HOUSTON — It's pretty safe to say that Texans fans are thankful for C.J. Stroud's accomplishments on the field, but with Thanksgiving just a few days away, the Texans' rookie quarterback took his talents to the Houston streets to give back to the community.
He and his mother, Kimberly Stroud, visited the H-E-B in the Third Ward area on Tuesday to pass out turkeys and Thanksgiving fixings to 100 Houston-area single mothers at their foundation's "Quarterbacking Hunger" event.
CJ and his mom talked about how much the event meant to them.
"I can remember us having some trouble, you know, back when we were younger. To see it kind of come full circle, I just think it gives them hope," CJ said.
His mom talked about a situation she heard about at the event that hit close to home.
"There's a lot of different passions that he (CJ) has ... (helping) single moms (is one of them) since I was a single mom," Kimberly said. "We all started crying (during the event) because a mom, her husband's in prison. ... Same situation."
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.