![\"CJ](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/2180\/2024\/08\/1024px-Nrg_stadium-1.jpg\" "\\"Carlos.dkfi,")
CJ Strouds Football Background<\/span><\/h2>\nHighschool Achievements\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\nWith the National Football League (NFL) season kicking off, I\u2019d like to highlight CJ Stroud. Stroud is entering his second year in the NFL as the Texans starting Quarterback.<\/span><\/p>\nBefore revealing how faith in Jesus Christ fuels Stroud\u2019s approach to life, let\u2019s explore his professional and personal background.<\/span><\/p>\nColeridge Bernard \u201cCJ\u201d Stroud IV was born on October 3, 2001 in Rancho Cucamonga, California. He began playing youth football at the <\/span>age of eight<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\nStroud became a five-star Rancho Cucamonga High School quarterback during his teenage years. Stroud earned this ranking as he threw for 6,569 yards, 70 touchdowns, and 328 rushing yards with 6 more touchdowns.<\/span><\/p>\nThese efforts helped Stround <\/span>become<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n\n- A top 50 high school player in America.<\/span><\/li>\n
- The 2nd ranked pro-style quarterback in the Class of 2020.<\/span><\/li>\n
- The MVP of the Elite 11 game.<\/span><\/li>\n
- A participant in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Playing for the Ohio State Buckeyes\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\nAfter playing in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, spectators expected Stroud to experience immediate success as an Ohio State Buckeye.<\/span><\/p>\nUnfortunately, Stroud only had one rushing attempt for forty-eight yards in the two games during the 2020 season. Over the next two seasons, Stroud would play in twenty-five games.<\/span><\/p>\nStroud finished his Ohio State career with a 69.3% completion percentage, 8,123 passing yards, and 85 passing touchdowns. He also rushed for 136 yards and one rushing touchdown.<\/span><\/p>\nStroud\u2019s elite play helped him earn a host of accolades including <\/span>being<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n- 1st in Big Ten single-season passing yards in Big Ten games (3,193).<\/span><\/li>\n
- 1st in Big Ten single-season passing touchdowns in Big Ten games (34).<\/span><\/li>\n
- 1st in Rose-Bowl total touchdowns (6) and points responsible for (36).<\/span><\/li>\n
- A 2022 Rose Bowl Champion.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
CJ Stroud Houston Texans Rookie Sensation\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\nAfter his championship season, Stroud was drafted second overall in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nDuring his rookie year, Stroud threw for 4,108 yards with a 63.9 completion rating and 23 touchdowns.<\/span><\/p>\nHe set a single-game rookie record <\/span><\/a>throwing for 470 yards (with 5 touchdowns) in a win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He also led the Texans to their first playoff appearance since 2019.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nCJ Stroud\u2019s Painful Experience<\/span><\/h2>\nFamily Dynamics<\/span><\/h3>\nStroud acknowledges a major part of his work ethic and success in football is because of his family.<\/span><\/p>\nAs the youngest son of Coleridge and Kimberly Stroud, CJ says he had a good childhood. He grew up with three older siblings Isaiah, Asmar, and Ciara.<\/span><\/p>\nCJ credits his family\u2019s faith in Jesus Christ as the source of their stability. His parents built and his father served as pastor of <\/span>Life Application Christian Center in Rancho Cucamonga, California<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\nGrowing up in a godly household, Stroud says he never was in want. He spent a lot of time at church and serving others through various volunteer opportunities.<\/span><\/p>\nVolunteering helped Stroud put Christian principles such as humility and selflessness into practice. Stroud also became comfortable sharing his faith by discussing the Lord at church.<\/span><\/p>\nHis Pain & Suffering\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\nThe good times during his childhood enabled him to understand and become vocal about his faith. However, through the pain of his teenage years, he would learn about suffering. <\/span><\/p>\nStroud\u2019s suffering came as a result of his father\u2019s <\/span>transgressions<\/span><\/a>, causing him to be sentenced to thirty-eight years in prison.<\/span><\/p>\nHis Father\u2019s incarceration caused a strain on their relationship because his hero let him down. On a deeper level, the sentencing led to his parents\u2019 divorce and financial hardship.<\/span><\/p>\nFinancial hardships<\/span><\/a> led to Stroud living in an apartment that was no bigger than a storage room. Additionally, he had to <\/span>depend on help from friends to get toiletries and supplies for college<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\nThough tough, these trials taught him to be grateful for his blessings. These trials were also a blessing in college as they allowed him to develop his relationship with the Lord.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nHis Purpose & Passions<\/span><\/h3>\nGenuine faith in Jesus Christ allowed Stroud to discover his purpose beyond the football field. Since Christ forgave him for his sins, Stroud decided to reconcile with his father (Matthew 6:14-15).<\/span><\/p>\nTheir reconciliation ignited Stroud\u2019s passion to advocate for prison reform. He has gathered support from the <\/span>Reform Alliance<\/span><\/a> and celebrities like <\/span>Meek Mills and Michael Ruebin.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\nIt\u2019s wonderful to see how God took Stroud\u2019s pain to help him fulfill his purpose and obey biblical commands (Hebrews 13:3). God can do the same for those who surrender to his will daily and strive to abide by scripture.<\/span><\/p>\nFueled By Faith in Jesus Christ<\/span><\/h2>\nFour Instrumental Verses<\/span><\/h3>\nAfter learning about CJ\u2019s story, four verses come to mind.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThese scriptures are<\/span><\/p>\n\n- John 3:16<\/span><\/li>\n
- Proverbs 3:5-6<\/span><\/li>\n
- Matthew 10:33<\/span><\/li>\n
- Colossians 3:23<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
I believe these verses are instrumental because they show Stroud strives to keep Jesus Christ as the central focus of his life. This is because he depends on Jesus for salvific progression, direction, and a good work ethic that glorifies God.<\/span><\/p>\nCJ is unashamed to glorify God because Matthew 10:33 warns him about the repercussions of denying Jesus Christ for public acceptance.<\/span><\/p>\nCJ Stroud\u2019s Weaknesses<\/span><\/h3>\nWhile Stroud understands the importance of being firm in his faith, he struggles with acceptance. This weakness manifests through <\/span>people pleasing<\/span><\/a> as he desires to be respectful and kind to everyone.<\/span><\/p>\nAlong with people pleasing, Stroud is striving to overcome <\/span>using profanity<\/span><\/a>. He acknowledges cursing is a habit that can make him appear hypocritical since he professes to be a Christian.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
With the National Football League (NFL) season kicking off, I\u2019d like to highlight CJ Stroud. Stroud is entering his second year in the NFL as the Texans starting Quarterback.<\/span><\/p>\n Before revealing how faith in Jesus Christ fuels Stroud\u2019s approach to life, let\u2019s explore his professional and personal background.<\/span><\/p>\n Coleridge Bernard \u201cCJ\u201d Stroud IV was born on October 3, 2001 in Rancho Cucamonga, California. He began playing youth football at the <\/span>age of eight<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Stroud became a five-star Rancho Cucamonga High School quarterback during his teenage years. Stroud earned this ranking as he threw for 6,569 yards, 70 touchdowns, and 328 rushing yards with 6 more touchdowns.<\/span><\/p>\n These efforts helped Stround <\/span>become<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n After playing in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, spectators expected Stroud to experience immediate success as an Ohio State Buckeye.<\/span><\/p>\n Unfortunately, Stroud only had one rushing attempt for forty-eight yards in the two games during the 2020 season. Over the next two seasons, Stroud would play in twenty-five games.<\/span><\/p>\n Stroud finished his Ohio State career with a 69.3% completion percentage, 8,123 passing yards, and 85 passing touchdowns. He also rushed for 136 yards and one rushing touchdown.<\/span><\/p>\n Stroud\u2019s elite play helped him earn a host of accolades including <\/span>being<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n After his championship season, Stroud was drafted second overall in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n During his rookie year, Stroud threw for 4,108 yards with a 63.9 completion rating and 23 touchdowns.<\/span><\/p>\n He set a single-game rookie record <\/span><\/a>throwing for 470 yards (with 5 touchdowns) in a win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He also led the Texans to their first playoff appearance since 2019.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Stroud acknowledges a major part of his work ethic and success in football is because of his family.<\/span><\/p>\n As the youngest son of Coleridge and Kimberly Stroud, CJ says he had a good childhood. He grew up with three older siblings Isaiah, Asmar, and Ciara.<\/span><\/p>\n CJ credits his family\u2019s faith in Jesus Christ as the source of their stability. His parents built and his father served as pastor of <\/span>Life Application Christian Center in Rancho Cucamonga, California<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n Growing up in a godly household, Stroud says he never was in want. He spent a lot of time at church and serving others through various volunteer opportunities.<\/span><\/p>\n Volunteering helped Stroud put Christian principles such as humility and selflessness into practice. Stroud also became comfortable sharing his faith by discussing the Lord at church.<\/span><\/p>\n The good times during his childhood enabled him to understand and become vocal about his faith. However, through the pain of his teenage years, he would learn about suffering. <\/span><\/p>\n Stroud\u2019s suffering came as a result of his father\u2019s <\/span>transgressions<\/span><\/a>, causing him to be sentenced to thirty-eight years in prison.<\/span><\/p>\n His Father\u2019s incarceration caused a strain on their relationship because his hero let him down. On a deeper level, the sentencing led to his parents\u2019 divorce and financial hardship.<\/span><\/p>\n Financial hardships<\/span><\/a> led to Stroud living in an apartment that was no bigger than a storage room. Additionally, he had to <\/span>depend on help from friends to get toiletries and supplies for college<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Though tough, these trials taught him to be grateful for his blessings. These trials were also a blessing in college as they allowed him to develop his relationship with the Lord.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Genuine faith in Jesus Christ allowed Stroud to discover his purpose beyond the football field. Since Christ forgave him for his sins, Stroud decided to reconcile with his father (Matthew 6:14-15).<\/span><\/p>\n Their reconciliation ignited Stroud\u2019s passion to advocate for prison reform. He has gathered support from the <\/span>Reform Alliance<\/span><\/a> and celebrities like <\/span>Meek Mills and Michael Ruebin.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n It\u2019s wonderful to see how God took Stroud\u2019s pain to help him fulfill his purpose and obey biblical commands (Hebrews 13:3). God can do the same for those who surrender to his will daily and strive to abide by scripture.<\/span><\/p>\n After learning about CJ\u2019s story, four verses come to mind.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n These scriptures are<\/span><\/p>\n I believe these verses are instrumental because they show Stroud strives to keep Jesus Christ as the central focus of his life. This is because he depends on Jesus for salvific progression, direction, and a good work ethic that glorifies God.<\/span><\/p>\n CJ is unashamed to glorify God because Matthew 10:33 warns him about the repercussions of denying Jesus Christ for public acceptance.<\/span><\/p>\n While Stroud understands the importance of being firm in his faith, he struggles with acceptance. This weakness manifests through <\/span>people pleasing<\/span><\/a> as he desires to be respectful and kind to everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n Along with people pleasing, Stroud is striving to overcome <\/span>using profanity<\/span><\/a>. He acknowledges cursing is a habit that can make him appear hypocritical since he professes to be a Christian.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n
Playing for the Ohio State Buckeyes\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
\n
CJ Stroud Houston Texans Rookie Sensation\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
CJ Stroud\u2019s Painful Experience<\/span><\/h2>\n
Family Dynamics<\/span><\/h3>\n
His Pain & Suffering\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
His Purpose & Passions<\/span><\/h3>\n
Fueled By Faith in Jesus Christ<\/span><\/h2>\n
Four Instrumental Verses<\/span><\/h3>\n
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CJ Stroud\u2019s Weaknesses<\/span><\/h3>\n