Check out our new series highlighting the Houston Texans 2023 draft class.
Meet Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, drafted in the first round (second overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Name: C.J. Stroud
Position: Quarterback
Height/Weight: 6-3/218
School: Ohio State
Hometown: Rancho Cucamonga, California
-C.J.'s full name is Coleridge Bernard Stroud IV.
-His birthday is Oct. 3, 2001.
-The son of Coleridge and Kimberly Stroud, C.J. is the youngest of four children with two older brothers, Isaiah and Asmar, and an older sister, Cieara.
-Coming out of high school, Stroud was a five-star prospect rated as the nation's No. 2 pro style quarterback and a top 50 player regardless of position.
-Stroud spent three seasons (2020-22) at Ohio State, where he played in 28 games (25 starts) and completed 575 passes for 8,123 yards and 85 touchdowns, compiling a 21-4 record as a starter.
-He is Ohio State's only two-time Heisman Trophy finalist in school history. Stroud is also the first QB in Big Ten history to have back-to-back seasons with 30 or more touchdown passes.
-Last year, Stroud led the Buckeyes to a No. 9 ranking nationally in total offense (490.7 ypg) and No. 2 in scoring (44.2 ppg) as a third-year sophomore.
-As a freshman, Stroud set the school record for single game touchdown passes after tossing six scores vs. Michigan State on Nov. 20, 2021.
-A natural athlete, Stroud also excelled in basketball. He was Rancho Cucamonga High School's top shooting guard, once winning the quarterfinal basketball playoff game with his three-point shot.
-Despite his success on the football field, Stroud's story is one of hardship, being raised by his mother when his dad went to prison. The Stroud family lived in a small apartment above a storage unit where his mother worked during Stroud's high school years.
-A teacher once told Stroud he had a 0.0078 percent chance of making it into the NFL.
-Among causes important to him, Stroud is passionate about prison reform. He recently spoke about his experience at a dinner attended by the nonprofit REFORM Alliance and even Kim Kardashian.
Stroud and the rookies will report for Texans rookie minicamp at the Houston Methodist Training Center from May 12-13.
