Quarterback C.J. Stroud was selected with the No. 2 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans. He made an immediate impact with the team including leading the franchise to its first playoff berth since 2019.
In the AFC Wild Card round against the Cleveland Browns, C.J. tied the rookie record for most passing touchdowns in a playoff game and became the youngest quarterback to win a playoff game in league history. He also won Offensive Rookie of the Year and was named to the Pro Bowl in his first year.
Now that he has become a star in the league, fans want to know more about the athlete and his family.
Here’s more on C.J. Stroud and his parents including why his father is in prison and when he’ll be eligible for parole.
C.J. Stoud and his mother have a foundation very close to their hearts
C.J. was born in Rancho Cucamonga, California, on Oct. 3, 2001, to Kimberly and Coleridge Bernard Stroud III. The couple had been married since 1997 but divorced in 2012.
Coleridge had several run-ins with the law over the years. He spent time behind bars after multiple convictions for possession of illegal drugs, receiving stolen property, armed robbery, and attempted second-degree robbery. When C.J. was 13 years old, his father was sentenced to 38 years in prison.
“My mom, she had to play both roles for a while, both mother and father,” the quarterback explained.
Not having Coleridge around and raising four kids on her own meant sacrifices and C.J. knows how hard his mother worked to provide for him and his siblings. Today The C.J. Stroud Foundation, which Kimberly is the president of, helps single mothers in the Houston area with food, clothing, and other essentials for their families.
When C.J.’s father is eligible for parole
On April 12, 2015, police arrested Coleridge in downtown San Diego. He was found guilty on charges of carjacking, kidnapping, robbery, and misdemeanor sexual battery connected to a drug-related incident. He won’t be eligible for parole until 2040 when he’ll be 74.
His father’s incarceration has led C.J. to become an advocate for criminal justice reform.
“I didn’t want to make this public, but our criminal justice isn’t right,” Stroud said during a press conference following a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. “It’s something that I probably need to be a little more vocal about because what he’s going through is not right. It’s not just my dad’s situation, the whole criminal justice system is corrupt. I’ve been watching videos. In Mississippi, some of the prisons have rats and roaches and things like that.
“Don’t get me wrong, criminals should do their time and everything … but they’re still humans. I just wanted to shine a light on that real quick … My dad actually asked me not to. He always wanted me to focus on ball [but] just to shine light on it, not just for his situation but for the whole thing.”
