Houston Texans' C.J. Stroud Describes Himself As A 'Perfectionist' After Setting NFL Record
HOUSTON — Houston Texans' C.J. Stroud is having a historic start to his career. During Sunday's Week 5 defeat to the Atlanta Falcons, Stroud became the NFL's all-time leader for most attempts to begin an NFL career without an interception with 186 passes thrown.
A record Dak Prescott held since 2016 (176) — the previous top three were Tom Brady (162) and Tua Tagovailoa (152).
Stroud's first five games without throwing an interception indicated how the rookie quarterback has applied each lesson learned since training camp. But the record also proves Stroud's personality as a perfectionist.
"It’s hard to live like that, but I just put pressure on myself and just try to be as best prepared as I can, so yeah I would say I’m a perfectionist, but it’s hard doing that," Stroud said. "I’m really hard on myself, which is a good thing, but I’m trying to be more accepting of my flaws and plays I don’t make. But, at the same time, I’m a perfectionist. I can’t even sugarcoat it."
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud throws a pass against the Atlanta Falcons in the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Stroud began the first few weeks of training camp throwing several picks. During the Texans' 20-9 preseason loss to the New England Patriots, he committed an interception during his first career drive.
Following the loss, Stroud and the coaching staff reiterated the importance of taking care of the ball. After leaving Gillette Stadium, Stroud has not thrown an interception since.
Finishing his rookie season without an interception would be an unbelievable accomplishment, but the mistake is inevitable. His first interception could come Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, which would mark another learning opportunity for the former Ohio State quarterback.
"You see how teams try to attack you – it started off with a lot of blitz coverage," coach DeMeco Ryans said. "He has to learn, grow from and it shows that teams respect him when you do that in coverage. Teams respect what he can do at the quarterback position and the plays that he can make.
"That’s all just growing, developing as a young quarterback, and he’ll continue to get better at that."
