Back in mid-November, C.J. Stroud, a star player for the Houston Texans doing well enough to put his name in contention for the NFL MVP slot, decided that he didn’t want to talk about his athletic prowess or personal advancement during a post-game conversation. Rather, after a tremendous victory over the Cincinnati Bengals,
Speaking about this relationship with God and how he tries to focus on God and His glory rather than personal advancement, and how he focuses on prayer and praying to get closer to God, as he doesn’t think he deserves God’s mercy and forgiveness.
Making those points about his faith, he said, “For me, it’s a lot of prayer. A lot of knowing that God wouldn’t put anything on me that I can’t handle. I don’t deserve His grace and His mercy but He still gives it to me and I love Him for that. It’s not about me, it’s about Him and His glory. So I think that’s where it comes from. I think God made me like that.”
Continuing, Stroud went on to say that he can sometimes feel God’s presence during games, such during the game with the Bengals. He said, “I’ve been through a lot. Not only in football but things that made me kind of chill when everything is going crazy. And I thank God for putting that (in) me because that’s something that you need playing in this position — is lead. That defense over there, they didn’t blink even though they were giving up big plays. They knew it would come down to the wire — we knew that too.”
Earlier in 2023, Stroud spoke to Fox News Digital about his faith and how it provides a foundation for his life that helps keep him grounded and stable amid the rocky shoals and large ups and downs of football and his career. Speaking on that, he said, “It’s what’s kept me grounded even through my season. Football has a lot of ups and downs, it has a lot of twists and turns, but at the end of the day, it’s all about your foundation. And something that’s set my foundation is my faith.”
Continuing, Stroud told Fox News Digital, “It’s something I’m not perfect in, but I try to work everyday to be better, and I definitely think that’s what saved me. If it helps encouraging anybody to help them in their lives, whatever they’re going through, then I’m all for it.”
Watch Stroud speak after the Bengals game here:
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After the 2023 NFL draft, Stroud focused on his faith as well. Speaking to ESPN after the draft, during which he was chosen by the Houston Texans to be their quarterback, he said, “God has battled-tested me. I have the armor of God on me. Everything I’ve been through has prepared me for this moment right here.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video