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A week ago, when the Jacksonville Jaguars faced the Carolina Panthers, Clemson fans had the pleasure of watching familiar faces at the next level. Former Tigers teammates and 2018 national champions quarterback Trevor Lawrence, running back Travis Etienne, and wide receiver Hunter Renfrow were all back on the field together—only this time, it wasn’t Death Valley. It was EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville.
The trio once helped Clemson capture its third national championship on Jan. 7, 2019, dismantling No. 1 Alabama 44-16 to cap a 15-0 season. But on Sept. 7, Lawrence and Etienne suited up for Jacksonville, while Renfrow, returning to football after sitting out the 2024 season to recover from ulcerative colitis, made his Carolina debut.
Etienne, a fourth-year player, exploded for 143 yards on 16 carries in Jacksonville’s 26-10 victory, but his performance wasn’t the only story. On the opposite sideline stood his younger brother, Trevor Etienne, making his NFL debut with the Panthers.
“Just locked in,” Travis noted afterward about his first 100-yard game since 136 yards against Buffalo on Oct. 8, 2023. “I let my preparation from this off-season kind of propel me forward. And just knowing that I put the work in, I was able to just play free. And that's a testament to the work that I put in this off-season. And it just showed up when the bright lights was on.”
Trevor, a rookie fourth-round pick, had a lighter workload rushing for four yards on one carry while handling kick and punt return duties. but his presence made the night unforgettable for the Etienne family.
“I was excited to see him, and share the field with him and have a conversation with my brother after the game,” Travis said about facing Trevor. “Just to know that he put all the work in to get to this level. And for him, I just want to see him keep going. It's his rookie year. I want to see him take advantage of opportunities and knowing great things are ahead.”
Their mother, Donnetta Etienne, sat in the stands soaking it all in, torn between teams but beaming with pride.
“There was a lot of emotion,” she said. “I was like, 'Yeah, Travis, good run,' and then when Carolina had the ball, I wanted the Jaguar player to make the tackle, but I wanted the Panthers' player to make it because my baby's on that team too.”
For the Etienne family, this moment had been decades in the making. Travis, the 25th pick in the 2021 Draft, has blossomed into a star alongside Lawrence in Jacksonville. Trevor, after two years at Florida and one at Georgia, was drafted No. 114 overall by the Panthers in April. The brothers are the only players from Jennings High School in Jennings, Louisiana, a town of just over 10,000, to ever make it to the NFL.
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Clemson fans once dreamed of Trevor following his brother’s footsteps to Death Valley, but Donnetta said he wanted to blaze his own trail.
Did she think both sons would make it to the league?
“So the magnitude of what they came out to be? No. But I knew something was going to happen,” she admitted. “They were working out and doing different things together. I knew that each experience was going to be different, but going through the second time was so surreal. Like they say, lightning doesn't strike the same place twice. But it did over here, and I thank God every day.”
Donnetta credited a strict household with Trevor Sr., extended family support, and a shared commitment to football for her sons’ rise.
“Travis had to be a stern role model for Trevor to follow, but he understood the assignment, as we all did. So football became a family organization for us.”
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“I'm very proud of my sons because they had to grow in the spotlight,” she said. “Travis had to be a stern role model for Trevor to follow, but he understood the assignment, as we all did. So football became a family organization for us. It's not just about Travis. It's not just about Trevor. It's not just about me. It's the whole family unit as a network.”
Now comes the balancing act of following two sons in the NFL. The family is no stranger to juggling schedules. Trevor’s college games often overlapped with Travis’s early years in Jacksonville, but the stakes are higher now.
“A lot of times, when I'm not there, dad is there,” Donnetta explained. “Somebody's with one of them. So now we're going to do it by the region. The ones in Louisiana, they kind of support the Louisiana and Texas games. If I'm in Florida, I kind of support this way. That's kind of like how we take it in regions.”
Before leaving Charlotte, Donnetta reflected once more on having her sons together for the season opener—a moment she described as "spooky" and beyond her "millions of dreams."
“First and foremost, I want to thank God for allowing us to have any of this, because it was all of him and none of us. And I thank him that he chose me, Travis, Trevor, my entire family, and our entire community that was around us to support our dream. Coach E, Dabo [Swinney], and we are all believers. I thank God for my network of people.”
The brothers are back on the field Sunday, this time in different stadiums. Jacksonville visits Cincinnati while Carolina heads west to face Arizona.
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