'What We Wanted': New NFL Draftees C.J. Stroud and Paris Johnson Jr. Share Brotherhood Moment
The love between two Ohio State Buckeyes run deep. On the field especially, the love in moments shared between teammates is a byproduct of a program centered on culture and brotherhood — and one that coach Ryan Day has established.
Win or lose, the Buckeyes stand together and with one another. And for new NFL draftees C.J. Stroud and Paris Jackson Jr., their brotherhood moment came quicker than either of them might have realized.
"It's a dream come true," Stroud told Eleven Warriors after being selected second overall by the Houston Texans. "It's a blessing from God. I know I'm at Houston for a reason ... and I'm grateful to be walking in my passion and my purpose."
Stroud credited Ohio State, the place where he played three seasons before declaring for the NFL Draft. With the Buckeyes, Stroud had instant success, earning multiple All-American distinctions and Heisman Trophy finalist nods — but he never quite made it to the top to contend for a national title.
That didn't matter. Before he could say any more about the Buckeyes or his journey to the NFL, his three-year teammate, Paris Johnson Jr., interrupted him with a hug from behind.
"That man right there," Johnson Jr. said to the camera. "That man right there."
Johnson Jr. had just been selected sixth overall by the Arizona Cardinals, and both he and Stroud shared a moment — realizing that it was one they had dreamed about since being freshmen in Columbus.
"We came from the dorms," Stroud said. "I used to walk over [to Paris' dorm] and hang out with him. We came a long way."
"The emotions, all the hard work, everything I've been through to get to [this point]," Stroud added. "It's just the beginning. Just like Paris, he's going to go to Arizona, do great things and lead that franchise to a lot of wins."
Starting out, neither player got a chance to showcase their talent, but that didn't stop them from talking about the future, and what the pair hoped they would accomplish at the next level beyond Ohio State.
"We'd be just chilling in the dorms," Johnson Jr. said. "When I first got there, I didn't know the playbook yet, but I would say 'Chill man. We're going to do this and that at Ohio State and then we're going to do this and that in the league.'"
"This is exactly the way we talked about it. ... This is what we wanted."
Stroud and Johnson Jr., along with veteran receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, made up the three Buckeyes that went in the first round of the draft, which also marked the first school to put both a quarterback and receiver through to the league in the same night since the modern draft era.
Next season, all three will be with different teams but will be reliant on each other as much as their new teammates to become successful in the NFL.
For Stroud and Johnson Jr. especially, their brotherhood stood as a testament to the kind of bond formed between the two Buckeyes. And that bond is clearly not something that will be going away anytime soon.
"What kind of gravitated me toward Ohio State was that nothing was promised," Stroud said. "Everything had to be earned. And when I would be working out, I would look at first-round draft picks and all of the Heisman finalists [to motivate myself]. ... And now that I'm in the league, I just want to do more. I know that this is just the beginning."
Round 2 of the NFL Draft will begin with the Pittsburgh Steelers on the clock at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN.
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