New England Patriots - NESN.com
Carlos Locklyn knew TreVeyon Henderson long before the former became the Ohio State Buckeyes running backs coach.
Locklyn remembers FaceTime calls and sitting at Henderson’s kitchen table. That was when Locklyn was the director of high school recruiting at Florida State, hoping the Seminoles would stand out among the 39 offers the Patriots draftee received.
Locklyn didn’t get to work with Henderson right out of high school. The five-star recruit and No. 1 running back in the country chose the Buckeyes and quickly burst onto the scene. But Locklyn eventually worked with the prospect from Hopewell, Va., and Henderson was more than Locklyn could’ve imagined.
“We have all these football questions, but I think the thing that makes him such a wonderful football player is he’s such a wonderful young man,” Locklyn told NESN.com during a video interview, a portion of which you can watch on NESN’s “Foxboro Rush” podcast.
Speaking to NESN.com after the New England Patriots drafted Henderson in the second round, Locklyn provided insight into the running back’s skillset and strengths.
“The biggest strength of his game is his short-area burst and overall speed,” Locklyn said. “Once he gets his foot in the ground and gets his shoulders square, his speed actually translates to power.”
Henderson (5-foot-10, 202 pounds) is known for his explosiveness. He compiled the best athleticism score of any running back at the NFL scouting combine after running a 4.43 40-yard dash with a 1.52 10-yard split. He showed that acceleration throughout his time in Columbus.
“He’s not a big, big, big guy — he’s not a 220-pound back. But he runs with so much speed and has so much velocity,” Locklyn said. “Being able to bang between the tackles, getting your shoulder pads square instead of getting to the edge all the time or trying to run to the sideline, just get vertical from wherever you are on the field. That’s something he did a really good job at. Obviously, kid’s an elite running back. He has great hands, can run routes. He’s the total package.”
Locklyn said one area of concentration heading into Henderson’s final college season was standing up in pass protection. Henderson’s ability to take on rushers as a third-down back, as well as catch the ball out of the backfield, are widely considered two of his best attributes.
“He was the best in college football when it came to pass pro, and it ain’t even close,” Locklyn said. “He’s smart, too. He understands where the plus-one from the defense is coming from, where they got the numbers advantage, where he has to be at. He’s a smart football player. He’s has a high football IQ.”
Henderson was a poster child for the “Lock Boys,” a reference to Locklyn’s running back room.
“We had two rules in the running back room,” Locklyn said. “We don’t put the ball on the ground and we don’t give up sacks. Trey didn’t do neither one of them.”
Henderson never lost a fumble during...
