C.J. Stroud: Faith and Charity

9/30/2024

Quarterback CJ Stroud won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award as he turned the struggling Houston Texans organization from a struggling team into playoff contenders. Many believe he possesses Hall of Fame potential, after only a short time playing in the league. Stroud has been receiving personal awards and praise all his life. He holds six statistical records at Ohio State and was a two-time finalist for the Heisman Trophy. Despite the individual praise and attention throughout his career, Stroud has been known to prioritize promoting his faith and humanitarianism.

In this month’s Texans press sessions, Stroud spoke about Hurricane Beryl’s impact on the city of Houston. 18 people died during the disaster’s clean-up efforts. Causes of death ranged from heat-related illness to drowning, and injuries. Estimates say that 40,000 customers under energy company Centerpoint were also to be without electricity in the hottest time of the year.

In the press conference, he said, "I wanted to say I’m praying for everybody affected by the hurricane… Help is on the way. My foundation and I are trying to help, right now, as I'm speaking. So, you know, we're thinking about everybody who was affected… we want to help. We're praying for everybody… hope everybody's getting their power back. We're trying to get people in the streets, to get the debris and stuff off of people's houses and gates and fences and stuff.” The foundation he referred to is the CJ Stroud Foundation. The organization was founded by Stroud and his mother, Kim Stroud. They chose to focus their efforts on causes they felt close to including criminal justice reform, aiding single mothers, helping children with incarcerated parents, and general community service. 

Stroud initially wanted to name the foundation “Stroud Family Foundation” but Kim Stroud objected, and decided to change the name to the “CJ Stroud Foundation,” as she wanted to focus the attention on his name. “We’re building a legacy within the community. When people see your name, they’ll know that you not only care about football but also about them,” Kim Stroud said.

They declared their mission statement as “to inspire, uplift, and support communities in their times of need, ensuring they feel valued, appreciated, and cherished.” Their initiatives and CJ Stroud’s frequent involvement in various charity-based community events reflect a bright intention. The annual Stroud Foundation Back to School Event distributed provisions to families in need. They provided gift cards, bikes, school supplies, haircuts, toys, and other necessities. Stroud also sponsored the Rancho Cucamonga Warriors, his youth football team, in an act of respect and obligation. Kim Stroud also spoke to the parents of the team about her experience of raising a successful athlete. She distributed gifts and answered questions from parents. 

The help Stroud was referring to was the organization’s “Extreme Clean-Up” event. Partnering with Lowe’s, they contributed to the hurricane rebuild. Stroud personally selected families with houses in need of complete repairs. The effort also involved the Texans organization that promoted the event to expand the platform and scope of the operation, even bringing along the official Mascot Toro to relief events. 

During Lowe’s Extreme Clean-Up, responses to the initiative illustrated Stroud’s effect on the community. Houston native Jean Smith in reference to Stroud and Lowe’s coming to her aid said, “God sent me somebody”. She further described the Lowe’s representative as her, “angel from Heaven”.

Similarly to various other charity-founding NFL players, even with superfluous personal praise and attention, CJ Stroud made his priorities clear through his care for others. The actions towards individuals like Jean Smith and the families of Rancho Cucamonga not only contribute to relief but also create a tighter-knit and more united community. As the Texans and Lowe’s illustrated, it is important for large companies to contribute to community efforts. Their financial resources and wide scope of influence only facilitate bettering the lives of people in need.

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Works Cited

“CJ Stroud Foundation.” Cjstroudfoundation.com, 2023, cjstroudfoundation.com/.

Smith, Hillary. “Lowe’s, C.J. Stroud Foundation Support Houston Homeowners’ Hurricane Recovery.” Lowe’s Corporate, 2022, corporate.lowes.com/newsroom/stories/serving-communities/lowes-cj-stroud-foundation-support-houston-homeowners-hurricane-recovery.

Winter, Evan. “CJ Stroud Sends Important Message to Hurricane Beryl Victims on First Day of Texans Training Camp.” Atozsports.com, 18 July 2024, atozsports.com/nfl/houston-texans-news/cj-stroud-hurricane-beryl-texans-training-camp/.