[1] Born in Johnstown, County Kilkenny, Henderson first played competitive hurling during his schooling at Thurles CBS.
[2] As a member of the Leinster inter-provincial team on a number of occasions, Henderson won six Railway Cup medals.
Defeats of James Stephens and Bennettsbridge in the respective finals of 1973 and 1974 brought Henderson's medal tally to four.
A fourth successive county title proved beyond Henderson's side in 1975, however, two years later Fenians were back in the championship decider.
Henderson made his senior championship debut for Kilkenny on 5 July 1964 in a 5–9 to 4–8 Leinster semi-final defeat of Wexford.
[citation needed] John McKenna scored Tipp's first goal after ten minutes as the Munster champions took a 1–8 to 0–6 interval lead.
[6] After surrendering their provincial crown in 1965, Kilkenny bounced back the following year by reaching the National League decider.
Kilkenny retained their provincial crown in 1967, with Henderson adding a third Leinster medal to his collection following a 4–10 to 1–12 defeat of Wexford after a scare in the opening half.
In spite of this, Kilkenny laid to rest a bogey that Tipperary had over the team since 1922, and a 3–8 to 2–7 victory gave Henderson his first All-Ireland medal.
[7] Wexford put an end to Kilkenny's hopes of retaining the title in 1968, however, the Noresiders bounced back the following year with Henderson collecting a fourth Leinster medal following a 3–9 to 0–16 defeat of Offaly.
The Leesiders got into their stride following an early goal by Charlie McCarthy and led by six points coming up to half time when Kilkenny raised a green flag themselves.
He was back on the team for 5 September 1971 when Kilkenny faced Tipperary in the All-Ireland final, the first to be broadcast in colour by Telefís Éireann and the only eighty-minute meeting between the two sides.
Drastic action was required for Kilkenny and Eddie Keher was deployed closer to the Cork goal and finished the game with a tally of 2–9.
Kilkenny later faced Limerick in the All-Ireland final on 2 September 1973, however, their plans were hampered as a result of injuries and emigration.
In spite of this, the game hung in the balance for the first-half, however, eight minutes after the restart Mossie Dowling got a vital goal for Limerick.
On 7 September 1975, Henderson lined out in another All-Ireland final, with surprise semi-final winners Galway providing the opposition.
The season began well with Henderson winning a second National League medal following a 6–14 to 1–14 trouncing of Clare in a replay.
He missed Kilkenny's provincial victory, however, he was included on the starting fifteen that faced Cork in the subsequent All-Ireland decider on 3 September 1978.
Cork secured a first three-in-a-row of All-Ireland titles for the first time in over twenty years, as a Jimmy Barry-Murphy goal helped the team to a 1–15 to 2–8 victory over Kilkenny.