The NFL world already knows of C.J. Stroud, the Ohio State quarterback projected to go as high as No. 2 overall in Thursday night’s 2023 Draft, but few know his story.
Stroud has been a star of college football for successive seasons, recognized in the form of two nominations for the Heisman Trophy.
While he may drive a Rolls Royce and have already bought a California home for his mom and sister, Stroud’s life has been more complicated than to the naked eye.
According to Sports Illustrated, Stroud’s father – Coleridge Bernard Stroud III – is currently serving a 38-year-to-life prison sentence after pleading guilty in 2015 to charges of misdemeanor sexual battery, robbery, kidnapping and carjacking, all relating to a drug-related incident.
The Strouds – a family of six – struggled financially without the patriarchal figure and found themselves living inside the apartment above a storage unit which Stroud’s mother, Kimberly, became manager of.
C.J. Stroud has overcome the adversity of losing his father to the prison system at the age of 13
Stroud has already been mixing it with NFL stars including Cowboys stud Micah Parsons (L)
‘It really saved us,’ Kimberly told SI in December. ‘It saved me and my children from being homeless.’
According to the in-depth piece, Stroud and his father did not have a relationship for some years after his closest ally was incarcerated while the then-promising quarterback was just 13.
‘My pops, he was my best friend, to have your best friend be snatched like that, it was tough,’ he told the outlet.
While calls from prison had previously gone unanswered, the pair now have contact with one another.
‘I just look at the things my dad did that were positive, but for a while, I wasn’t like that. I hated my pops, for real. Like man, how could you leave me like that?’
Aside from the SI interview, Stroud has only discussed the matter on The Pivot Podcast.
‘When I talk to him now, I don’t hold any ill will. I told him, “I love you.” He made his mistakes. I’ve made mine. It’s not about the bad,’ he said.
Make no mistake, thanks to Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals – Stroud is already set up, as evidenced by some of his aforementioned purchases.
At one point in the lead up to tonight’s draft, Stroud seemed likely to go No. 1 overall – now the consensus is Alabama star Bryce Young (R) will be first off the board to the Carolina Panthers
The Ohio State star has broken numerous school records and was a two-time Heisman finalist
Though, being taken in the first round will earn him tens of millions of dollars. Per Spotrac, the first overall pick – once likely to be Stroud – will earn a four-year, $41.2million deal, including a $26.9m signing bonus.
If taken in the top five, Stroud will have a projected contract of at least $34.5m and a $22.1m signing add-on.
The 6-foot-3, 240lb quarterback looks like the prototypical signal-calling star. His performances in his final college football games certainly went some way to establishing that.
Stroud holds three all-time records in the Big 10 conference, eclipsing his idol Drew Brees in the process. This is in addition to 13 separate records held at Ohio State – the school which gave the California kid a chance to secure a future far away from the difficulty of his adolescence.
His college career may look smooth on the surface but Stroud had adversity like all of the prospects in the 2023 Draft class. After the Buckeyes’ humbling at the hands of its most bitter rivals, Michigan in Columbus, Stroud received death threats – according to the SI piece.
‘It’s the nature of the beast,’ Stroud said ahead of the Peach Bowl classic vs. Georgia, displaying an unflappability necessary in the great quarterbacks. ‘You accept the good with the bad. I thank God for a second chance at this game. We deserve to be here regardless of what happened that day.’
Stroud took that moment, displaying all of his tangible and intangible qualities in an heroic performance, dragging Ohio State to a winning position before its kicker missed a game-winner as time expired.
OSU lost 42-41 and missed out on a chance to play in the college football national championship.
Young and Stroud have been enjoying each other’s company in the build up to tonight’s Draft
When drafted by an NFL franchise, Stroud will earn generational wealth upon signing his deal
In his final collegiate game, Stroud threw for 348 yards and four touchdowns on 23-34 passing. He also demonstrated his elusiveness, rushing for 34 yards on 12 carries.
‘He had a choice when his father went away,’ Kimberly told SI. ‘He was going to let that motivate him and be the best or he was going to succumb to it and become a statistic of a kid whose parent did something they shouldn’t,’ she said.
‘I sit and I’m amazed at how resilient he is. C.J. is the most amazing human I have ever met.’
NFL fans may never get to see that side of Stroud but they will see the culmination of his life’s work, the product of his fight through adversity when he steps on the stage and shakes the hand of commissioner Roger Goodell Thursday night. From there, the work will begin again to overcome the odds and craft a life of superstardom in the league known as Not For Long.
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