The story of CJ Stroud is a testament to his resilience and strength in the face of adversity. As he throws passes on the gridiron field or jokes around with his teammates on the sidelines, one cannot imagine how rough a childhood he had been through. “It’s kind of, like, surreal to be in this chair right now. A lot of times you lose hope and you lose faith,” he told The Pivot.

His journey before he entered the NFL as a rookie backup quarterback and now a starting QB for the Houston Texans is one that will inspire many. Stroud now drives a $200,000 Bentley and bought a 4-bedroom home for his mother, Kimberly Stroud in California. But at several points in his life, his family was destitute, and was once very close to living on the streets.

How Stroud’s childhood complicated his relationship with his father

CJ’s father is Coleridge Bernard Stroud III. He would rarely speak of his father, and for good reason. He is currently serving a prison sentence of 38-years in the same city where he bought his mom her swanky new house. In 2015, Coleridge was accused of kidnapping, robbery, carjacking, and misdemeanor sexual battery stemming from an illegal substance-related incident.

This was the second time his father had been arrested. Earlier, he had spent time in prison from 1989 to 1992, for substance possession and a string of other crimes. While his father had been away for most of his childhood, the burden of raising the family fell on Kimberly’s shoulders. Stroud was the youngest of 4 children, and his mother had to work odd jobs to keep the family afloat. The family also had to live in a small apartment on top of a storage facility where his mother worked.

How did all of this affect Stroud? “He had a choice when his father went away,” said Kimberly. “He was going to let that motivate him and be the best or he was going to succumb to it and become a statistic of a kid whose parent did something they shouldn’t.” CJ chose the former. His choice has now improved his relationship with his father.

Football: The bridge between CJ Stroud and his father

When Coleridge was with his son, however, he took great interest in his son’s football life. He would coach him and advise him to run more from the pocket. A play that has served him well while playing in the NFL. But then his father went off to prison in 2015. “I don’t want to talk about it, Coach,” he told Munford, who was professionally training him.

CJ would ignore calls and any other way that his father would try to get in touch with him from prison. But then two years ago, they spoke for the first time on the phone, after a long time. At the Heisman Trophy ceremony in 2022, he was the 2nd-runner up. He spoke to his father, after the ceremony, bereft of any hatred.

Read More: CJ Stroud Becomes the King of Pre-game Routines With His Atypical Rituals

“When I talk to him now, I don’t hold any ill will. I told him, ‘I love you.’ He made his mistakes. I’ve made mine. It’s not about the bad.” he said. He is already being hailed as one of the best rookie QBs the league has ever seen. Will he continue to use his rough childhood as fuel to drive him to excellence?

Watch This Story: Bubba Wallace Gets Candid as He Reflects on Childhood Friend Ryan Blaney’s Redemption