CJ Stroud may be having his rockiest year compared to his first two seasons in the NFL, but he is still the clear leader of a Houston Texans team that climbed to 5-5 after starting 0-3. There is something about the QB that always stands out… he shows up when the Texans need him. And for that, fans can give a little credit to rapper Snoop Dogg for helping shape Stroud’s mindset.
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About a decade before he won 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year, Stroud asked to join the Snoop Youth Football League. He was 12 years old at the time, in seventh grade, and had already built a small reputation for himself as a promising young quarterback. That was enough to get him into Snoop’s program.
However, Snoop says Stroud struggled mentally at first when it came to leading a team and being a good teammate. Stroud was dealing with family issues and, according to Snoop, didn’t always see things the right way. That is where the rapper stepped in, helping him understand what real leadership looks like and teaching him how to carry himself as more than just a football player.
The story came up when Steelers defensive lineman Cam Heyward asked Snoop why he taught CJ Stroud that the brotherhood comes before football. The rapper replied:
“Because CJ’s house wasn’t in order. So, football was like raising him. His team had to become like his brothers, and that put him in a position where he could become like a leader and a father. Because as a quarterback, you lead,” Snoop explained, talking about how Stroud embraced the game.
“And I think the things we were showing him in my league was- ‘Depend on your brothers and be there for your brothers. But be accountable as well on your own.’ And I think that helped him become a better person, a better leader, and a better football player,” he added.
Snoop’s guidance ended up playing a big part in Stroud’s path to the NFL. After breaking out in high school, Stroud was recruited by Ohio State, where he became a Heisman finalist in both 2021 and 2022. That run eventually set him up to be selected second overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Snoop, however, says he was shocked when Ohio State came calling for Stroud. “When Ohio State got him, it shocked me that they would even look this way for a quarterback like that,” the rapper said, adding, “And he got there and took somebody’s spot too.”
The person Stroud took the spot from is Justin Fields, who declared for the draft in 2021. And if we talk about Stroud’s family issues, it has to do with the fact that his father, Coleridge Bernard Stroud III, received a 38-years-to-life sentence after pleading guilty to kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery in connection with a drug-related incident.
That ruling came in 2016, but surely, the family problems started long before that. Stroud’s mother, Kimberly Stroud, has been the most dominant figure in his life and helped the QB get where he is after a lot of hard work and sacrifices.
She had to deal with a lot of debt when Stroud was growing up, but she never wavered in her son’s football aspirations. She once said she was initially reserved about letting Stroud go to Snoop’s football camp, but after trusting her gut and seeing how good the staff was, her perception changed.
“When we went to the actual practices, [we] saw how everybody was so professional and great people. So don’t judge a book by its cover,” Kimberly said, as per the NY Post. “The Snoop Dogg league was super instrumental in C.J.’s journey.”
All told, Stroud’s Texans have a tough stretch of games ahead, including the Bills, Colts, and Chiefs. After winning at least one playoff game in each of his first two years, it will be interesting to see if the QB can lead his team back to the postseason again.
