TreVeyon Henderson didn't perform to the preseason All-American expectations set before him as a sophomore, but that was no fault of his own.
Henderson, who broke out for 1,560 total yards and 19 touchdowns in his first year with the program, was hobbled with various ailments in his second year as a Buckeye. On Sunday, he revealed the severity of his injuries that kept him off the field – and limited when he was on it – for most of the season.
“The culture here is just fine,” Henderson wrote in response to a now-deleted tweet that questioned his toughness and that of the team. “You try and come practice/play with torn ligaments and a broken bone in your foot every week.. My brothers know I been trying to do whatever it take to fight alongside of them every week. Carry on..”
The culture here is just fine. You try and come practice/ play with torn ligaments and a broken bone in your foot every week.. My brothers know I been trying to do whatever it take to fight alongside of them every week. Carry on..
— TreVeyon Henderson (@TreVeyonH4) November 28, 2022
Henderson started the year healthy and strong for Ohio State, collecting 178 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries in the first two games against then-No. 5 Notre Dame and Arkansas State. In the Buckeyes' Week 3 matchup with Toledo, however, he showed the first signs of the injury mentioned above on a 7-yard touchdown run early in the first quarter. Henderson exited the game after that run and was later seen in a walking boot following the contest.
Despite the discomfort shown only seven days prior, Henderson played the following week against Wisconsin and carried the ball 21 times for 121 yards. It wasn't until Ohio State hosted Rutgers in Week 5 that the Hopewell, Virginia, native would miss his first game. He returned for the Buckeyes' next game against Michigan State and rushed for 118 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries before exiting the contest early in the third quarter.
After Ohio State's bye week, Henderson played in only three of the Buckeyes' six remaining regular-season games against Iowa, Penn State and Maryland. He rushed for 135 yards and two touchdowns on 38 carries in those matchups. Henderson exited the Maryland game early in the second half in favor of freshman Dallan Hayden and was seen leaving SECU Stadium in College Park in a walking boot. He did not play in Ohio State's final regular-season game against Michigan.
Henderson has carried the ball 107 times for 571 yards and six touchdowns this season – a far cry from the statistical production he saw in his first year in Columbus, as his injury has prevented him from playing up to his usual standard for most of the season.
The Buckeyes will hope for their star running back to return to full strength in December as Ohio State prepares to play in either the College Football Playoff or a New Year's Six bowl game later in the month or at the start of 2023.
