Fact: C.J. Stroud’s name is already in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The Hall of Fame announced Oct. 23 they were displaying the Houston Texans quarterback’s football from his first career interception thrown Week 6. The significance was due to it being his 191st career pass, setting a new record for most pass attempts without an interception to start a career. The previous mark Dak Prescott’s 176 in 2016.
Stroud understands the significance of the football’s placement, but also has his sights set on larger, team related goals.
“It’s cool,” said Stroud. “I really don’t think about it much. I just try to stay even-keeled — onto the next. You have to celebrate those small victories and those things because I do work hard on certain things like that, but it’s never at the front of my mind.”
There are a myriad of positives that could distract Stroud, what with Houston being 3-3 and arguably completed their rebuild. For the Texans, no longer is a question of “when” but “what’s next” as it relates to the franchise’s outlook.
Stroud relies on personnel within the team to help him stay grounded amid the accolades.
Said Stroud: “Dylan Thompson, our player development guy, does a really good job — he sends me scriptures, certain sermons and little quotes to keep me level-headed, so he helped me out a lot with stuff like that. I always try not to think about it too much, but at the same time, be grateful for it.”
The Texans will have a test in Week 8 as they take on the Carolina Panthers Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time from Bank of America Stadium. The matchup is a pairing of Stroud and Bryce Young, who went ahead as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft. A win would not only validate Houston’s decision to take Stroud, but give the Texans its first winning record in October since 2019.
