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There are plenty of professional athletes who have names that are somewhat difficult to pronounce. You might not think Travis Etienne Jr. is a member of that group at first glance, but it turns out most people have been saying his last name wrong since he made his college debut close to ten years ago.
More than 23,000 people have played at least one snap in an NFL game since its inception. Eight of those men have been named Mike Williams, which is both the most common combination of the same first and last name in the history of the league and one most people wouldn’t have much trouble pronouncing.
That is not the case with plenty of others with a name capable of stopping your tongue in its tracks if you’ve never encountered it before, a lengthy list that includes guys like T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Michael Hoomanawanui, Kyle Juszczyk, and Ndamukong Suh.
There are also other names that are seemingly straightforward at first glance but have a phonetic pronunciation that may not align with your expectations. Examples in that category include Luke Kuechly and LeGarrette Blount, and it turns out we can add one of the newest members of the Saints to the club.
Travis Etienne Jr. says people have been pronouncing his last name wrong since he was a freshman at Clemson
Travis Etienne made his college debut with Clemson in 2017 before the Jaguars selected the running back with the 25th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Last season marked his fifth and final one in Jacksonville, as he signed a four-year, $52 million deal with the Saints after free agency kicked off this month.
Most college and NFL teams put together a pronunciation guide broadcasters can turn to when they’re calling games. It doesn’t appear the Jaguars are among that group based on a glimpse at the media guide where it can typically be found, but most NFL announcers have taken a literal page out of the one Clemson produced during Etienne’s time with the Tigers, which said his last name is pronounced “EE-tee-ehn.”
That tracks with the typical pronunciation of a popular first name in France, where Etienne is the country’s equivalent of “Steve” (it’s derived from the name “Estienne,” which in turn is taken from “Stephanos,” the Greek word for “crown” or “wreath”).
However, Etienne held an introductory press conference on Friday where he set the record straight by saying his last name is actually pronounced “Ay-chan,” noting he attempted to stress that reality when he arrived at Clemson before giving up after people failed to adopt it.
PSA: Travis Etienne Jr. on how to pronounce his last name pic.twitter.com/UNfFdXcrCg
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) March 13, 2026
The real pronunciation is a product of the French-Cajun environment where the Louisiana native was raised, and it would make sense that he wants to reclaim it now that he’s playing in New Orleans.
However, there’s also an interesting twist: his younger brother Trevor, the former Georgia running back who was selected by the Panthers in the 2025 NFL Draft, said he’s been going with the “E-T-N” pronunciation his “whole life” in an interview he conducted in 2020.
I guess we’ll have to wait and see which route NFL broadcasters opt to go with this season.