Former Jayhawk Etienne eager for reunion at bowl

Kansas University football fans who weren’t planning to travel for the Jayhawks’ date in the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando, Fla., might be reconsidering their holiday schedules after Tuesday night’s storm dumped two inches of snow and ice on Lawrence.

Leo Etienne, for one, was happy to be home in sunny Florida.

“I love Kansas, but I will never miss that snow,” said Etienne, an Auburndale, Fla., native who played two years at Hutchinson Community College and two more at KU before returning to the Sunshine State.

Etienne completed his communications degree last spring and landed an internship through the Big 12 Conference with Florida Citrus Sports — the organization that runs the Tangerine Bowl — and will be on hand when KU (6-6) plays North Carolina State (7-5) Dec. 22.

“I’m excited,” Etienne said in a phone interview. “What a coincidence to have this job and be in this position, and now the team I helped build is coming here.”

Waiting for a chance

Etienne was KU’s second-leading tackler in 2001 and 2002. The co-captain had two sacks, three pass break-ups and two fumble recoveries as a senior, but the former junior-college All-American went undrafted and was not offered a free-agent contract in the NFL. He had a tryout with the Buffalo Bills, but was not picked up.

That doesn’t mean the linebacker has given up his dream. He’s still training and hopes he’ll be invited to more tryouts in the offseason.

“My intended goal is to prove myself so I can get on somebody’s team and showcase my talent,” he said. “I feel like there’s no team that has given me a genuine opportunity to go out and practice day in and day out so I can show what I can do. Once I get that opportunity, I feel like I can win people over.”

<i>” border=”0″/> Leo Etienne’s bio</a><a href=</i>” border=”0″/> 6Sports video: Jayhawks practice for bowl game</a></td> </tr> </table> </div> </div> <h3>Magic kingdom</h3> <p>Etienne might be an intern, but he’s living the good life. He’s living — at least part-time — in the $6 million home of childhood friend Tracy McGrady. The Orlando Magic guard purchased the five-bedroom mansion in a gated community from the widow of golfer Payne Stewart.</p> <p>“He knew my situation, as far as me getting out of school and playing ball,” Etienne said. “He knew I still had it in me and knew I still wanted to do that. He took it upon himself to invite me to come stay there. I try not to make it a full-time deal, even though he invited me to.”</p> <p>It’s not a bad place to live if you can put up with the neighbors — Ken Griffey, Jr., Shaquille O’Neal and Tiger Woods own homes on the other side of the lake.</p> <p>“I can’t even describe it,” Etienne said of McGrady’s house. “It’s really big. Once you get familiar with it, you get the hang of it. At times, I still come across doors that I’d never come across before.”</p> <p>Living with McGrady has other benefits. Etienne worked out with the NBA standout for two months last summer.</p> <p>“You gain strength mentally more so than physically,” he said. “You’re automatically going to gain physical strength because you’re training your body, but to see somebody on that level that’s an elite player in the NBA and pattern some of the things you do after someone who has a mentality like his is a great experience.”</p> <p>Etienne, who played at 205 pounds at KU, is up to 218.</p> <p>“That’s as big as I’ve ever been,” he said. “That comes from working out with Tracy, and his trainer put me on a good diet.”</p> <p>Etienne said he stayed with McGrady four days a week. He also spends time with his family 30 miles to the west in Auburndale, where his 3-year-old daughter, Yasmin, lives with his mother.</p> <p>“It’s been great because when I was in school I wasn’t able to spend as much time with her as I would have liked,” he said. “Being away, she would come visit me from time to time, but now that I’m here it’s a moment I wouldn’t trade for anything. It’s a genuine opportunity to see her grow and develop.”</p> <h3>What lies ahead</h3> <p>If Etienne can’t have a career playing football, he might have one promoting it.</p> <p>“I’ve made a lot of good connections here,” said Etienne, whose internship runs through May. “It’s a great experience. This is one of the best internships a person could have. It’s not like I’m an errand boy getting coffee and those kinds of things. I have duties. It’s hands-on. I’m not sitting in meetings taking notes.”</p> <p>Etienne is involved with three Florida Citrus events — the Tangerine Bowl, the Capital One Bowl and the Gridiron Classic — in Orlando. One of his main responsibilities is promoting the Bowl Patch, a $10 souvenir that gives fans discounts on dining, shopping, golf, entertainment and hotels in the area.</p> <p>“You can’t beat that,” he said, “because Orlando is a great vacation spot.”</p> <p>On game days, Etienne will work in team support.</p> <p>“Whatever the team needs, I’m their liaison,” he said. “If they need something, they alert me, and I contact the appropriate people and make sure they get taken care of.”</p> <p>That means Etienne — who never played on a winning team at KU — will be taking care of coach Mark Mangino and the Jayhawks Dec. 22 when they make their first bowl appearance since 1995.</p> <p>“I’m excited,” he said. “I’m glad. They deserve it. They play hard. Coach Mangino did what he set out to do, and that’s get here.”</p> <ul> <li>More free tickets: KU officials, who previously announced they would give free bowl tickets to students who registered with the athletic ticket office by Dec. 15, have another giveaway in the works. In a letter dated Dec. 3, Mangino and athletic director Lew Perkins offered two free tickets to former KU football players who responded by the same deadline set for students.</li> </ul> <p>As of Tuesday, KU had sold about 2,400 of the 12,000 tickets it was allotted by the Tangerine Bowl.</p> <script type=