Ad Disclosure
Travis Etienne says nobody from Clemson watched Heisman Trophy ceremony
Published:
When the Heisman Trophy ceremony commenced in early December, nobody in the Clemson locker room was watching. That’s what running back Travis Etienne is saying as the third-ranked Tigers take on No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday.
Clemson is the only team in the College Football Playoff this season who didn’t have a player in New York as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy earlier this month. Despite strong seasons from quarterback Trevor Lawrence and Etienne, performances from LSU’s Joe Burrow, Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts and Ohio State’s Justin Fields and Chase Young were too strong to overcome.
Because none of the Tigers were in New York, nobody from Clemson decided to tune in to the ceremony.
“I don’t think anyone on our team watched it, honestly,” Etienne said, according to 247Sports.
Burrow went on to win the Heisman Trophy, taking a majority of the first-place votes. The LSU quarterback led the Tigers to a perfect 13-0 record while throwing for 4,715 yards and 48 touchdowns this season.
There was some belief that Etienne should’ve received an invitation, rushing for 1,500 yards and 17 touchdowns while adding 298 yards and two scores as a receiver. He maintained an 8.24 yards per carry average and didn’t see action in many fourth quarters this fall, with Clemson winning all 13 games by an average of 35 points per contest.
Regardless, neither he nor Lawrence were invited, so Clemson decided not to watch. We’ll see if they use it as added fuel for the Fiesta Bowl showdown on Saturday.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB