Mike Farrell Sports

College Football Recruiting, Opinion, and Analysis

Florida Gators Get Last Laugh as Trevor Etienne Discovers Karma is a Witch in 12-Inch Heels

Trevor Etienne transferred from Florida to Georgia and burned a bridge on his way out

Staff
Pin
Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson (10) tackles Florida Gators running back Trevor Etienne (7) during the third quarter of an NCAA football game Saturday
Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson (10) tackles Florida Gators running back Trevor Etienne (7) during the third quarter of an NCAA football game Saturday

By Rock Westfall

Trevor Etienne transferred from Florida to Georgia and burned a bridge on his way out. But on Sunday, Etienne was arrested on charges of driving under the influence, reckless driving, and two other misdemeanors. Now, the running back faces an uncertain future.

Etienne Ran His Mouth – Then He Ran Afoul  

Trevor Etienne caused a firestorm earlier this month based on comments he made about why he transferred from Florida to Georgia. Etienne told Georgia offensive lineman Tate Ratledge on his Real Talker Podcast that he was tired of being a backup on a losing team.

Etienne averaged over six yards per touch for Florida but was backing up Montrell Johnson. That status was not expected to change as the now-senior RB Johnson remains number one on the depth chart. Thus, Etienne took his talents to Athens. And then he ran his mouth.

“I mean, for me, it was like, does the good outweigh the bad, you know? I really, I’ve been with Florida for two years. I went through that whole process of rebuilding; it was kind of still rebuilding. And I felt like there were a lot of uncertainties like a lot of questions were unanswered, you know, there was a lot of unknown going on.”

Etienne continued;

“I feel like I can stay [at Florida] and do what I’ve been doing for another year or two or, you know, bet on myself and take a chance somewhere else. So, you know, pretty much to sum it up, it was like I could either be running back two on a losing team or go somewhere where, like, I wanted to play in December, too. That also played a big part in me transferring.

More Sports News

And then he dropped the mic;

“So I could stay, be running back two on a losing team or go somewhere and you know, possibly [be] running back one and win a natty.”

— Trevor Etienne on the Real Talk Podcast

Trevor Etienne needlessly turned himself into a villain. It was an unforced error that was easily avoidable. He unnecessarily burned a bridge, and now his football career is underwater.

Success Starved Florida Fans Celebrate  

Early Sunday morning, Etienne was booked on DUI/alcohol/less safe, reckless driving, failure to maintain lane/improper driving on the road, and affixing materials that reduce the visibility of windows/windshield.

Etienne was Georgia’s number-one RB on the depth chart. He has now likely blown his vision of starting for a top-tier favorite to win the national championship.

Etienne’s transfer is completely understandable. But his lack of class and discipline came back to bite him. He could have walked out the door with humility. Instead, he opened himself up for a fast fall and was in jail less than a month after bailing on Florida.

Naturally, there were plenty of juicy and spicey comments on social media and message boards about Etienne’s arrest. Florida fans feel beaten down by the Gators’ inability to turn the corner on head coach Billy Napier’s rebuild. Thus, they’ll take any win they can get, even if it’s of the off-field variety. 

While understandable, Florida’s schadenfreude is likely a brief respite from what looks like an almost certain season of misery. Etienne’s self-destruction does nothing to solve Napier’s program’s immediate problems.

Score Another “Win” for Players Rights

By the end of the week, Florida fans will get over their joy and go back to a forlorn assessment of their upcoming season and Napier’s program. Despite heavy investment and having a support staff that rivals many governments in size, Napier remains in one of the hottest seats in college football. And with a schedule ranked as among the toughest in the sport, Napier is considered not for long in Gainesville.

Meanwhile, Georgia will remain a national championship favorite. Over the past several cycles, head coach Kirby Smart has been a recruiting machine. Smart recruited the nation’s top-ranked classes in the past two years and has been in the top three every year since 2017.

So, from a football perspective, Etienne’s arrest will soon fade with no serious impact.

But from a life perspective, Etienne escaped a potential tragedy. He could have killed someone. Fortunately, no innocent persons were harmed. However, the number one RB on the Georgia Bulldogs likely destroyed his career.

Media, fans, and observers can say this is a good life lesson for other players at other programs to learn from. Sadly, we all know that will not be the case, especially in this era of player empowerment and entitlement.

Score another “win” for player’s rights.

Category: , Tag: , , , , ,
Pin

You’ll Also Like