Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud made history on Sunday when he set the single-game NFL rookie passing record in a massive win over the Buccaneers. However, instead of basking in the moment after the game, he used the opportunity to touch on a particular issue that hits close to home: his incarcerated father.
Stroud’s father, Coleridge Bernard Stroud III, is currently serving a 38-years-to-life sentence after pleading guilty in 2015 to charges of carjacking, kidnapping and robbery in a drug-related incident. Stroud used Sunday’s performance as a way to shed some light on issues in the country’s criminal justice system.
What shouldn’t get lost in CJ Stroud’s historic day was when asked about breaking the record he mentioned being a family man and talked about the criminal justice system involving his dad. pic.twitter.com/z6RzS5N7R5
— DJ Bien-Aime (@Djbienaime) November 6, 2023
“I didn’t want to make this public, man, but our criminal justice system isn’t right,” Stroud said. “It’s something that probably need to be a little more vocal about because what he’s going through is not right.”
He called the criminal justice system “corrupt” and said he’s seen videos of rats and roaches in Mississippi prisons. He made it clear that he believes criminals should serve their time, but he called for some humanity in the process.
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“Don’t get me wrong, criminals they should do their time and everything should be like that, but they’re still humans,” he continued.
Stroud also mentioned that he spoke to his dad over the phone this week before his historic performance where he threw for 470 yards and five touchdowns and said he prays that his father could be released and come to one of his games. Stroud’s father is currently serving his sentence at Folsom State Prison near Sacramento. He was dealt such a hefty sentence due to California’s Three-Strikes Law.
