Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud Gives Major Shoutout to Indianapolis
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud gave major props to Indianapolis Colts fans on Monday. The former Ohio State star said Lucas Oil Stadium was the loudest venue he's played in during his first season in the NFL.
Stroud led the Texans to a 23-19 victory over the Colts on Saturday night. That win secured the franchise's first playoff berth since 2019. One day later, the Tennessee Titans defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars, giving Houston the AFC South title.
Monday, Stroud joined the Pat McAfee Show and gave a shoutout to Colts fans.
"It was loud. That was a great atmosphere," Stroud said. "Playing in Indianapolis, that was probably the loudest stadium I've played in in the NFL. That's like a college atmosphere."
Stroud would know all about loud college atmospheres, too. Not only did he call "The Horseshoe" home while at Ohio State, he played in several iconic Big Ten venues like Michigan Stadium, Beaver Stadium (Penn State) and Memorial Stadium (Nebraska).
Perhaps those venues prepared Stroud for the environment at Lucas Oil Stadium. Because on Saturday, the quarterback did not get rattled.
The rookie quarterback completed 20-of-26 passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns. But his best effort came on the game-winning drive.
Stroud led a 12-play, 73-yard touchdown drive to break a tie and put the Texans ahead 23-17 with 6:20 to play. On that drive, the former Buckeye completed all seven of his passes for 82 yards.
As good as the Indianapolis crowd was on Saturday, Houston still got the win. But it was a pretty cool gesture for Stroud to give credit to Colts fans, anyway.
Stroud has enjoyed a phenomenal rookie year, throwing for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns with just five interceptions. He led the Texans to a 10-7 record and a division title.
Next week, the rookie gets his first taste of the NFL playoffs. Houston hosts the Cleveland Browns on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET. The game airs on NBC.
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