Ohio State RB TreVeyon Henderson Reveals Battles With Mental Health

Ohio State Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson revealed that he has struggled with mental health battles off of the field.

Dec 29, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) runs upfield past Missouri Tigers defensive lineman Josh Landry (90) during the fourth quarter of the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium. Ohio State lost 14-3. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA

Ohio State Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson is one half of one of the top backfield duos in the nation, and one of the best players in the Big Ten.

Last season, he took over as the main back, and alongside Marvin Harrison Jr., was the key to Ohio State's success on the offensive side of the ball. And though he was sidelined by injuries for multiple weeks, he still nearly reached the 1,000-yard mark.

However his battle with injuries was nothing compared to what he has faced in his past. In an interview with Eleven Warriors, the Buckeyes star opened up about his issues with mental health after watching his mother struggle to raise him and his family.

Among those issues, were battles with sleep paralysis and depression, with Henderson even admitting that at one point that he had thoughts of taking his own life.

Sep 16, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) gets a block from offensive lineman Josh Fryar (70) during the second half of the NCAA football game against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won 63-10. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA

Fortunately, Henersonson's mother got him involved in football, which helped him channel his issues.

"It broke me at a young age. I wanted to help her,” Henderson told Eleven Warriors. “I’d just see her crying, there was nothing I could do being at that young age. I became so dark at the time. Sometimes, I’d be alone, and these evil thoughts would pop into my head about taking my own life... That’s why my mom put me in football. Football became a way that I could drive that anger."

Now heading into his final season with the Buckeyes, Henderson has found another way to deal with his mental health issues as well as come to grips with his frustrations due to injury - his faith.

“When I look back on my life, I see that God was there the whole time,” Henderson said in the interview. “He was there when I was feeling those suicidal thoughts. He was there when I was feeling depressed and hurt. He was there the whole time, just waiting patiently for me to see. I’m so thankful that, at just the right time when I lost all hope in my life, that he allowed me to see that he was right there.”

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If you are struggling with mental health, please contact the suicide and crisis hotline by dialing 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.