Before Jayden Daniels’ exceptional performance this season, CJ Stroud was the poster boy for a dream rookie season. One simply cannot take away from the brilliance of Stroud winning the division with the Texans and leading them to a playoff win in his debut season in 2023. In the latest episode of The Mom’s POV, Kim revealed that Kyler Murray was among the first elite NFL players to bless CJ Stroud with the wisdom needed to succeed in the sport, as he too is a quarterback.
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The connect between Murray and Stroud possibly began from the former playing college football for the Texas A&M Aggies a few years ago. According to Mama Stroud, the Cardinals QB was blunt in his guidance, urging CJ to always learn from his mistakes and persevere while making smart moves.
Kim remains impressed with Kyler’s honesty, given that he has been plying his trade in the NFL since 2019 and naturally brings a wealth of experience. Seeing her son CJ instinctively interact with like-minded elite talent and exchange ideas, makes her very grateful.
“Kyler Murray was a blessing. He told CJ some of his wisdom and he didn’t hold back. He really told CJ to stay in there, make smart moves, and learn from his mistakes.
“Like I know, Kyler’s been at it a long time but it was just positive between two men that are elite at what they do. They came together in a positive interaction. It was an encouraging type of environment,” Kim said.
In a fascinating turn of events, this master-student dynamic between the two QBs was tested when the Texans faced the Cardinals in November 2023. Despite throwing 3 interceptions in that matchup, CJ Stroud was head and shoulders above Kyler Murray, completing 27 of 37 passes for 336 yards and 2 TDs. The Texans unsurprisingly eked out a 21-16 win over the Cardinals.
But Stroud’s greatness lies in his ability to pass on the blessings he received from Murray. Earlier this season, the Texans QB was seen conversing with Bears rookie Caleb Williams after defeating Chicago 19-13. It was the first NFL match of Caleb’s career and considering the hype around him, his debut was a disaster as he was sacked 7 times and took 11 QB hits.
Luckily for the rookie, Stroud went to him after the game and reminded him that he has the pedigree for a bright future. For that to happen, all Caleb had to do was learn from his mistakes, Stroud advised.
“Learn from those mistakes. And everything that you got, bro, is in you already, bro. You’re going to be a hell of a player in this league,” he said.
And yes, CJ did ask Caleb to stop getting hit. But as we now know, Caleb went on to get sacked 61 times more this season. Maybe Stroud should have said this to Caleb’s O-Line back then.
In the post-game conference, CJ shared that his gesture was simply him paying forward the support he received from veterans, including the likes of Murray, during his rookie season.
“I had so many guys coming to me after games last year and that meant the world to me that those guys even thought about giving me advice… So, I just try to give back to what the game is giving me. So, I wish him the best man. I want him to do amazing in this league. I think he will.”
CJ, since his CFB days, has been classy and down to earth. Safe to say, Mama Stroud has raised a gem of a man and why shouldn’t she be proud of him?
