Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has been a success since entering the league second overall, winning the Offensive Rookie of the year and leading the team to back-to-back playoff campaigns. However, behind the 24-year-old’s spectacular play at high school, college, and the NFL, Stroud’s story is one of toughness and personal adversity, with his father, Coleridge Bernard Stroud III, serving 38 years to life in prison.
Stroud was just 13 years old and in middle school when his father was incarcerated in 2016, stemming from charges of carjacking, kidnapping, and robbery connected to a drug-related incident. Still, the quarterback used his family’s hardship to do good, and Stroud uses his platform to preach his faith and lead by example for the youth, who may find themselves in a similar position.
The quarterback has also advocated for prison reform, often wearing custom “FREE POPS” cleats during games, and has spoken emotionally about his father, who will be eligible for parole in 2040.
“That’s what I’ve been battling with, trying to still be a family man … and still be a football player and do my job,” Stroud said.
“I got to talk to my dad a little bit this week. I’m praying to God that something can happen, that he can get out and come to one of these games. I’ve been praying for him a lot.”
Why is C.J. Stroud’s dad in Prison?
Stroud’s father is currently serving a prison sentence stemming from a 2015 conviction on multiple charges, including carjacking, kidnapping, robbery, and misdemeanor sexual battery. The case originated from a drug-related incident in San Diego, where Stroud allegedly forced his way into a woman’s car while she was stopped in traffic, demanding she drive him to buy drugs.
The woman managed to escape, later telling police she had been assaulted. Stroud fled the scene, leading officers on a chase that ended when he crashed the vehicle into a pole and jumped into the San Diego Bay in an attempt to evade capture.
However, court records show this wasn’t his first brush with the law. In the early 1990s, he had several convictions for drug possession, armed robbery, receiving stolen property, and attempted robbery.
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How long is C.J. Stroud’s dad’s sentence?
Coleridge Bernard Stroud III is currently serving a 38-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to carjacking, kidnapping, robbery, and misdemeanor sexual battery charges.
It marks his second stint behind bars, following earlier convictions decades prior. Stroud, who is housed at Folsom State Prison, will not be eligible for parole until 2040, when he reaches the age of 74.
What has Stroud’s mom said?
“He had a choice when his father went away,” Stroud’s mother, Kim, said. “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.
“I sit and I’m amazed at how resilient he is. C.J. is the most amazing human I have ever met.”
