Football

Ohio State RB TreVeyon Henderson says his purpose is to play 'for the glory of the Lord'

By Joshua Doering May 21, 2024
Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson shares about his faith at an event put on by The Walk Foundation. (Photo via X/@accessthewalk)

Ohio State football players TreVeyon Henderson, Emeka Egbuka and Gee Scott Jr. spent their Saturday interacting with fans and sharing the Gospel. They were part of an event at Upper Arlington (Ohio) High School organized by The Walk Foundation, which seeks to “provide a platform for collegiate and professional athletes to share their faith in Jesus Christ to their communities and the world.”

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More than 700 people registered for the event, according to WSYX. Henderson was contacted by Jacob Byrd, the foundation’s COO, and then recruited Egbuka and Scott to join him.

“Football is a gift that God has allowed me to play, and He’s given me a platform to continue to spread the Word, spread the Gospel and lead others to Him,” Henderson said. “That’s my purpose — to continue to play this game for the glory of the Lord.”

The Hopewell, Virginia, native had one of the best freshman seasons in program history in 2021, scoring a record-breaking 19 total touchdowns and rushing for 1,248 yards. He entered his sophomore year with massive expectations but was limited to eight games because of a foot injury, and missed the Buckeyes’ 42-41 loss to Georgia in the Peach Bowl.

The injury was a turning point in Henderson’s life.

“At that time, I was building my life on the wrong foundation,” he said recently on “The Walk Podcast.” “I was living my life for the wrong things. I was living for football. I couldn’t see who I was outside of being a football player.”

Henderson felt the Lord calling him to reflect on his life, and he began to build a personal relationship with God. OSU strength and conditioning coach Kenny Parker helped Henderson get started reading the New Testament. He came across examples of Jesus healing people and prayed to be healed from the sleep paralysis that he’d struggled with for years. All of a sudden, it disappeared.

Since giving his life to the Lord, Henderson’s perspective and priorities have shifted dramatically.

“When I turned to Him and accepted Him into my life, He changed me,” he said on the podcast. “He filled me with this love that you can’t find nowhere else. You can’t find it in money. You can’t find it in women. You can’t find it in football. You can’t find it in your family members.”

Henderson rushed for 926 yards and 11 touchdowns in 10 games last season. Eligible to enter the NFL draft, he initially thought he was going to do so. The more he thought about it and prayed, though, the more he felt like God was calling him back to Ohio State. He concluded that the things pushing him toward the draft were worldly desires he wanted, not God’s plan for him.

On Jan. 12, Henderson announced he was returning to Columbus. His caption for his social media post was Proverbs 3:5-6.

When Henderson takes the field this season for the Buckeyes, he will do so with one objective: bring glory to God.

“I never knew my identity in this world, I never knew my purpose, until I met the Lord,” Henderson said on the podcast. “He gave me an identity. I’m His child, and He made me His child. He gave me a purpose, and that’s to live my life for Him.”

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