JACKSONVILLE – Travis Etienne Jr.'s belief remains strong.
Etienne, the Jaguars' second-year running back, in that sense agrees with his teammates and coaches about what happened a week ago and what to do next.
"We just hit a hard factory reset, and I feel like everybody's back on Ground Zero," Etienne said of the Jaguars' mindset following a one-sided loss to the Detroit Lions this past Sunday.
Etienne, the No. 25 overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, joined senior writer John Oehser for this 2022 Week 14 O-Zone Podcast. He discussed multiple topics, including the importance of his hometown and family shaping him as a player and a person.
"My family is really my backbone," he said, adding of his hometown of Jennings, La.: "It's very important. My mom always told me, 'Never forget where you come from.' Jennings is a place where you would hear, 'It takes a village to raise a kid.' I had all my friends around my neighborhood. We used to hang out together and their parents were like my parents.
"Everyone instilled things in me that lasted a lifetime and I'm thankful for how I grew up. I feel like it shaped me just to be true to who I am."
Etienne discussed, too, the task of playing the AFC South-leading Tennessee Titans a week after a 40-14 loss to the Lions in Detroit last week.
"We're excited for the opportunity to show ourselves, just to show the world who we really are," Etienne said. "We feel like last week wasn't who we are. We didn't put our best self on film. We want to go out there and try to fix that. We're thankful we have another opportunity. We can't let that happen again.
"Everybody's locked on this moment. It's the biggest game of our season."
Etienne, after missing his rookie season with a Lisfranc injury, moved into the starting lineup in Week 6 and has rushed for 782 yards and four touchdowns on 146 carries this season.
He has proven himself one of the NFL's more explosive running backs with six carries of more than 27 yards, further proving to himself the level he can reach professionally after setting Atlantic Coast Conference rushing and touchdown records as an All-America running back at Clemson University.
"You see it now," Etienne said. "Instead of just having that vision in your head, now you have something to rely on. So, I feel it definitely helps. But my confidence was never a problem. I've been playing football my whole life and I've kind of been good ever since I started playing. I feel like I've always had that skillset and the will to make it work.
"I have great players around me. They're professionals and they make my job a lot easier. I feel like I have the best athletes around me, so why wouldn't I be good on the biggest stage."
Listen in to the entire O-Zone Podcast with Etienne, below. To view more episodes of the O-Zone Podcast, click HERE.
