Texans QB C.J. Stroud Wins Houston Athlete And Newcomer Of The Year Awards
The awards keep coming for Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, both nationally and locally.
Stroud, the centerpiece of a seven-win turnaround under first-year coach DeMeco Ryans, was named Houston's Newcomer of the Year as well as Athlete of the Year during the Houston Sports Awards on Tuesday at 713 Music Hall.
Earlier Tuesday afternoon, Stroud was named to the AFC Pro Bowl, joining offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil and pass rusher Will Anderson Jr.
Stroud bested Astros' Kyle Tucker, Rockets' Jalen Green, Dynamo’s Hector Herrera and Dash’s Jane Campbell for Athlete of the Year honors. For Newcomer of the Year, he defeated Texans' teammate Tank Dell, Astros' Yainer Diaz, Rockets' Jabari Smith Jr., and Dynamo’s Amine Bassi.
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Stroud, who was unable to attend the event due to previous commitments, became the fifth rookie quarterback in league history to throw for 4,000-plus yards in their first season. He also became the youngest quarterback to win a playoff game and the first rookie since Mark Sanchez in 2009 to secure a postseason victory.
A two-time Heisman finalist at Ohio State, Stroud threw for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns against just five interceptions. He led the NFL in passing yards per game and touchdowns to interception ratio and led the league in passing yards per game (273.9), joining Tom Brady and Joe Montana as the third quarterback to accomplish the feat during the regular season.
The crowning moment of Stroud's rookie season likely came in a 45-14 wild-card round win over the Cleveland Browns. The No. 2 pick became the fourth rookie to throw for over 200 yards and three touchdowns in a playoff game, joining Sammy Baugh, Dak Prescott and Brock Prudy.
The trio of names needed four quarters to make history. Stroud accomplished the task with just over a minute remaining in the first half.
"I'm just super thankful for God and Christ for really just having a rookie year like I had," Stroud said last week after the 34-10 loss to Baltimore in the divisional round. "To be able to be mentioned with a whole bunch of greats and be playing against greats, it's just a blessing."
The Texans also were voted as the Houston Sports Awards' Moment of the Year, when general manager Nick Caserio moved up nine spots with the Arizona Cardinals to select Will Anderson, a foolish move among national pundits at the time.
Anderson, one of the top defensive talents coming out of Alabama, silenced the critics after breaking the franchise's rookie sack record with seven takedowns. He also led all rookie defenders with 67 quarterback pressures.
Behind the two Rookie of the Year favorites, Houston clinched its first AFC South division title and postseason berth in four years. The Texans finished the regular season with a 10-7 record and were 4-2 in division play.
