The Pro Bowl quarterback who guided Houston to the NFL Playoffs his rookie season says an invitation from two teammates in college was a turning point in his Christian walk. C.J. Stroud wowed football fans last season by passing for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns en route to a divisional championship, Pro Bowl appearance, and multiple records for a rookie. Fans recognized Stroud for something else, too: his strong faith, which he often referenced during postgame interviews.
He told the Sports Spectrum Podcast that he grew up in a Christian home but didn’t get serious about his faith until he was in college when two Ohio State teammates, Kamryn Babb and Xavier Johnson, invited him to church.
During the first few minutes of praise and worship, he said he fell to his knees, crying, deeply convicted that he was not on the right path with Christ.
“That was a moment I was like, man, I need to get back on track,” Stroud said. “And that was when I started to really try to find Christ for who He was in my life.”
He kept attending church and met “great brothers in Christ,” who encouraged him in his Christian walk.
“Without Jesus, man, I don’t really know if I would be here right now, to be honest with you,” he said.
Stroud finished third in the Heisman voting as a senior while leading Ohio State to the College Football Playoff. He was the second pick overall in the 2023 NFL draft. Last season, he tied the NFL record for most passing touchdowns in a playoff game by a rookie (three). During the regular season, he set the NFL record for most passing yards in a game (470).
“My identity isn’t just quarterback, it isn’t just Houston Texans, it isn’t just football,” he told the Sports Spectrum Podcast. “First of all, I’m rooted in Christ and who He thinks I am. Second of all, in who my family thinks I am.
“... My identity is through Christ, so [how] can I serve every day to be more like Him and to help one of those around me?”
Stroud expressed his amazement at Christ’s grace and mercy.
“I’m not perfect. I try to do my best, and I’m working on things every day,” he told the Sports Spectrum Podcast. “His grace is so sufficient. His mercy is amazing. We don’t deserve it. But, you know, He died on the cross for our sins. And I’m just really appreciative of that because that holds a lot of weight.”
Referencing the message of John 3:16, Stroud asked, “What if that was your son? Could you do that? That’s kind of how I think about it.”
Stroud said he’s “pretty decent at football,” but his true desire is to be a better Christian. He said he has recently been convicted of not using coarse language.
“I was reading James 3 yesterday,” he said. “That’s something I’ve been working on is cursing. It’s hard, especially in this culture. …I can’t proclaim that I love God and have, like, a wild mouth.”
Meanwhile, Stroud said he has been working on gratitude in his prayer life -- “thanking God for the quote-unquote, little things,” such as waking up each morning, having conversations with friends, and drinking clean water.
“I’m blessed enough to serve a merciful God. He just loves me, regardless of what I do.”
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Nick Cammett/Stringer
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.