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Not many NFL players get to suit up for their hometown team, but Travis Etienne Jr. is all but glowing with excitement to do just that this fall. The centerpiece of the New Orleans Saints' free agency class watched games with his family just a few hours away and scrimmaged with his brother pretending they were star running backs back in 2000s. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone more hyped up to wear black and gold.
Etienne chopped it up on The Jim Rome Show, where he was asked to highlight his favorite Saints players growing up in Louisiana. As a running back, his answers shouldn't shock you.
"When I actually think about it, I had a lot of favorite players, but just two off the top of my head, I would say Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush," Etienne answered. "But I really loved Marques Colston as well. I feel like I would have Colston, Colston was a top player for me."
When asked what he admired about McAllister, Etienne pointed to his day-in, day-out consistency and work not just on the field running hard between the tackles but what he did off the field in the community. It's an example he feels he can follow up on. But with Bush, he remembers well the star power the Heisman Trophy winner brought to New Orleans in a low moment during the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
"I feel like Reggie Bush, he was just before his time, you know? I feel like if Reggie Bush played in today's game he would be a legend, he would be a top-five running back right now. Just the way that he did it at USC. And then to come to the Saints, to get the opportunity. He was just one of those first running backs with the juice, the flash, the being able to make you miss, he didn't mind just cutting it back all the way across the field. He was one of the first guys in the league to bring that," Etienne said.
So it's safe to say Etienne knows exactly what kind of expectations he's shouldering in New Orleans. He knows how transformative a dynamic running back can be and how great an influence someone of his status can have on the fanbase. As a Louisiana product, he'll be feeling it even more deeply. Look for him to hit the ground running when the Saints kick off training camp this summer.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints RB Travis Etienne Jr was a fan of Reggie Bush, Deuce McAllister
Continue reading...
Etienne chopped it up on The Jim Rome Show, where he was asked to highlight his favorite Saints players growing up in Louisiana. As a running back, his answers shouldn't shock you.
"When I actually think about it, I had a lot of favorite players, but just two off the top of my head, I would say Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush," Etienne answered. "But I really loved Marques Colston as well. I feel like I would have Colston, Colston was a top player for me."
When asked what he admired about McAllister, Etienne pointed to his day-in, day-out consistency and work not just on the field running hard between the tackles but what he did off the field in the community. It's an example he feels he can follow up on. But with Bush, he remembers well the star power the Heisman Trophy winner brought to New Orleans in a low moment during the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
"I feel like Reggie Bush, he was just before his time, you know? I feel like if Reggie Bush played in today's game he would be a legend, he would be a top-five running back right now. Just the way that he did it at USC. And then to come to the Saints, to get the opportunity. He was just one of those first running backs with the juice, the flash, the being able to make you miss, he didn't mind just cutting it back all the way across the field. He was one of the first guys in the league to bring that," Etienne said.
So it's safe to say Etienne knows exactly what kind of expectations he's shouldering in New Orleans. He knows how transformative a dynamic running back can be and how great an influence someone of his status can have on the fanbase. As a Louisiana product, he'll be feeling it even more deeply. Look for him to hit the ground running when the Saints kick off training camp this summer.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints RB Travis Etienne Jr was a fan of Reggie Bush, Deuce McAllister
Continue reading...
