John McClain, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, is in his 48th year of covering the NFL in Houston, including 45 seasons at the Houston Chronicle.
From the offseason program through the early part of training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center, a common theme has been the impressive leadership Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is showing in his second season.
As the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year last season, Stroud had a lot to learn about becoming a pro. His new coaches and teammates quickly learned he was a natural leader who worked hard to earn the trust of his coaches and teammates by checking his ego at the locker room door and making sure nobody outworked him.
For rookie quarterbacks who accept the responsibilities that go with becoming team leaders, it's a distinction that must be earned and never given. Stroud understood his first priority was his performance on the field, and the more work he put in on and off the field to improve, the more his teammates would respect him and follow him.
Now that Stroud is more confident in his play and more comfortable in his enhanced role, his coaches and teammates are seeing a natural progression as he matures as a player and as a leader.
"He got a lot of accolades his rookie season, but where we see him grow in the second year is his leadership," Head Coach DeMeco Ryans said. "First and foremost, continue to become the leader we want him to be. There's a comfort level in his second year, and he can be a little more vocal (with) the entire team and not just speaking to the offense.
"(He's got) the team's ear, and he can lean on that a little more. (That's) no big thing for him -- just continue to get a little better. You see how much better he got from his first day of camp last year until our last game. That's the same thing when he came into this season."
After helping the Texans finish 10-7, win the AFC South and defeat Cleveland in the wild card round before losing at Baltimore, Stroud wants more. Executive Vice President/General Manager Nick Caserio has provided him with a lot of talent at the skill positions and in the offensive line. Like his teammates and coaches, Stroud wants the Texans to be better and advance deeper into the playoffs.
"I've seen C.J.'s growth handling the offense by seeing his command of the huddle (and) command of his communication – it's been really great to see," Ryans said. "From where we started last year to where we are today, it's because of C.J.'s growth and how he's taken (the kind of) control that's allowed us to be more advanced than we were last year."
Watching Stroud develop a relationship on and off the field with new receiver Stefon Diggs has impressed the coaches.
"You see them growing and you see their connection, and they're communicating," Ryans said. "Those guys are talking pre-snap with alignments, and they're getting on the same page, and that takes time. It takes building a relationship outside of being on the field. It takes building that relationship in the locker room (and) meeting rooms, and that's what I see from both of those guys. A ton of communication, which allows their relationship to grow even stronger."
Like Ryans, second-year offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik is seeing Stroud become more demonstrative on the practice field. When he's not throwing to his receivers and running backs in camp, he's talking to them about football and why this or that happened on the previous plays. Slowik loves what he's seeing; he knows when players respect a quarterback's ability to lead them, it can translate into victories.
When he's asked what has impressed him the most about Stroud, Slowik doesn't hesitate.
"Specifically, leadership and command," he said. "He's very intentional. He wants to make sure the offense runs through him, the team runs through him, as he should. There's a lot that goes into that. You've got to make sure you're always building relationships with the players, with the coaches, with the staff (and) people all around the building.
"You've got to own the playbook, so any time people ask you questions, you can facilitate conversations. And then you've got to be willing, when we're on the field, to demand the best of everybody. You've got to be another coach, and he's really lived up (to that) and wants to continue to exceed all those expectations. To me, that's really been his number one focus."
Being the kind of leader Ryans and Slowik want requires Stroud to put in a lot of time. He enjoyed his down time in the offseason, but he also made sure to work with his receivers. It was a time for bonding. When Stroud reported for OTAs and then training camp, he was in command of the offense the way the coaches wanted him to be. Stroud takes a lot of pride in his role as the team leader.
"He believes that's his responsibility," Slowik said. "That's why he wants to own it and grow in that area so much. There's so much that goes into that. That can be something as small as how tight we are in the huddle to making sure everyone's eyes are on him when he's making a play call, to what our demeanor's like on the sideline, how he's handling the offense (and) what it's like in the meeting room.
"All this stuff that happens before the snap, or off the field, is really what he's focused on operationally. I think it ties into the leadership part of it. He's made some really big strides through the offseason. You can tell he's really embraced it."
Part of being a leader is spending time with your receivers when you don't have to. Stroud flourished in that regard during the offseason. He worked with his receivers in Houston and other cities.
"It's really important," Stroud said. "That's where (you) not only build the timing and chemistry on the field, but also spending time (together) off the field. Just getting a feel for one another, personality-wise, and really just having fun. Football is meant to be fun, so that's what we (did) on those trips. We knew football was the reason we were there, so we got the work done, and we also enjoyed it."
Stroud was outstanding as a rookie. He wants to be extraordinary. And he's willing to put in the work it takes to become the best. He wants the Texans to be at their absolute best, too.
"Like owning the offense more, the operation, putting more on my plate with run checks, protection checks, things like that," Stroud said. "Everything (on) the field. (My) X's and O's can always be better. You can always have better footwork. And I also want to attack down the field more."
Part of winning consistently is having the kind of culture – attitude – the coaches demand. At this time last year, Stroud was still learning Slowik's system and adjusting to his new teammates and coaches. Now they're developing a bond that extends to the field.
"The camaraderie, the brotherhood," Stroud said. "Last year, I was blessed to have no egos, and everybody just wanted to see everyone do well, but also do well themselves. When that's in the locker room, it's nothing but success waiting to happen."
