How Rookie CJ Stroud Broke a 22-Year NFL Record
The 2023-24 National Football League (NFL) season is rapidly nearing its thrilling conclusion, with Super Bowl LVIII set to take place on February 11. The two teams competing for American football’s most sought-after trophy are yet to be decided, but one young man has done his team’s chances of heading to the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas no harm at all with some scintillating performances.
Coleridge Bernard Stroud IV, or CJ Stroud as he is better known, broke a 22-year NFL record this weekend while playing for the Houston Texas. The Houston Texans, the youngest franchise in the NFL, having first competed in 2002, took on the Cleveland Browns in one of the AFC Wildcard games. Stroud was incredible during the Texans’ 45-14 demolition of the Browns and became the youngest-ever quarterback to win a playoff game in NFL history.
At 22 years and 102 days old, Stroud passed Michael Vick, who was 22 years and 192 days old, in 2002 when the Atlanta Falcons defeated the Green Bay Packers. Stroud, the second overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, threw 274 yards and three touchdowns and enjoyed a 157.2 passer rating. Although the Texans remain outsiders for Super Bowl glory with Vegas online sportsbooks, they have every chance of capturing their first championship ring with Stroud pulling strings in the pocket.
Stroud’s Early Life
Stroud had a challenging upbringing. A judge sentenced his father to a 38-years-to-life prison sentence in 2016 when Stroud was only 15. His father’s incarceration sent the Stroud family into severe financial debt, but Stroud used his family’s misfortune to inspire him to make it in the NFL. Stroud attended Rancho Cucamonga High School in California, where he was initially considered a three-star recruit but finished high school as the third-highest-rated quarterback in his class. Ohio State University offered Stroud a scholarship, and he never looked back.
After spending his true freshman year as the understudy to Justin Fields in 2020, Stroud was named the starting quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2021. He started 12 of the Buckeyes’ 13 games, throwing 4,435 yards and 45 touchdowns. The following year, he threw another 3,688 yards and 41 touchdowns. On January 16, 2023, Stroud announced he was forgoing his remaining two years of college to enter the 2023 NFL Draft.
Signing a $36 Million Professional Contract
The Houston Texans selected Stroud as the second overall pick in the draft after the Carolina Panthers first selected Bryce Young. Stroud and Young were friends through college despite playing for rival teams. The Texans gave Stroud a four-year contract worth $36,279,243 and a $23,384,904 signing bonus; the Stroud family need not worry about financial issues anymore.
Having invested such a considerable sum in Stroud, the Texans named the rookie their starting quarterback for the 2023 season, and Stroud has repaid the team’s faith in him. During the 17-game regular season, Stroud started 15 (he missed two games through concussion), threw 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, and only five interceptions. His 273.9 yards per game average led the league, and his total passing yardage meant he became only the fifth rookie quarterback to break through 4,000 yards. Jameis Winston (4,042), Cam Newton (4,051), Justin Herbert (4,336), and Andrew Luck (4,374) are the other four.
Stroud made his playoff debut on January 13, 2024, against the Cleveland Browns. He tied the rookie record for most passing touchdowns in a playoff game (3) while racking up 274 yards with a near-perfect passer rating of 157.2; the highest possible passer rating is 158.3.
Speaking to the press after his impressive performance, Stroud said, “It’s been a heck of a year, and I thank God I can just go another week with my teammates. This is like a dream come true. I’m super blessed to be considered with a great name like Michael Vick, who was my favorite quarterback growing up. Hopefully, I can make it two wins.
What Next for Stroud and the Texans?
Stroud and the Houston Texans are next in action on January 20 but have yet to discover who their opponents will be. Depending on the results from the Buffalo Bills versus Pittsburgh Steelers game, which has been delayed due to arctic weather, the Texans will either travel to number-one seeds Baltimore Ravens or the Kansas City Chiefs, who rolled over the Miami Dolphins on January 13.
As the number one seed, the Ravens have a home-field advantage over the highest-seeded team in the next round. The Texans are fourth seeds, while the Steelers are seventh. If the Steelers cause an upset against the Bills, the Texans will take on the Chiefs. Otherwise, a trip to the Ravens’ M&T Bank Stadium is on the cards.
Although the Texans will not be overly happy facing the Ravens or the Chiefs, they will not fear either team with Stroud in his current form. The Texans lost 9-25 to the Ravens in the opening game of the regular season, and the last time they clipped the Ravens’ wings was in 2014. They fair slightly better against the Chiefs but are still 5-9 historically against them.
Can the Houston Texans Win the Super Bowl?
Although anything is possible in a football game, winning Super Bowl LVIII may be a step too far for even the supremely talented Stroud. The Texans have never progressed further than the Divisional playoffs in their brief history, and they face either the Baltimore Ravens or the Kansas City Chiefs in the next round, two teams that are among the favorites for glory this season.
However, all of the teams that have reached this stage of the competition have done so on merit and are deserving of their shot at the big time. The Texans are no different; plus, can you imagine the incredible story of Stroud overcoming adversity as a child to become the NFL champion during his rookie season?