Given the outsized influence they have with many Americans, particularly young people, it’s exceptionally powerful when professional athletes speak out about their Christian faith and how it informs their day-to-day decisions and activity on the field. One athlete who recently did so is C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans quarterback and potential NFL Rookie of the Year.
He did so after leading the Texans to a 30-27 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on November 5, a major victory given that the Bengals were generally expected to win. Stroud both gave the glory to God on the field after the game and, in a post-game press conference, spoke about how his Christian faith informs his life and prayer keeps him cool under pressure.
During that press conference, Stroud noted that what keeps him going in life, whether on the field or off of it, is his faith and knowing that the Lord only delivers battles for which he is prepared, saying, “For me, it’s a lot of prayer. A lot of just knowing that God wouldn’t put anything on me that I can’t handle.”
Continuing, he made the point many Christians forget and the non-religious don’t realize, which is that God’s mercy is granted to those who ask, as there is no one who is deserving: “I don’t deserve His grace and His mercy, but He still gives it to me, and I love Him for that … I think God made me like that.”
Stroud then said, speaking on how his faith has kept him grounded and moving forward despite the various obstacles, that he’s “been through a lot, not only in football but things that made me just kind of chill when everything is going crazy.”
Concluding the faith part of the presser, he said that he thanks God for guiding him through those hurdles because his faith is now helping him in his position in the league, saying, “I thank God for putting that … in me because that’s something that you need playing in this position, in this league.”
Stroud also spoke about how the families of the players deserve praise and recognition, saying during the presser, “Shoutout to our families. We put in a lot of work, and our families do a great job of supporting us in that way. I love my family. I know the rest of my teammates can say the same.”
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He continued, “It’s not just us. It’s the city of Houston behind us, our families behind us, the guys’ kids, their wives, my family, my parents. A lot of people are behind us in this thing, and I think we are proving a lot of people right who believe in us.”
Stroud gave the glory to God right after the game as well. Watch that here:
Stroud’s father pleaded guilty in 2015 to carjacking, kidnapping, robbery and misdemeanor sexual battery. Stroud was a middle schooler at the time and his father’s arrest put the family in a painfully difficult financial position, adding credence to his claims that he had to rely on God to make it through the rocky shoals of life.
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video