Just 13 months ago, the Ohio State Buckeyes hoisted the National Championship Trophy, and now, two former Buckeyes have the chance to add the Lombardi Trophy to their name.
On Jan 20, 2025, the Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to win the 2025 National Championship. It was the end of a special season, and for many players and coaches, it will be the last time they will ever win a Championship the rest of their lives.
For two former Buckeyes, they have the chance on Sunday Night to win their second Championship in consecutive years, but this time in the NFL.
New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson was instrumental in the Buckeyes' run to the National Championship last year. He had over 100 all-purpose yards in three of the four College Football Playoff games last year.
The two plays that will play on loop for the rest of time in Buckeyes' lore were his 66-yard touchdown run in the Rose Bowl against Oregon and his 75-yard touchdown catch right before halftime in the Cotton Bowl against Texas.
This year, Henderson has found his role on the Patriots roster, splitting carries with running back Rhamondre Stevenson. He is still a home run threat with three touchdown carries over 60 yards.
Henderson isn't the only Buckeye who was a part of last year's championship. The other is assistant offensive coach Riley Larkin.
Larkin, a graduate of John Carroll University, was an assistant on the offensive staff for the Buckeyes last year in the quarterback room. After the Buckeyes won the National Championship, he received a call from another JCU alum, Josh McDaniels, to join the staff in New England.
For the Patriots, Larkin is again an offensive assistant and is in charge of the wide receiver room. He is regarded as one of the up-and-coming young coaches in the entire NFL.
The history that these two might make on Sunday is unprecedented. Since Super Bowl 1, there have only been 11 players who have won the National Championship and Super Bowl in back-to-back seasons.
- RB Tony Dorsett: 1976 Pittsburgh Panthers - 1977 Dallas Cowboys
- DE Danny Stubbs: 1987 Miami Hurricanes - 1988 San Francisco A 49ers
- RB Derrick Lassic: 1992 Alabama Crimson Tide - 1993 Dallas Cowboys
- FB William Floyd: 1993 Florida State Seminoles - 1994 San Francisco 49ers
- DB Tyrone Williams: 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers - 1996 Green Bay Packers
- QB Brian Griese: 1997 Michigan Wolverines - 1998 Denver Broncos
- LB Eric Alexander: 2003 LSU Tigers - 2004 New England Patriots
- DE Marquise Hill: 2003 LSU Tigers - 2004 New England Patriots
- DB Randall Gray: 2003 LSU Tigers - 2004 New England Patriots
- LB Courtney Upshaw: 2012 Alabama Crimson Tide - 2013 Baltimore Ravens
- DB Cyrus Jones: 2015 Alabama Crimson Tide - 2016 New England Patriots
- G Trevor Keegan: 2024 Michigan Wolverines - 2025 Philadelphia Eagles
There have only been 12 players in the 59-year history of the Super Bowl who won the National Championship the year before.
The odds of repeating are astronomical from the player's perspective.
Running back TreVeyon Henderson and coach Riley Larkin at Patriots' Training Camp | 2025 - Riley LarkinIf there are an average of 53 players on a roster for each of the NFL's Super Bowl champions, there have been roughly 3,127 players who have won the Super Bowl.
0.3 percent of each of those Champions won the National Championship the year prior.
From a coaching perspective, there is no database good enough that tracks each member of a coaching staff reliably. I can only imagine that it is rarer to land on the staff that wins the National Championship and then receive a call to join the staff that wins the Super Bowl.
What these two have a chance to accomplish is as rare a feat as it gets, but it is no surprise that two former Buckeyes would get a job like this done.