No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud is quickly establishing himself as a legitimate star in the NFL with the Houston Texans. And as he continues to win over the locker room and gain respect as a leader, it reminds him of when he did the same thing during his time with the Ohio State Buckeyes in college.
During a press conference this week, C.J. Stroud recalled the moment when he felt his Ohio State teammates started to look at him as the leader of the offense.
“That’s a great question. Me personally, I think it’s a certain look you get in the huddle from vets and guys who have done it and been there before,” Stroud said this week according to Pro Football Talk. “For me, in college, I remember starting off — we were really good and we ended up losing to Oregon, and I still played decently in that game, played pretty well. And I remember still getting hate from it, and guys would just rally around me, and I was like, ‘Alright, man. This is my offense. I’ve got this.’”
Stroud said that he’s now feeling the same thing with the Houston Texans.
“And then now, in this offense, when I get in the huddle and I’m saying the plays, guys look at me right in my eyes. Like, it feels like they trust me more than they did maybe in the preseason or like Week 1, [or] Week 2. So I definitely think when you put it on the field, that’s when guys in the building and the organization, front office, the coaches, the players, everybody — even the chefs look at you different,” Stroud said
It will certainly be interesting to watch Stroud grow as both a player and a leader in this Houston Texans offense.
