C.J. Stroud bucks Ohio State quarterback trend

Former Ohio State football quarterback C.J. Stroud is really good. How good you ask? It may be too early to say this, but he might be the greatest Ohio State quarterback to ever play in the NFL. In only eight games this season, Stroud has quieted the narrative that Ohio State has never produced a successful NFL quarterback.

On Sunday, C.J. Stroud did something that no other quarterback has ever done. Stroud finished his eighth game in the NFL setting a single-game rookie record, going 30-42 for 470 yards and five touchdowns with zero interceptions. What was most amazing about this game was the final 46 seconds. After the Texans allowed Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to take a 37-33 lead, Stroud drove the Texans 75 yards on six plays, completing five passes in just 40 seconds.

Stroud’s 470 yards broke Andrew Luck’s 433, which was the record that stood for 11 seasons. Following the contest, Stroud was interviewed by CBS’ sideline reporter Evan Washburn and had the following to say about the amazing finish to the game and breaking the NFL rookie record.

"“These last couple weeks have been up and down. I’ve been going through a lot both on and off the field, but when you give your life to the Lord, He will give you opportunities…Pressure either makes diamonds or you fold. We have a lot of vvs diamonds on our offense. We like the pressure. (As for the record,) it’s a blessing, I’m not going to lie. I put a lot of work into this every week. My family knows, and that’s who I do it for and I do it for the glory of God.”"

Stroud has remained humble despite his success at the professional level. He is 4-4 as a starter on a team that finished last season with only three wins.

Being a fan of Stroud is easy. There are a lot of “me-first” kind of athletes who have never had to be humble, and as soon as the game humbles them, they don’t know how to act. Maybe it was Stroud’s humble upbringing, or maybe it was some other event that we are not aware of that keeps him grounded, but despite all his success, he remains the same humble kid that we all cheered for the past two seasons at Ohio State.

As long as he can stay healthy, it is a pretty safe bet that Stroud will be named the 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Past Ohio State football players who have won the Rookie of the Year award include Garrett Wilson in 2022, Chase Young in 2020, Nick Bosa in 2019, Marshon Lattimore in 2017, and Joey Bosa in 2016.