JACKSONVILLE—It seems almost impossible that Travis and Trevor Etienne have never shared a football field before. These are two brothers who grew up passionate about the same sport and even played the same position. Surely at some point, whether pee-wee, high school, or club, they would've played together, right?

But as Trevor Etienne stood in front of his locker on Thursday, head tilted as he did some quick timeline math, he realized his initial assumption was true.

"Yeah, we've never been on the field together," the Panthers rookie running back concluded. "So he's six years older than me. We're six years apart. So this is our first time."

Anytime two brothers suit up on an NFL field together, it's special. While there have been over 350 sets of brothers (and counting) to compete in the NFL, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, that is still a small number relative to the number of players who have come through the league in the past 100 years.

For the Panthers' Etienne, the fact that his first time on an NFL field will be across from his brother is not lost on him.

"We've been talking about it since we found out about it; now go out there and compete against each other," said Etienne.

Added Travis, while speaking with local Jacksonville media during training camp, "I feel like it's already a dream come true, but it's going to be a surreal moment. It's something that me and him kind of joked about, laughed about growing up as kids, but we always knew it could happen."

And from a young age, they both have gone about making it happen.

Travis was the first to leave the nest in Louisiana, heading to Clemson, where he won a National Championship, was twice named the ACC Player of the Year, and was drafted in the first round (No. 25 overall) by the Jaguars in 2021. He missed his entire rookie season due to an ACL injury, but during his last three seasons, he's accumulated 487 rushes for 2,691 yards and 16 rushing touchdowns, plus 93 receptions for 792 yards and one receiving touchdown.

If he continues his production today, in the opening game, Trevor will be experiencing two very distinct emotions on the Panthers' sideline.

"I mean, I probably still would be like 'good job' internally. I'm still rooting for him, like everyone knows that, but it's us against them at the end of the day, so I'm rooting for him, but I want us to win," smiled Trevor.

"I want him to have the best game he can, but they just can't leave victorious."

Trevor Etienne started his college career at Florida, making it easy for his parents to attend both their sons' games when the Gators and Jaguars had home weekends. For his final season, the back transferred to Georgia. He finished his three-year college career with a total of 371 rushes for 2,081 yards and 23 touchdowns, plus 32 receptions for 194 yards. He scored the game-winning touchdown for the Bulldogs in the 2024 SEC Championship.

"We've kind of just been Snapchatting every day, keeping each other up with everything," Travis shared. "Coach Bernie [Panthers Running Backs Coach Bernie Parmalee] is his running backs coach, and they had FaceTimed me the other day. They were joking and laughing.

"I just feel like that kind of gives me—I'm not really nervous for him, because I know he's got somebody over there looking out for him, somebody that's going to take him under his wing, because I know what Coach Bernie is about. He was here three years, so I just love the fact that he has somebody to help him and be there for him outside of football as well."

Etienne will have plenty of time to find his feet as a rookie, though, considering the Panthers running back unit is headlined by two 1,000-yard rushers, in Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle. In the meantime, Carolina will get the ball in Etienne's hands, however possible, as their primary returner on special teams.

"He's an outstanding catcher. He's a great athlete," said special teams coordinator Tracy Smith. "You'd love for him to hold the ball for the Panthers. So if it's a special teams play, if it's an offensive play, no different there—same thing, with Rico on kickoff return. If you can get another opportunity with one of those guys with the ball, if it comes on special teams, it comes on special teams. So yeah, anybody who we can try to make yards with on any play, let's go for it."

Whatever either brother puts on the box score Sunday afternoon, though, the day is really about those in the stands.

The Etienne family and close friends will be rolling deep in Jacksonville. While the two brothers are excited about taking the field together, they know it's those watching who will really treasure the day, starting with mom, Donnetta, who will be rocking her split jersey.

"They're everywhere," said Trevor of his mom's emotions this week. "Not a lot of people get to experience this moment, and I'm just really blessed to be in this position, and so are they, the family, so I'm just excited about it. Can't wait for Sunday."

Added Travis, "You don't just wake up and be an NFL player; it doesn't work like that. You have to put in a lot of hard work, sacrifice; my parents had to sacrifice, my sisters, all my family had to sacrifice for us to be in this moment. So, I feel like it's a testament to my family, honestly. That's what that day is going to be. I know they're going to be there deep to support us, and we're really here because of them. I feel like it's going to be our way of just repaying them back by going out there and competing against each other."

As the brothers' NFL careers continue, competing against each other could become more common, à la the Watt brothers, Longs, Kelces, and others. But this one on Sunday, the first one, will always be the most special.

"We played in the backyard growing up," remembered Trevor, "so I guess it's, you know, back to those days."

The Etienne family and close friends will be rolling deep in Jacksonville. While the two brothers are excited about taking the field together, they know it's those watching who will really treasure the day, starting with mom, Donnetta, who will be rocking her split jersey.

"They're everywhere," said Trevor of his mom's emotions this week. "Not a lot of people get to experience this moment, and I'm just really blessed to be in this position, and so are they, the family, so I'm just excited about it. Can't wait for Sunday."

Added Travis, "You don't just wake up and be an NFL player; it doesn't work like that. You have to put in a lot of hard work, sacrifice; my parents had to sacrifice, my sisters, all my family had to sacrifice for us to be in this moment. So, I feel like it's a testament to my family, honestly. That's what that day is going to be. I know they're going to be there deep to support us, and we're really here because of them. I feel like it's going to be our way of just repaying them back by going out there and competing against each other."

As the brothers' NFL careers continue, competing against each other could become more common, à la the Watt brothers, Long's, Kelce's, and others. But this one on Sunday, the first one, will always be the most special.

"We played in the backyard growing up," remembered Trevor, "so I guess it's, you know, back to those days."