Buckeyes C.J. Stroud Ready To Earn Texans Respect, QB1 Title
HOUSTON -- C.J. Stroud exhaled a sigh of relief as he put down the phone inside the green room at Union Station in Kansas City. He sat down in a chair and finally let it out.
The outside noise and speculation of draft day tumble washed away an instant as Nick Caserio told him the news. Tears flowed and a smile protruded across the former Ohio State quarterback's face as he waited for Commissioner Roger Goodell to take the podium for a hug.
His first embrace as a member of the NFL.
“It was a special moment just for me,” Stroud said Friday at his introductory press conference at NRG Stadium with the Houston Texans. “Right when I got my call, I tried to lock in and make sure I was clear in my communications, talking to coach [DeMeco] Ryans, talking to Nick, talking to Mr. McNair.
"Right when I hung up, just everything I've been through, all the hard work, all the preparation and everything that my family has done to get to that point -- of course this is just a stepping stool, this is just the beginning, but it meant a lot to be there because it wasn't easy."
Stroud, the highest-drafted quarterback from Ohio State in 41 years, now will take on a new title at the professional level; franchise quarterback. Houston, an organization that's finished with a combined 11 wins since blowing a 24-0 lead in the AFC Divisional Round to Kansas City, believes the former Buckeye is the answer.
The Texans likely never imagined being in this position after inking Pro Bowl passer Deshaun Watson to a four-year extension at the start of the 2020 season. Watson, who led the NFL in passing yards in 2020, eventually grew sour of the franchise's direction once Caserio and then-coach David Culley were hired in the offseason.
Watson spent four years quarterbacking the Texans to back-to-back division titles on a rookie contract. He demanded a trade and sat out for the entire 2021 season due to sexual misconduct allegations. Meanwhile, the Texans tried various ways to compensate for the lack of production at the game's most crucial position.
Bridge passer Tyrod Taylor certainly built a pathway for Davis Mills to take the reigns. Mills, a former No. 1 quarterback recruit, led the league in interceptions a season while helping the Texans finish 3-13-1.
Stroud now gives the downtrodden Texans a chance to hit the reset button. Of course, before he can win over a city that's been looking for a quarterback to call its own, he must earn the respect of his new teammates inside the locker room.
That's one of Stroud's initial goals in Year 1 with the Texans. He hopes to not only become a great passer in new coordinator Bobby Slowik's west coast offense, but also an exceptional teammate behind closed doors.
The good news? Experience leading the Buckeyes gives him an advantage in handling the pressure.
“That’s something that I bring to the table very well coming from a place like Ohio State, where the quarterback is really — other than LeBron — you’re right under LeBron,” Stroud said. “You’re the leader of the whole state. I got good practice there.”
Stroud certainly has the resume to back up his No. 2 overall draft status. A two-year starter for the Buckeyes, the 6-3 passer from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., threw for 8,123 yards, 85 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He posted a 21-4 record and won Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year last season.
If that wasn't enough, Stroud was named a two-time Heisman finalist and led the Buckeyes to a College Football Playoff appearance against Georgia. There was where scouts rightly saw his upside as an elusive playmaker with the ability to extend plays outside the pocket.
Despite losing, Stroud won by boosting his draft stock, though he doesn't consider the 41-40 defeat in Atlanta as the starting point to his status as a potential franchise gunslinger.
"That Georgia game was kind of just a stamp on it," Stroud said. "I feel like I've been consistent throughout my whole career, but I definitely think I opened up some eyes to some different types of things. Honestly, I want to show my athleticism some more at the next level."
Ryans, a former All-Pro linebacker that once served as the Texans' defensive captain, didn't dispute the claim.
Said Ryans: "For me, it was a process of seeing him grow throughout the season. So where he started his first game of the season to where it ended with the Georgia game, just for me to see the improvement, see the growth, that's what impressed me the most about C.J.”
While the draft has plenty of twists and turns, Stroud felt an immediate connection with Houston. The Texans met with him during their time at the combine in Indianapolis before his highlight afternoon at Lucas Oil Stadium. They also hosted him for a top-30 visit, his first of several throughout the month leading up to draft night.
On the morning of the draft, Stroud woke up feeling that Houston would be waiting on the other line of the call. Now, he hopes to prove that while he might have been the second quarterback taken, he's the first reason for brighter days ahead.
"Everything has to be earned. That's how it's been my whole life," said Stroud. "That's how it's going to continue to be. That's what makes me a great player. I'm excited to get started. Whatever happens, happens. I know it's ordained from God, and I'm blessed to be in the shoes I am today.”
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