It would be easy for C.J. Stroud to feel overwhelmed right about now.
So much is expected of the Texans’ rookie quarterback, who was taken with the No.2 overall pick this past spring, before he has even thrown an NFL pass. The anticipation of Stroud being the next big thing in Houston is obvious in training camp as fans in attendance react vocally with every pass he makes or doesn’t make despite head coach DeMeco Ryans’ insistence there is an open competition between Stroud and incumbent Davis Mills.
But Stroud is more focused on the process of improving instead of the quarterback competition and the enormous expectations that are immediately in front of him.
“My approach every day, man, is picking one or two things and just working on that, and then of course as a whole just trying to get everybody around me better,” Stroud said following a recent training camp practice. “I think that’s my main job. It’s kind of like being a point guard in basketball—get everybody around me better. So, that’s been my goal, and I definitely feel like I’ve done a decent job, but of course there’s going to be a lot of work to be done.”
All indications are that Stroud has put in the work since the team drafted him out of Ohio State. And that work has continued on the field, in the classroom and even once most of his teammates have left for the day.
It’s obvious to everyone in the building that being prepared and being his best is supremely important to Stroud.
“The thing that has impressed me the most is his dedication to being as best as he can possibly be,” said Ryans, who is in his first season leading the Texans. “He puts the work in – not only when he’s here, of course. Everybody does that – that’s given. But what you see about C.J. – the work and the preparation that he does when he’s not here. He’s a true football junkie – loves football, always watching football, always asking for extra cutups from our coaches.
“So, I’m just impressed with the mental part of him and just how much he loves the game of football.”
The overwhelming belief is the Texans will eventually name Stroud as the starting quarterback sometime before the regular season kicks off in Baltimore on Sept. 10. The arm talent, leadership and playmaking ability are already there.
But during the first few days of training camp, that hasn’t seemed to be the case as Stroud and Mills have split first-team reps. While Mills was underwhelmingly ineffective in his two seasons as the Texans’ starter and he is also learning a new offense, Mills does seem to have a step or two on Stroud at this point in many of the nuances of playing NFL quarterback.
So, unlike No.1 overall pick Bryce Young, who was announced as the Carolina Panthers starting quarterback early on, Stroud is going to have to earn it through competition in practices and preseason games.
“Yeah, that’s my brother, man,” Stroud said of Young, whom he counts as a close friend. “I’m happy for him, but his situation is his situation, and my situation is mine. So, I know that I’ve got to work on my end and do whatever I’ve got to do to make this team better.
“It’s not about [who is the]starter, who’s not the starter, it’s about getting better for Week 1 against Baltimore. So right now, we’re just building as a team. It’s not just about individuals.”
In the meantime, the 6-foot-3 Stroud is facing a steep learning curve. He is having to learn to operate from a huddle, get in and call plays that are sometimes lengthy and come with a lot of new terminology. It’s certainly been an adjustment, but nothing Stroud isn’t up for.
“Of course, you have a multitude of things, I can’t just pinpoint [one thing],” said Stroud, whose first NFL action will come on the road against the Patriots in the preseason opener on Aug. 10. “It’s probably everything. Just trying to get better at calling plays in the huddle, operation, cadence, drops, footwork, eyes—having the right eyes and the right feet. My feet [are]tied to my eyes, so really everything. It’s been an adjustment, and I just feel like I’m just getting better and better.”
