C.J. Stroud, a 2024 ESPYs nominee for Best Breakthrough Athlete, lived up to his second-overall draft position during his rookie year with the Houston Texans, earning the Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year award during Super Bowl week.
This success came as no surprise to Mark Verti, Stroud’s high school coach in Rancho Cucamonga, California. In an interview with ahead of Thursday night’s Serena Williams-hosted ESPYs, Verti recalled Stroud’s raw talent as a 14-year-old freshman trying out for varsity.
“In the first week of our intrasquad scrimmage, he started making plays and seeing things open up,” Verti said. “He didn’t even know the plays or reads yet. He had only been with us a week.”
Although Stroud impressed everyone, he wasn’t quite ready for varsity. He began by starting for the first-year team, learning to lead and earning his way up.
“He was frustrated. He wanted to play. He had rough days, but he learned, and when he went to Houston, he knew he had to earn his position. He’s always earned everything,” Verti added.
Stroud’s determination extended beyond the football field, as he also worked hard to support his mother, Kimberly, who raised their family as a single parent.
“C.J. said early on that what drives him every day is to make a better life for his mom and himself,” Verti said.
Stroud and his mother are now working to help others in similar situations through the C.J. Stroud Foundation, which focuses on assisting single mothers, criminal justice reform, and children of incarcerated parents.
From youth football camps to holiday giveaways to helping clean up weather-damaged neighborhoods, Stroud is committed to paying it forward, demonstrating that he is a breakthrough athlete in every sense.
