Ohio State redshirt freshman C.J. Stroud (7) stands with teammates during Carmen Ohio after the Ohio State-Tulsa game Sept. 18. Ohio State won 41-20. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
Growing up in California, C.J. Stroud was tested at every turn.
Prior to becoming a Heisman Trophy contender for Ohio State, the Empire, California, native navigated through trying times and leaned on his family, as well as a host of coaches. Pointing to his mother, Kimberly, who raised him on her own through middle school and high school, Stroud emphasized the role she has played in his life.
“She did her best to try to keep me away from a lot of different negative things,” Stroud said. “[She] tried to keep me in sports and tried to have coaches around like father figures.”
While his mother was a guiding factor for him to stay on the straight and narrow, Stroud also said his older siblings — Isaiah, Asmar and Ciara — were an incredible support system for him.
His father, who was a pastor during Stroud’s younger years, sparked Stroud’s growing faith and love for sports, but he went to prison during the redshirt freshman’s formative years. When that happened, Stroud said his faith began to waver.
“My faith, in high school and middle school, it kind of withered. I’ve been through a lot with my family, because, of course, my dad was a pastor and we went through what we went through,” Stroud said. “After I found Christ for myself, it just helped me out so much.”
In his first year with the Ohio State program, Stroud attended a service at the Hope City House of Prayer with teammate and redshirt junior wide receiver Kamryn Babb, an experience that he said changed the way he viewed his relationship with God.
“I remember walking into the church, I had this feeling; it was something I could never explain. It was a better feeling than winning a football game,” Stroud said. “After I felt that, I thought, ‘This is what I really want.’ ”
Now, in his second year in Columbus, Stroud is pursuing a major in human development and family sciences — a track he says grows from his experiences as a kid in Southern California.
Through his major, Stroud said he hopes he can take what he’s learned, from class and his life, to inspire kids to take the right path, rather than falling into a life of negativity.
“I want to inspire kids around middle school to high school age because I feel like that was a pivotal point in my life where I kind of flipped the switch. I went from being an amateur to trying to be a young professional, not even just in the sport, but being a young man,” Stroud said. “I want to encourage young kids to not go down the world of negativity, or of selling drugs or gangbanging or doing dumb things of that sort, and try to find their avenue of positivity.”
Following in the footsteps of former Buckeyes’ signal callers Justin Fields and Dwayne Haskins — who were both Heisman Trophy finalists during their Ohio State careers — Stroud had big shoes to fill when he was named the starting quarterback in early August.
While he put up gaudy numbers in his first two starts — including a 484-yard performance in the Buckeyes loss to Oregon Sept. 11 — Stroud faced immense criticism from fans and media alike.
Since then, Stroud said he’s learned to handle the outside noise and has even grown to love both the criticism and support.
“It was definitely something I had to get used to. I wasn’t used to people caring so much or even focusing on me and every little thing I do. If I don’t tie my shoe right, people are probably tweeting about it,” Stroud said. “I love the criticism, I love the love. But, you have to fall in love with both of them because if you fall in love with one, you kind of set yourself up for failure.”
Despite the criticism outside of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, Stroud said his teammates and coaches kept him grounded and he ultimately didn’t mind who was saying negative things about him, since his peers were telling him the exact opposite.
“It helped me out totally because the things that were being said by random people that knew nothing about the game of football were totally opposite of what was being said in the Woody,” Stroud said. “If someone had something to say about me, it’s cool, because at the end of the day, you’re the one that’s watching me.”
Stroud’s first season at the helm of the Ohio State offense was a success, leading the Buckeyes to the nation’s top-ranked offense — averaging 45.5 points and 551.1 yards per game — behind his 3,862 yards and 38 touchdown passes. His efforts earned him a spot in New York as a Heisman Trophy candidate.
With the Heisman Trophy ceremony marking the first time Stroud has trekked to the Big Apple, he said he’s excited to experience the city.
“Definitely super excited to see the city,” Stroud said. “I want to go down to Times Square and see the billboards and stuff. I know it’s going to be cold, but I’m going to be wearing my coats.”
With attention to his stature as a Heisman Trophy finalist, which is announced Saturday at 8 p.m. on ESPN, Stroud pointed to his faith for keeping him on his path to positivity.
“This stuff is crazy,” Stroud said. “I think about it as a kid, just playing at Ohio State and having this opportunity to be a Heisman finalist; I just have to thank God and give him the praise.”
