FOXBOROUGH — Coming into the season, TreVeyon Henderson tried to set realistic expectations.
The rookie was joining a Patriots team that won just four games in 2024. He was expecting an incremental climb back to respectability.
“I remember going into the season thinking, ‘we’re not going to win every game. It’s not going to be like college. It’s going to be hard’” he said.
That would have been an adjustment for an Ohio State alum. Henderson ran for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns last year at Ohio State and helped the Buckeyes capture a national championship.
As it turned out, there was no adjustment needed at all. Winning followed Henderson to New England. The Patriots won 14 regular season games and are headed for Super Bowl 60 in Santa Clara.
Many of his former Buckeye teammates are among those flooding his phone with congratulatory messages since the Patriots beat Denver on Sunday.
“I’m getting reached out to all over the place. I haven’t really had a chance to get back to people,” he said. “I’m trying to soak it all in and prepare for this next game.”
Henderson is on a personal six-game postseason winning streak, beating Oregon, Texas, Notre Dame, the Chargers, the Texans and the Broncos.
“I still can’t believe it, honestly,” said Henderson, who could join an elite club of players who finished college by winning a National Championship and then won the Super Bowl as a rookie.
Knowing what it feels like to win a championship, he doesn’t want to come up short this year.
“It’s time to win the big one,” he said. “We’re not finished yet.”
