CJ Stroud Says “Being Vulnerable as a Man is as Honorable as Being Private” While Talking About Incarcerated Father & Need For Prison Reforms

CJ Stroud hopes to lead the Texans to playoffs for the first time since 2019. But there’s a goal in his heart that’s more pressing, with widespread consequences: prison reform. The 22 year old QB might be on the precipice of a historic career within the NFL, but the path here has been fraught and challenging.

But now he’s using his platform to give back to those who got him here. Advertisement Stroud’s father Coleridge Bernard Stroud III went to prison in 2016, receiving a 38 years to life sentence after pleading guilty to hefty charges. This is not a fact Stroud tries to hide. Rather, he thinks he’s not vocal enough.

By his own admission, the rookie is a private person and its not easy for him to open up about his tough background, but he believes its important for him to be vurlnerable, and to tell his story. Earlier, he s and said, “I don’t like people in my business, but same time being vulnerable as a man is just as honorable as being private.

I was raised a little bit to not let people see you down, but to also have an idea of being vulnerable, and I kind of learned that in the later years of my life.” Advertisement “And for me, I just wanted to be vulnerable in that aspect. Just to let people know not only am I product of it, but you can become something more than that for those kids that are going through the same things.” While Stroud has not frequently discussed his father’s circumstances in public, he has actively contributed to covering his legal expenses and supporting his appeals since he began earning money from his football career.

Stroud has partnered with billionaire Michael Rubin’s REFORM Alliance to advocate for prison reform. Additionally, he showcased his commitment to the cause by wearing cleats dedicated to prison reform during the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats game last year. Stroud was too young to understand what was happening when his dad was incarcerated, but he knows that “ .” Why was CJ Stroud’s Father Incarcerated? The Texans star QB was just 13 when his father Coleridge Bernard Stroud III went to prison in 2016 for charges of carjacking, kidnapping and robbery in a drug related incident and is incarcerated at California’s Folsom State Prison.

Stroud senior got a longer sentence due to him having priors. But the QB believes his father had ineffective counsel and was strongarmed into confessing, “I learned about what happened and things that he pleaded to that he really didn’t do. He was kind of like bamboozled into making a decision (when) he wasn’t really in his right mind.

And a lot of times people who have substance abuse issues and things like that, they don’t need jail, they need rehab and help.” Loading embed tweet https://twitter.com/NFLRookieWatxh/status/1722763573972050157?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw Stroud’s father was not able to watch any of his games this season, due to the program sceduling.

However, this game against Colts was rescheduled to a nationally televised prime time game . So, Stroud senior, will be able to watch and support his son from prison. Advertisement.