Trey Hendrickson

Trey Hendrickson's Biography

Trey Hendrickson, an esteemed American professional football player, was born on December 5, 1994. Hendrickson fills the essential role of defensive end for the Cincinnati Bengals in the National Football League (NFL). A former college football athlete at Florida Atlantic, the New Orleans Saints spotted his potential and selected him in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft.

Hendrickson was at Florida Atlantic from 2013 through 2016, where he established a strong reputation for himself on the football field. By the time he was preparing for professional pursuits, most NFL draft analysts projected him as a third or fourth round pick. In the run-up to the draft, he left his mark at the 2017 East-West Shrine Game on January 21, 2017, with an impressive display of a strip sack. Despite losing 10-3 with the East to the West, his play was so good that he was chosen as the Defensive Player of the Game.

He was invited to the NFL combine and completed almost all the required combine drills although he decided to skip the bench press. His performance particularly in the 40-yard dash, where he tied for seventh amongst all defensive linemen, further established his potential as an elite professional footballer. He continued to impress at Florida Atlantic’s pro day on March 30, 2017, where he performed 18 reps on the bench press and participated in positional drills. NFLDraftScout.com rated him the 13th best defensive end prospect after his impressive performance at the pro day which was attended by scouts and representatives from 27 NFL teams, eager to examine Hendrickson and his fellow prospects.

Hendrickson’s path to professional football manifestation came true when on the third round of the 2017 NFL draft, the New Orleans Saints chose him as the 103rd overall pick. This selection was made possible using a third round pick originally procured from the New England Patriots in a trade for Brandin Cooks. This was officialized on June 2, 2017, when the Saints signed him on to a four-year contract worth $3.17 million, inclusive of a signing bonus of $706,288.

Hendrickson’s professional journey was never short on competition. Throughout the training camp, he found himself pitted against formidable players like Darryl Tapp, Alex Okafor, Obum Gwacham, Al-Quadin Muhammad, and Alex Jenkins for the starting defensive end role. However, under the direction of head coach Sean Payton, Hendrickson was named the backup defensive end to Cameron Jordan and Alex Okafor for the commencement of the regular season.

His beginnings in the NFL were somewhat mired by a minor setback; an illness prevented him from participating in the Saints’ season-opening 29–19 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Nevertheless, he rallied and debuted professionally against the New England Patriots on September 17, 2017, and made three combined tackles despite the Saints’ 36–20 loss. His career trajectory took a more favorable turn in the following week, earning two combined tackles and his first sack on Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton during a 34–13 victory.

In the 2018 season, Hendrickson appeared in just five games but his performance was memorable. He made a concrete impression with eight combined tackles and four quarterback hits. He started off the 2019 season on a high note, recording two sacks against the Houston Texans in the season’s opener on Monday Night Football. He wrapped up the 2019 season with a tally of 4.5 sacks, 19 total tackles, and a forced fumble.

Hendrickson’s 2020 season was phenomenal with multiple high-profile performances. In Week 9, he recorded two sacks on Tom Brady during the 38–3 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. By Week 15, he had left a lasting impression by recording two more sacks on Patrick Mahomes, one of which was a strip sack recovered by the Saints, though they lost narrowly 32–29 to the Kansas City Chiefs. He concluded the 2020 season commendably with a tally of 13.5 sacks, 25 total tackles, one pass defended, and one forced fumble. This season’s performance earned him the rank of 73rd by his fellow NFL players in NFL Top 100 Players of 2021.

In yet another significant career shift, on March 19, 2021, Hendrickson became the Cincinnati Bengals’ newest asset after signing onto a four-year, $60 million contract. His exceptional talent was well recognized by the team who named him the starting right defensive end. His Bengals debut was marked by recording his first sack of the season, a strip sack on Bears quarterback Andy Dalton. His pure dominance continued through the course of the season, culminating in an impressive single-season record-breaking 14 sacks, the fifth most in the league for the season, and leading the Bengals defensive charge on their way to their third Super Bowl.

The 2022 season saw Hendrickson return to his standard position as the right defensive end. In Week 3, he excited fans with his breakout performance that consisted of four tackles, 2.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles in a 27–12 win over the New York Jets. This performance earned him the AFC Defensive Player of the Week honor. Despite a brief detour due to a wrist injury in Week 14 against the Cleveland Browns, he recovered and finished the season with an impressive record of eight sacks, 32 total tackles, three passes defended, and three forced fumbles.

Beyond the action on the field, Hendrickson is a family man, brought up by his parents Collie and Louise Hendrickson. His father being a footballer himself, Hendrickson had football in his blood from an early age. Off the field, he’s a devoted husband to Alisa Chernomashentsev whom he married on July 5, 2020. He is a devout Christian and also supports Matthew 25: Ministries, a humanitarian aid and disaster relief organization.