“I Know It’s Weird”: Texans Hero CJ Stroud Admits Sleeping With an Actual Football Alongside Him to Feel Secure

In his rookie season, CJ Stroud has turned the tide for the Houston Texans, showcasing impressive performances. Texans who saw one of its worst seasons last year are still in contention for a playoff spot as they face their division rivals, the Indianapolis Colts, in Week 18. Advertisement Houston is entering Week 18 as the 9th seed in the AFC and they have a 62% chance of making the playoffs.

Texans are enjoying their run this season with their one of a kind quarterback. What’s special about Stroud is his habit of being very close to the game and watching game tapes repeatedly. Advertisement Loading embed instagram https://www.instagram.com/reel/CyeFfVwp6 J/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading Around three months ago, the 22 year old shared insights about his journey to becoming the top NFL quarterback in his class.

He described how he keeps an iPad around and dedicates a lot of time to watching film, studying the game extensively to enhance his skills. Further more Stroud stated, He mentioned an interesting habit of keeping a football at all times. He humorously mentioned how he sometimes even slept with the football close by, comparing it to treating it like his baby.

This practice as he described it, highlighted his strong connection and dedication to the sport. His commitment to the game reflects when he expressed, it wasn’t about using the football as a pillow, but more so having it around. , selected as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, has earned a place among the finest rookie quarterbacks in history.

While he started the season with a tough 25 9 defeat against the Baltimore Ravens, Stroud swiftly rebounded. Remarkably, in his inaugural season, he boasts a commendable 8 6 record. Notably, ESPN has recently ranked him as the third best rookie QB in the past 25 years, placing him ahead of renowned like Ben Roethlisberger, Cam Newton, and Peyton Manning.

Advertisement CJ Stroud Reshaping his Team’s Fortunes The clinched the AFC South title in 2019, having a solid 10 6 record. Unfortunately, they faced back to back losing seasons thereafter. In both 2020 and 2021, they ended up in third place in their division with a 4 13 record. Things worsened last season, as they struggled to a 3 13 1 record.

The departure of quarterback Deshaun Watson left a significant gap that the team urgently needed to fill. For the past two seasons, Dave Millis started most games, but unfortunately, it wasn’t successful for the Texans. In the last season, Millis started in 15 games but managed only three wins. He 3,118 yards, throwing 17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.

The Texans were eager to find a young quarterback to lead their team and decided to go with Ohio State’s standout QB, CJ Stroud last season. This two time Heisman finalist has played in 14 games up to Week 17 and has 3,844 yards, 21 touchdowns, and only 5 interceptions. His pass completion rate stands at 63.2%.

Stroud’s arrival has strengthen the Texans, putting them in a similar strong position they held four years ago. Now, they have a solid chance to win their division and secure a spot in the playoffs. Advertisement.