Why is Texans quarterback C.J Stroud’s dad in jail and what was he charged with?
C.J. Stroud is fighting two battles at once.
Stroud is a rookie quarterback making NFL history, trying to lift up the once-broken Houston Texans and move the franchise into a bright new era after everything suddenly fell apart with Deshaun Watson.
The will play their first AFC Divisional Round playoff game since 2019 against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday afternoon.
Stroud, 22, is also dealing with the pain of having a father in prison.
"I got to talk to my dad a little bit this week,†Stroud said. “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.â€
The Texans rookie spoke those revealing words after putting up historic numbers in the Texans' thrilling 39-37 home win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back in November in a contender for the NFL game of the year.
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Stroud's father will not be in attendance to watch his son make his Divisional Round debut.
Coleridge Bernard Stroud III is  serving a 38-year prison sentence.
Stroud's father pleaded guilty in 2015 to charges of carjacking, kidnapping, robbery, evading an officer with reckless driving and misdemeanor sexual battery.
As a result, Stroud spent a large portion of his childhood being raised by his mother, who he credits for keeping him grounded in a historic start to life in the NFL.
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“He had a choice when his father went away,†Kimberly Stroud told Sports Illustrated in 2022. “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."
Speaking out about his father's situation has allowed the Texans QB to turn a light on what he referred to as a "corrupt" criminal justice system.
“I’ve gotten a lot of feedback from it, a lot of people saying that they’re proud of me for just being so vulnerable with something that’s personally in my life," Stroud said.
"My dad actually asked me not to – he always just wanted me to focus on ball," Stroud said. "I honestly did it just to shine a light on it, not just for his situation, but for the whole thing.
"Don’t get me wrong, you make a mistake and it’s criminal, whatever the case may be – you should do whatever you have to do to pay it back to whatever that means, you know what I mean? Whatever crime you commit, you have to reap the consequences for that.
"At the same time, these are still people. I have love for everybody and that’s what the Lord asked us to do. So for me, I’ll just try to do my best to shine light on things that not only personally affect me but affect people that I can see with my own two eyes. I can feel that.â€
Stroud’s brilliance has helped guide the Texans to the playoffs in his debut campaign, an extraordinary feat for a rookie quarterback.
Victory at Baltimore on Saturday would punch Houston's ticket to the AFC Conference game against the winner of Sunday's matchup between Kansas and Buffalo.