This is Travis Etienne Jr.’s new jersey number with his new team. The newly signed running back from the New Orleans Saints wore No. 9 in college with the Clemson Tigers and switched to No. 1 after turning pro with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Obviously he wouldn’t accept the same number used by Drew Brees (no one would), but the No. 1 jersey has become vacant after the Tennessee Titans signed Alontae Taylor in free agency. Etienne had other plans. He will wear the number 3 jersey.
“I want to change the jersey,” Etienne told reporters at a press conference on Friday. “I feel like, one, it’s a cool number, but I feel like I’m a different person, a different player. I feel like I’ve matured. I’ve grown up. I’ve grown into a man. I’ve become my own person. I have my own son now. Life has changed. I feel like, that one Chapter has passed. I feel like I want a number here where I can create my own likes and leave a legacy. I mean, that’s the goal of leaving a legacy there and I feel like that’s why I’m here and why they brought me here.”
advertise
Those are some sobering thoughts for a 27-year-old, but the Saints value Etienne’s maturity and strong character. This is something Kellen Moore talked about extensively on Thursday. As leaders like Demario Davis move on, they’ll need a steady voice like Etienne to guide the locker room through the ups and downs of a transition year. Things aren’t always smooth sailing for a rebuilding team, but Etienne has a chance to make things easier for the New Orleans Saints.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: NFL Free Agency: Saints RB Travis Etienne Jr picks new jersey number
