of the backfield, those were some of the things, he would be able to handle quickly on the next level. Being the casual fan, I felt as the year went on, he got a better understanding of how to pass protect. It seems like he improved that aspect this spring and fall camp and it led to him being the starter.

2) On Saturday, he will face Texas A&M, the school that got his first commitment. Why was A&M initially the school for him?

Phelps: A lot of it had to be the proximity of home. That was one of the attractions. Coach Turner(Jim) did a really job of recruiting him. They did a really good job of selling the program. I think he made the decision early and hastily.

Check out this tweet from Etienne during a visit to Texas A&M.

3) Was it tough on him to decommit and how did that process unfold?

Phelps: I think it was. After having the red carpet rolled out for him and soaking it all in as a 16-17 year old, he committed. But later, he just stepped back. He said coach I need to come in and talk to you. I don’t know if I should have committed. I said well, we are going to handle it the professional way. We’re going to call Coach Sumlin(Kevin) and we’re going to tell him they are still in the mix, but we’re going to re-evaluate and see what happens at the end of February.

4) He’s been at Clemson for a year now and that decommitment happened in 2016. Is there any chance that he might be a little apprehensive about facing A&M? 

Phelps: I know the mentality of Travis. There are about two guys that were held over from the staff when he was there. Knowing Travis, it’s the next game. He’s going to prepare. He’s going to be ready to play. He understands the environment that he’s going into. I don’t think that will ever cross his mind. I think he will go out there and just do his best and play like he’s capable of playing.

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5) I know you speak to him regularly. Do you get the sense that Clemson was the right choice for him?

Phelps: Absolutely, 100%. Even leaving this part of the state, 90 miles from Baton Rouge, was a very tough decision for him, because he grew up an LSU fan. You see more Clemson stuff being worn around here on Saturday, flags in people’s yards. He’s like the hero of our town, and they are still supporting him until this day.

6) Specifically, what happens when he comes home? 

Phelps: When he comes home and goes to watch his brother play, people recognize him and it’s like the end of a Clemson game. People want pictures with him. People want autographs and want 5 or 10 minutes of his time. Being the type of person that he is, he always makes time for them. That’s Travis’s mentality. He is very humble. Even with all the publicity that he’s received, heisman watch, being named to several awards watch list, he’s still the same guy. He just kind of wants to be in the back and be a good teammate.