When it comes to Clemson’s Travis Etienne, mom knows best

Did Clemson football really know how good sophomore running back Travis Etienne was when he committed on Jan. 26, 2017? Probably not. But even if they didn’t, someone close to him in Louisiana did.

Since arriving at Clemson, running back Travis Etienne has made an immediate impact on the Clemson football team by racking up a team-high 766 yards and 13 touchdowns as a freshman and 1,463 yards and a school-record 21 touchdowns this season.

The sophomore has also racked up awards including ACC Player of the Year, ACC Offensive Player of the Year, ESPN All-American, Sporting News All-American and second team AP All-American. He was also a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award(best-all around player), finalist for the Doak Walker(top running back) and finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting.

Not too shabby for the resident of Jennings, Louisiana, a small town with a population slightly over 10,000, or the No. 15 player in the 247Sports Composite 2017 running back rankings or the former high school junior who once upon a time only had offers from Kansas, South Alabama, UL Monroe and Louisiana Tech.

Donnetta Etienne, Travis’s mom and 20-year sports mom, saw how special her son could be before any college offer.

We recently caught up with Momma Etienne, who describes herself as “hands on” and “vocal” in most of her kids activities including football, for a quick chat about her son and Clemson.

Q: Travis has received a plethora of awards and honors this season and there could be more headed his way. How proud of him are you? 

Proud. Very proud. I’m happy, because I’ve watched Travis play football since he was seven. And I’ve seen him transition from high school to college and do the same things. That 75-yard touchdown run. I saw him do that same exact play when he was seven and in high school? So it’s like the world is just seeing what I already knew.

Q: Like you said, you’ve seen him make plays since he was seven. What changes, if any, have you noticed in his running style since he started attending Clemson? 

I can see patience and discipline as he is learning his techniques. In high school, he was free running and doing it all off of raw talent. But now I can see a difference in what coach Tony[Elliott] is teaching him. He still has the same running style but his delivery is different.

Q: Travis seems like such a humble young man. How is he handling all of the notoriety and attention that he is receiving? 

He’s a regular person. He’s never going to say anything about it. When he is home, we don’t talk football. He just wants to be home. We don’t make football a focal point because it’s a focal point all the time. We just love up on each other as a family.

Q: A few times this season, he was noticeably frustrated with himself. When he gets a little frustrated does Mom get a call and what do you say to him? 

I tell him if he’s disappointed or frustrated that everybody makes mistakes. When you mess up, you don’t dwell on it. Just move onto the next. Travis is sort of like a perfectionist. When you have a perfectionist, they are really overachieving people. So when they mess up. Oh, it’s the end of the world. But it’s just life. I tell him you have to take the bitter with the sweet and move on.

Q: During the recruiting process, what did you think of Clemson? 

I always thought Clemson was a good university and one of the most prestigious schools in the country. But I was wowed when they actually looked at us, because we are 10 hours away and a 3A school. It felt good to have one of the best schools contacting you. He had SEC and Big 10 schools but we never figured ACC.

Q: So after having Travis there for two years. What do you think of Clemson now? 

Oh, I love Clemson. I love the people and Coach Dabo. I couldn’t have made a better choice in a college for my son. Those people love up on all the kids. I love that about them. The love is just unreal.

Q: I know the LSU Tigers are the first Tigers on the minds of most people in Jennings but have some embraced the orange Tigers at all? 

Well, you see more orange and white and Clemson flags flying. We have a community that has rallied around their hometown hero and that includes Clemson and LSU fans. I still watch LSU because it’s my hometown. But everyone has incorporated and embraced Clemson, and turn on the TVs on Saturdays to watch the games of both teams.

Q: Everybody sees Travis smile, run and score touchdowns. Aside from those things, what do you want people to know about your son? 

He’s a good human being. He’s just as good off the field as he is on the field. He’s a student athlete that has good grades and a humble caring person. He also gives back to the community by visiting camps or campuses when invited to speak to kids. You can even find him on the sideline of Jennings’ football games to show appreciation to his school and coach[Rusty] Phelps.