HOUSTON — A year after the first 19 picks were non-QBs and Kenny Pickett was the only signal-caller selected in the first round, this draft class is loaded with potential franchise players.
Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud has the ideal size to go along with a strong and accurate arm, as well as leadership qualities and intangibles that have him pegged to be one of the top picks in the 2023 NFL Draft.
His story is also a unique one after his father went to jail when Stroud was just 13 years old.
What happened to C.J. Stroud's dad?
According to Sports Illustrated, C.J.'s father, Coleridge Bernard Stroud III, pleaded guilty in 2015 to charges of carjacking, kidnapping, robbery, and misdemeanor sexual battery. The charges stemmed from a drug-related incident that ended with Coleridge jumping into San Diego Bay to avoid police.
It was the second time Coleridge was sent to prison, which sent his family into financial ruin. He's in the middle of serving a 38-year prison sentence in upstate California.
While C.J.'s development didn't suffer, the quarterback prospect entered his junior year of high school with only 50 pass attempts and one scholarship offer.
He would play games without a contact lens in one eye, blisters on his feet from old cleats, and only managed to learn more about the quarterback position through YouTube videos.
While C.J.'s perseverance led to Ohio State head coach Ryan Day offering him a scholarship, he continued to ignore his father until recently. Coleridge then called C.J. after the 2022 Heisman Trophy ceremony, where C.J. finally forgave his father.
Now the prized quarterback prospect has his sights on overtaking the NFL, but he'll still have to do it without his father.
Coleridge won't be eligible for parole until 2040.
He'll be 74 years old.