CJ Stroud went to the Million Dollaz Worth of Game Podcast and admitted something that fans might consider unbecoming of him. The hosts, along with Stroud, were conversing about who should have won the MVP last season. Though Stroud respected Lamar Jackson and thought he was great during the season, he had a backstory to tell.

But not getting the MVP isn’t something new to Stroud. In college, he thought he was going to get the Heisman Trophy because he was nominated twice, but that didn’t happen. Stemming from that conversation came out an anecdote.

“We was after the game and I was high because we lost to a team of north,” said Stroud without disclosing what team it was and added, “It’s respect to those guys because they beat me you know. I got to show respect to where I took an L and it made me a better player now.”

“I probably never even said it before, Ohio State fans probably will be mad at me but that’s just the truth man. I became a better player from those L’s which I wish I would have won, but it is what it is.”

CJ Stroud was a runner-up for the Heisman Trophy twice, once losing to Bryce Young in 2021 and then to Caleb Williams in 2022. His second year at OSU was the best college performance he could give, with 4,435 yards and 44 touchdowns in a single season. He completed 71.9% of his passes that year. In the next season, Stroud had 3,688 yards and 41 touchdowns, while maintaining a completion rate of 66.3%.

Bryce Young finished his 2021 season with a whopping 4,872 passing yards and 47 touchdowns in his time at Alabama. Also, Caleb Williams finished his 2022 season with 4,537 yards and 42 touchdowns in the year he won the Heisman Trophy.

However, things changed for Stroud when he stepped into the big leagues.

CJ Stroud went 0-100 really quick

While Stroud’s college accolades were a bit underwhelming, he found his place in the NFL breaking several records in his rookie season. He won the Offensive Rookie of the Year. Moreover, Stroud started 5 games in his rookie year without throwing a single interception and broke Dak Prescott’s record for most passing yards in the first half after he scored 236 yards in the game against the Cleveland Browns.

Carrying a team to playoffs as a rookie is no joke. Perhaps that is why he holds himself up in such high regard and that became clear when Stroud released his list of top 5 QBs, which consisted of Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, himself, Josh Allen, and Dak Prescott in order. He changed the list, and it might be because of the backlash he got from fans and NFL commentators.

What people might not realize is that a list is always subjective, and people can have their own with no barring. Stroud’s college experiences have molded him into what he is today. Heisman winner or not, he still made it to the NFL and clinched the OROY. Now that’s a way to make an impact in the league.