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C. J. Stroud

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C. J. Stroud
refer to caption
Stroud in 2023
No. 7 – Houston Texans
Position:Quarterback
Personal information
Born: (2001-10-03) October 3, 2001 (age 23)
Rancho Cucamonga, California, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:218 lb (99 kg)
Career information
High school:Rancho Cucamonga
College:Ohio State (2020–2022)
NFL draft:2023 / round: 1 / pick: 2
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 9, 2024
Passing attempts:795
Passing completions:507
Completion percentage:63.8%
TDINT:34–9
Passing yards:6,247
Passer rating:97.5
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Coleridge Bernard "C. J." Stroud IV (born October 3, 2001) is an American professional football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, where he holds several school records, including most passing yards in a single game with 573, as well as being the first player to throw for six touchdowns three times. Stroud was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2021 and 2022, and was subsequently selected by the Houston Texans second overall in the 2023 NFL draft. In his rookie season, he led the Texans to a division title and playoff victory en route to winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.

Early life

[edit]

Stroud was born on October 3, 2001, in Rancho Cucamonga, California, the youngest of four children.[1][2] In 2016, his father, Coleridge Bernard Stroud III, received a 38-years-to-life sentence after pleading guilty to kidnapping, carjacking and robbery in connection with a drug-related incident under California's three-strikes law.[3] As of 2023, his father has been incarcerated since Stroud was in middle school,[2][4] and is serving his sentence in Folsom State Prison near Sacramento. The incarceration sent the Stroud family into severe financial debt; they lived in a small apartment above a storage facility as Stroud entered Rancho Cucamonga High School.[5][6][7]

As a senior, he was the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin offensive player of the year after passing for 3,878 yards and 47 touchdowns.[8] In 2019, he was the MVP of the Elite 11.[9] Stroud was selected to play in the 2020 All-American Bowl.[10] Initially considered a 3-star recruit, Stroud finished high school as the third-highest rated quarterback of his class.[11][12] He committed to Ohio State University to play college football.[13][14][15]

Stroud has been friends with Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young since the two went to high schools located in Southern California. The two continued their friendship in college, and ultimately were selected with the first two picks in the 2023 NFL draft.[16]

College career

[edit]

2020 season

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Stroud spent his true freshman year at Ohio State redshirting as a backup to Justin Fields.[17][18] He played just eight snaps in 2020, throwing no passes, but did score a 48-yard rushing touchdown against Michigan State.[19] He also played one snap in the 2021 Sugar Bowl against Clemson after Fields took a hard hit to the ribs.[20]

2021 season

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Stroud was named the starting quarterback as a redshirt freshman following the departure of Fields to the 2021 NFL draft. He was chosen over freshmen Kyle McCord, Quinn Ewers, and fellow redshirt freshman Jack Miller III. Coach Ryan Day credited his decision-making, leadership skills, and accuracy as the reasons that he earned the starting spot.[21]

Stroud started every game for the Buckeyes aside from a Week 4 game against Akron in order to rest a shoulder injury he sustained in the season opener.[22] Over the season, he earned first-team All-Big Ten Honors; was named the Big Ten quarterback of the year; won Big Ten Freshman of the Week six times; was a finalist for both the Davey O'Brien Award and the Heisman Trophy; and became the only quarterback in Ohio State history to throw five touchdowns against a Big Ten competitor four times in one season.[23] He led the team to a 10–2 record in the regular season, with losses to Oregon and bitter rival Michigan.[24] The loss to Michigan cost Ohio State the chance to play in the Big Ten Championship. Ohio State bounced back from this disappointment at the Rose Bowl; coming back from a 14-point deficit against Utah to win 48–45. Stroud broke both school and Rose Bowl records with 573 yards thrown in the Rose Bowl; he also tied a school record and set a Rose Bowl record with six touchdown passes.[25] He finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting.[26]

2022 season

[edit]
Stroud against Michigan in 2022.

Following a successful 2021 season, Stroud entered 2022 as one of the best players in college football, as well as the betting favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.[27][28] On October 8, 2022, Stroud threw six touchdown passes against Michigan State, setting a conference record for “most six passing touchdown games in a career” (with 3), and passed Justin Fields to move to second place on the Ohio State career passing touchdowns list.[29][30] Stroud and the Buckeyes once again came up short against rival Michigan in their annual meeting, this time losing at home in Columbus 45–23.[31] Despite the loss, the Buckeyes were selected as the fourth and final team for the College Football Playoff.[32] In the Peach Bowl semifinal against the top-seeded Georgia Bulldogs, Stroud had a strong performance, throwing for 348 yards and four touchdowns, but the Buckeyes lost 42–41, ending their season.[33] At the conclusion of the regular season, he again was named a finalist for the Heisman trophy for his season.[34] He finished third in the voting behind winner Caleb Williams from USC and Max Duggan from TCU.[35] On January 16, 2023, Stroud announced that he would forgo his remaining two years of college eligibility and enter the 2023 NFL draft.[36]

Statistics

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College statistics
Season Games Passing Rushing
GP GS Record Cmp Att Pct Yds Avg TD Int Rtg Att Yds Avg TD
2020 3 0 0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 1 48 48.0 1
2021 12 12 10–2 317 441 71.9 4,435 10.1 44 6 186.6 32 −20 −0.6 0
2022 13 13 11–2 258 389 66.3 3,688 9.5 41 6 177.7 47 108 2.3 0
Career 28 25 21–4 575 830 69.3 8,123 9.8 85 12 182.4 80 136 1.7 1

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span
6 ft 3 in
(1.91 m)
214 lb
(97 kg)
32+58 in
(0.83 m)
10 in
(0.25 m)
All values from the NFL Combine[37][38]

2023 season

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Stroud was selected by the Houston Texans with the second overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft on April 27, 2023.[39] Being second overall, Stroud became the highest drafted quarterback in Ohio State's history.[40]

On September 10, 2023, Stroud made his NFL debut in Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens, where he threw for 242 yards in the 25–9 loss.[41] During Week 2 against the Indianapolis Colts, Stroud threw his first two NFL touchdowns, one to Nico Collins and the other to Tank Dell, and finished with 384 passing yards in the 31–20 loss. Stroud's 384 yards are the second-most in a single game by a Texans rookie quarterback.[42] The following week, against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Stroud finished 20-of-30 for 280 yards with two touchdowns as the Texans won 37–17.[43] He also joined Cam Newton and Justin Herbert as the only players in NFL history to put up at least 900 passing yards in their first three games.[44] Stroud was named the Offensive Rookie of the Month for September, finishing the month with 78 completions on 121 attempts with 906 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions.[45]

In Week 5, Stroud threw his 177th pass attempt without an interception, breaking the previous NFL record set by Dak Prescott for the most pass attempts without an interception to begin a career in NFL history in a 21–19 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.[46] The streak ended the following week against the New Orleans Saints at 191 attempts; Saints linebacker Zack Baun intercepted the pass but had the ball punched out by wide receiver Nico Collins with offensive tackle Tytus Howard recovering the ball for the Texans.[47] In Week 8, Stroud faced his friend and fellow top draft pick Bryce Young for the first time in the NFL. Young came out on top in a defensive battle, 15–13. Stroud threw for 140 yards and had his first rushing touchdown in the loss.[48] In Week 9, Stroud passed for 470 yards, breaking the single-game passing yard record for a rookie quarterback that was previously set by Andrew Luck in 2012. Stroud also passed for five touchdowns, during a 39–37 comeback victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[49] The game also marked just the third time in NFL history a quarterback has thrown for at least 470 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions, joining Y.A. Tittle and Ben Roethlisberger.[50]

In Week 14 against the New York Jets, Stroud suffered a concussion during the fourth quarter as the Texans lost 30–6.[51] After a two-game absence, Stroud made his return in Week 17 against the Tennessee Titans, completing 24 of 32 passes for 213 yards and one touchdown in a 26–3 victory.[52] In a win-or-go-home situation against the Colts, Stroud completed 20 of 26 passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns in a 23–19 win, clinching the Texans' first playoff berth since 2019.[53] During this game, Stroud became just the fifth quarterback in NFL history to pass for over 4,000 yards in their rookie season.[54] Stroud also became the third player in league history to lead the league in passing yards per game (273.9) and touchdown/interception ratio (4.6) in the same season, joining Tom Brady in 2007 and Joe Montana in 1989.[55] He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team.[56]

In his playoff debut against the Cleveland Browns in the Wild Card round, Stroud tied the rookie record for most passing touchdowns in a playoff game and became the youngest quarterback to win a playoff game in league history as the Texans won 45–14.[57] Stroud finished the game completing 16 of 21 passes for 274 yards, three touchdowns, and a near-perfect passer rating of 157.2.[58] In the Divisional round against the top-seeded Ravens in a rematch of Week 1, Stroud was held in check, completing 19 of 33 passes for 175 yards and a 72.2 rating as the Texans lost, 34–10.[59]

2024 season

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In Week 4 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Stroud threw for 345 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Texans on a nine-play, 69-yard touchdown drive with under 20 seconds remaining to secure a 24–20 victory.[60]

NFL career statistics

[edit]
Legend
Led the league

Regular season

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Year Team Games Passing Rushing Sacks Fumbles
GP GS Record Cmp Att Pct Yds Y/A Y/G Lng TD Int Rtg Att Yds Avg Lng TD Sck SckY Fum Lost
2023 HOU 15 15 9–6 319 499 63.9 4,108 8.2 273.9 75 23 5 100.8 39 167 4.3 16 3 38 331 8 4
2024 HOU 9 9 6–3 188 296 63.5 2,139 7.2 237.7 67 11 4 91.9 31 143 4.6 25 0 30 229 4 2
Career 24 24 15–9 507 795 63.8 6,247 7.9 260.3 75 34 9 97.5 70 310 4.4 25 3 68 560 12 6

Postseason

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Year Team Games Passing Rushing Sacks Fumbles
GP GS Record Cmp Att Pct Yds Y/A Y/G Lng TD Int Rtg Att Yds Avg Lng TD Sck SckY Fum Lost
2023 HOU 2 2 1–1 35 54 64.8 449 8.3 224.5 76 3 0 109.3 4 10 2.5 7 0 0 0 0 0
Career 2 2 1–1 35 54 64.8 449 8.3 224.5 76 3 0 109.3 4 10 2.5 7 0 0 0 0 0

NFL records

[edit]
  • Youngest starting quarterback to win a playoff game: 22 years, 3 months and 10 days[57]
  • Most passing attempts without an interception to start a career: 191 (2023)[61]
  • Most games with at least 350 passing yards by a rookie: 3 (tied) (2023)
  • Most passing yards in a single game by a rookie: 470 (November 5, 2023, vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers)[62]
  • Most passing touchdowns in a single game by a rookie: 5 (tied) (November 5, 2023, vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers)[63]

Texans franchise records

[edit]
  • Most passing yards in a rookie season: 4,108 (2023)
  • Most passing touchdowns in a rookie season: 23 (2023)
  • Most passing completions in a rookie season: 319 (2023)
  • Most passing attempts in a rookie season: 499 (2023)

Personal life

[edit]

Stroud is the son of Coleridge and Kimberly Stroud. He has two older brothers and one older sister.[64] He has spoken publicly about his Christian faith, and often thanks Jesus Christ during interviews[65][66]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Husslein, Megan (October 4, 2022). "Happy Belated Birthday, C.J.! 21 things to love about Stroud". Land-Grant Holy Land. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Carpenter, Zack (February 8, 2020). ""I've Been Through Hell and Back:" C.J. Stroud's Roller-Coaster Upbringing Taught Him How to "Scratch and Claw Through Life"". Eleven Warriors. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  3. ^ "People v. Stroud". casetext.com. Casetext, Inc. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  4. ^ Wasserman, Ari (November 14, 2019). "Ohio State QB target C.J. Stroud's past and what it can tell us about the future". The Athletic. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  5. ^ Dellenger, Ross (December 30, 2022). "Family, Football and Forgiveness: C.J. Stroud's Road to the Playoff Was Anything but Easy". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  6. ^ Marshall, Pete (September 5, 2019). "Rancho Cucamonga quarterback C.J. Stroud adjusts to being in high demand". Daily Bulletin. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  7. ^ Spratling, Shotgun (November 19, 2019). "Rancho Cucamonga quarterback CJ Stroud is highly coveted but uncommitted". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  8. ^ Robin, Brian (December 29, 2019). "Rancho Cucamonga's C.J. Stroud is the Sun/Bulletin offensive player of the year". Daily Bulletin. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  9. ^ Jordan, Jason (August 14, 2019). "Chosen 25 quarterback C.J. Stroud settling in to stardom after winning MVP of Elite 11". USA TODAY High School Sports. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  10. ^ Ramos, Gus (November 5, 2019). "Four-Star Quarterback CJ Stroud Honored as a 2020 All-American". NBCSports. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
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  19. ^ Russell, Mark (December 5, 2020). "WATCH: C.J. Stroud runs 48 yards for an Ohio State touchdown against Michigan State". Buckeyes Wire. USA Today. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
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  27. ^ "College football's top 100 players for 2022: Will Anderson Jr., Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and more". ESPN.com. August 17, 2022. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  28. ^ Zeglinski, Robert (August 20, 2022). "Heisman Trophy 2022: Top-15 preseason odds a week before college football's first kickoff". For The Win. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  29. ^ Lind, Andrew (October 9, 2022). "C.J. Stroud Shakes Off Pick-Six To Set Ohio State, Big Ten Record For Six-TD Games". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  30. ^ Trotter, Isaac (October 8, 2022). "Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud attracts national buzz after shredding Michigan State with six TD passes". 247Sports. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  31. ^ "Michigan at Ohio State Box Score, November 26, 2022". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  32. ^ Lind, Andrew (December 4, 2022). "Ohio State To Face Georgia In College Football Playoff Semifinal At Peach Bowl". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  33. ^ "Peach Bowl – Ohio State vs Georgia Box Score, December 31, 2022". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  34. ^ Sallee, Barrett (December 6, 2022). "Heisman Trophy finalists 2022: C.J. Stroud, Caleb Williams, Stetson Bennett, Max Duggan heading to New York". CBSSports.com. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  35. ^ "2022 Heisman Trophy Voting". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  36. ^ Rabinowitz, Bill (January 16, 2023). "Ohio State QB CJ Stroud makes it official: He's headed to the NFL". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  37. ^ "C.J. Stroud Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  38. ^ "2023 NFL Draft Scout C.J. Stroud College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  39. ^ Owens, Jason (April 27, 2023). "NFL Draft: Texans select Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud with No. 2 pick". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  40. ^ Rabinowitz, Bill (April 27, 2023). "Ohio State QB CJ Stroud taken second in NFL draft by Houston Texans". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  41. ^ "Ravens beat Texans 25–9, but will be without running back J.K. Dobbins for the rest of the season". ESPN.com. Associated Press. September 10, 2023. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
  42. ^ Bien-Aime, D. J. (September 18, 2023). "Loss overshadows rookie QB Stroud's historic day for Texans". ESPN. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  43. ^ Galatzan, Matt (September 24, 2023). "C.J. Stroud, Tank Dell and Houston Texans Dominate Jaguars". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  44. ^ Postrado, Jay (September 24, 2023). "Texans' CJ Stroud joins elite Justin Herbert-led list after picking up first NFL win". ClutchPoints. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  45. ^ Davis, Coty M. (September 28, 2023). "Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud Named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  46. ^ Bologna, Ryan (October 8, 2023). "Texans' CJ Stroud breaks Dak Prescott record amid hot start to rookie season". ClutchPoints. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  47. ^ Barefield, Brian (October 16, 2023). "Texans WR Nico Collins says C.J. Stroud did not allow interception to rattle him". USA Today. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  48. ^ "Texans 13–15 Panthers (Oct 29, 2023) Final Score". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  49. ^ Williams, Charean (November 5, 2023). "C.J. Stroud sets rookie record with 470 yards in Texans' 39–37 comeback win, where he would win AFC Offensive Player of the Week". NBC Sports. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
  50. ^ Breech, John (November 6, 2023). "NFL Week 9 grades: C.J. Stroud leads Texans to an 'A-,' Bengals earn a 'B+' for beating Bills on Sunday night". CBSSports.com. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  51. ^ Bien-Aime, DJ (December 10, 2023). "Texans' C.J. Stroud in concussion protocol; Nico Collins exits early". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  52. ^ "Texans' C.J. Stroud: Victorious in return". CBS Sports. December 31, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  53. ^ Dajani, Jordan (January 7, 2024). "Colts vs. Texans score: C.J. Stroud , Nico Collins lead Houston to playoff berth with win over Indianapolis". CBS Sports.com. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  54. ^ Koch, Josh (January 6, 2024). "Stroud for 4K: Texans rookie QB surpasses 4,000-yard passing mark". HoustonTexans.com. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  55. ^ Galatzan, Matt (January 8, 2024). "C.J. Stroud's Record Rookie Season Puts Him In The Elitist of Company". SI.com. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  56. ^ "2023 NFL All-Rookie Team". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  57. ^ a b Podell, Garrett (January 13, 2024). "Texans' C.J. Stroud becomes youngest QB in NFL history to win a playoff game in record-setting performance". CBS Sports. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  58. ^ Patra, Kevin (January 13, 2024). "NFL playoffs: What We Learned from Texans' blowout win over Browns on Super Wild Card Weekend". NFL.com. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  59. ^ Gordon, Grant (January 20, 2024). "C.J. Stroud, Texans corralled by Ravens defense (again) in Divisional Round loss". NFL.com. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  60. ^ Dougherty, Drew (September 29, 2024). ""Just clicking": C.J. Stroud engineers game-winning drive to beat Jaguars". Houston Texans. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
  61. ^ Rieken, Kristie (October 15, 2023). "Houston QB Stroud's record streak of attempts without an interception to start a career ends". AP News. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  62. ^ Gillepsie, John (November 5, 2023). "C.J. Stroud's Record-Setting Day Pushes Houston Texans Over Bucs in Final Seconds". SI.com. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  63. ^ Owens, Jason (November 6, 2023). "C.J. Stroud caps historic day with game-winning TD drive vs. Bucs". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  64. ^ "C.J. Stroud". Ohio State Buckeyes Athletics. January 14, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  65. ^ Doering, Joshua (April 25, 2023). "'Man of God' C.J. Stroud leaning on his foundation of faith ahead of NFL draft". Sports Spectrum. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  66. ^ VanDyke, Nicole; Reporter, C. P. (November 18, 2023). "NFL star CJ Stroud leans on prayer, God amid presssure of success on the field". www.christianpost.com. Retrieved October 26, 2024.

Further reading

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