C.J. Stroud has become a sensation among NFL fans after his game-winning TD against the Buccaneers, scoring with just 6 seconds left in the clock. After clinching this win with record-breaking rushing yards, the rookie QB took to the podium with a positive message about prison reforms.
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However, his post-game comments on prison reforms sparked a social media storm, leaving fans and critics alike to weigh in on the boundaries of athlete activism. While some fans stood with Stroud, others were quick to pass judgment, even deeming his initiative absurd.
A tweet by ML Football took the call after they had posted CJ’s prison reforms speech from the post-game interview. After his historic game, Stroud spoke about prison reform in this country and how it is corrupt.
“Don’t get me wrong, criminals; they should do their time, but they’re still humans.” Stroud said. “The whole criminal justice system is corrupt.“
Notably, the star QB’s father is serving 38 years to a life sentence since his arrest in 2016. Stroud has alleged that he has seen rats and cockroaches in the prison.
POWERFUL MESSAGE:
After his historic game #Texans QB C.J. Stroud spoke about prison reform in this country and how it is corrupt.
“Don’t get me wrong, criminals, they should do their time … but they’re still humans.”
Stroud’s father is currently serving a 38-year to life… pic.twitter.com/9YyBaDewtb
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) November 6, 2023
The reactions varied from supportive fans to those who took offense. A user commented, “It’s a prison, not a Hilton.”
It’s a prison not the Hilton
— Fantasy Fanatics (@FFB_Fanatics) November 6, 2023
Another one wrote, “Didn’t your dad kidnap someone? He can stay where he’s at.”
Didn’t your dad kidnap someone? He can stay where he’s at
— Splash and Furious 🐬 (@JoshuaClow) November 6, 2023
A comment read, “The question is, CJ, what did your father do to deserve those 38 years of life? Stick to football.”
The question is CJ what did your father do to deserve those 38 to life? Stick to football
— Mike (@Mike48184292) November 6, 2023
A fan said, “I love that he is already using his platform for something he is passionate about.” being irrespectively supportive.
love that he is already using his platform for something he is passionate about
— Dustin Ludke (@theDunit13) November 6, 2023
As the son of an incarcerated father, Stroud’s views are informed by a very personal connection to the justice system, which he branded as corrupt. While some rallied behind his cause, others swiftly judged him, reminding him of the crimes that led to his father’s imprisonment.
C.J. Stroud Voices His Stance on the Prison System
The Texans QB’s emotional reflections after a recent game win didn’t center on the victory itself but on a more intimate aspect of his life—his father’s incarceration. He opened up about the challenge of balancing his duties as a supportive family member with the demands of his growing football career.
“What I’ve been battling with is trying to still be a family man, still help out, and still be a football player and do my job,” Stroud said. “It’s been tough.”
Amid these trials, his spiritual beliefs have been his guiding light, providing solace even as the physical presence of his father, Coleridge Stroud III, is missed during his games.
A recent call with his father served as a powerful motivation for C.J. Stroud to advocate for broader change. He’s been moved to call attention to the broader injustices within the prison system, injustices made real to him by the grim reality of the conditions his father and others face, like those he has seen in Mississippi’s prisons.
C.J. Stroud‘s amazing game against the Buccaneers was one for the books, but what’s really getting people talking is his take on changing the prison system.
