TreVeyon Henderson Shows Another Side on Podcast

Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson recently got real with fans about some of his hardest battles growing up. 

He joined The Walk podcast, a show dedicated to allowing athletes to share their spiritual beliefs. Henderson joined the second episode and shared stories about his childhood, his injury, and how he found his spiritual side. 

Life in Hopewell, Virginia

Henderson started by discussing what his life was like growing up. He said growing up in Hopewell, Virginia was “rough” as he saw many things he shouldn’t have at a young age. (0:57-1:02)

The running back noted that part of him was grateful to see so much, though. Without it, he may have not realized that he didn’t want to go down the paths of others he grew up with. (0:50-1:37)

Henderson also added that having a single mother shaped him in more ways than one. Growing up, he noticed how hard she worked to provide for him and his brothers. He hoped that by pursuing football, he would be able to pay back all of her hard work and sacrifices. (2:00-3:00)

“At that time, that was my purpose for playing the game. It was also an escape hatch to you know… with so much anger and emotion that was built up in me, I was able to take that out onto the field at that time.” (3:05-3:17)

The wrong state of mind

He shared that when Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals first presented themselves, he was in the wrong headspace. When he tried to keep playing with torn ligaments and a broken bone, it seemed only to make things worse.

“When I went through that injury, at that time, I was building my life on the wrong foundation. I was living my life for the wrong things, I was living for football [and] I couldn’t see who I was outside of being a football player,” said Henderson. (8:07-8:19)

“My whole life, like I said, seeing my mother struggling [and] go through everything she went through, my purpose was to start chasing money so I could pay [her] back. So, when NIL first came out, I started to make a little bit more money than I’ve ever had. I thought that once I [had] that, I would be happy again. I thought I would be at peace, but what I realized is that that money just led me to more problems, that money led me to destruction.” (8:20-8:52)

A new trajectory for Henderson

Henderson also shared his struggles with suicidal thoughts and sleep paralysis, saying that they affected his life greatly. However, he made progress with both issues when he took on a new belief system for his life.

This is when Henderson said he found the Lord and got his life back on track. He even mentioned that he believes athletes who use their platforms to vocalize their faith are great role models.

“It’s so amazing [that] God has put us athletes in this position for a reason and I pray we can continue to use this platform that he has blessed us with and that he has given us to point people to him,” Henderson stated. (26:46-27:00)

In terms of his legacy, he said he wants people to think of not just him, but of his spiritual beliefs and the values he lives by. (39:11-39:28)

Check out the full interview here. You can also take a look at this article from Eleven Warriors where Henderson shares more about his journey.

Victoria Jonach is an aspiring writer and media analyst fascinated by what kinds of activities players participate in off the football field. Growing up in New Jersey, she is a New York Giants fan and attends Rutgers University, pursuing a career in Journalism and Media Studies. She writes for FirstRoundMock.com covering anticipated draft picks and their acts of volunteerism, entrepreneurship, and other interests that shape these individuals.