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Running back Travis Etienne missed the entire 2021 season with the Jacksonville Jaguars after sustaining a season-ending foot injury in the preseason.
While being injured for a rookie NFL season isn't ideal, Etienne acknowledged Tuesday he picked a good one to miss, considering all the drama with Urban Meyer's short-lived tenure as coach in Jacksonville. The team went 3-14 and now holds the first pick in the draft for the second straight year.
"Just seeing the results, you're definitely like, 'Whew, if there was any year to miss, I missed a great one,'" Etienne said.
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Etienne was a standout running back at Clemson before the Jaguars selected him with the 25th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. At the time, Meyer envisioned Etienne in a role similar to Percy Harvin or Deebo Samuel of the San Francisco 49ers, and the Jaguars selected him despite also having running back James Robinson on the roster.
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne carries in a preseason game in New Orleans Aug. 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Derick Hingle)
But that role never came to fruition after Etienne was injured in the preseason. He has yet to play an NFL regular season down and is about 85-90% recovered from the Lisfranc injury to his left foot he suffered last August, he said Tuesday.
Now that the disastrous Meyer tenure is in the rearview mirror, this year is a fresh start for the Jaguars and quarterback Trevor Lawrence, Etienne's teammate at Clemson.
The Jaguars now have Doug Pederson, a Super Bowl-winning coach, as their head coach after he signed with the team earlier this year.
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer stands on the sideline during the final minutes of a game against the Arizona Cardinals Sept. 26, 2021, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough, File)
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Etienne, who underwent surgery for his injury, said he started to feel better once he began rehabbing at the team facility in Jacksonville.
"I didn't realize it then, but I kind of was in a depressed state, just not being able to do the things I love to do," Etienne said, via ESPN. "It was my foot, so I couldn't do anything. So it was just really weird, and I really didn't realize how much it took a toll on me. But having my mom there, she kind of helped me just stay in tune with myself and not let me lose myself. When I was able to get back into the building to the guys, that really helped me a lot, just seeing them each and every day and just living through them."
Etienne said the only time his injury bothers him is when it gets sore after a long workout.
Clemson running back Travis Etienne runs for a touchdown during the first half of the Atlantic Coast Conference championship against Notre Dame in Charlotte, N.C Dec. 19, 2020. (AP Photo/Brian Blanco, File)
When healthy, Etienne has the potential to be an explosive weapon for the Jaguars. He rushed for 4,952 yards and averaged 7.2 yards per carry over four seasons at Clemson. He also totaled 1,155 receiving yards and 78 total touchdowns during college.
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"I'm sure they plan on getting the ball in my hands," Etienne said of his role with the Jaguars this season. "I feel like I'm a special player with the ball in my hands."