CJ Stroud has taken no time at all to make a strong first impression with the Houston Texans, impressing on the practice field and at the podium.
Day two of the Texans' organised team activities (OTAs) is in the books and second-overall pick Stroud caught the eye of reporters at the team facility with some strong plays while running with the second team, including a sharp pass to fellow rookie Tank Dell.
But perhaps more importantly at this early stage, the Ohio State product appears to be thriving in the leadership role thrust upon him at just 21 years old – with veterans Robert Woods and Jalen Pitre praising him publicly so far – and he said everything fans wanted to hear at his press conference on Tuesday.
Those qualities will be invaluable as he tries to lead the Texans out of the doldrums after winning just 11 games across the past three seasons.
"It’s a dream come true (but) for me it’s just a stepping stone," Stroud said when asked how it felt to get down to work with his teammates. "Of course, I’ve been working for it my whole life, but I feel like I’m built for this and I’m made not just to play football but to use football to help people and inspire and lead people to God.
"But it’s just a stepping stone. I have a lot more goals and a lot more plans to accomplish what I want to accomplish, off and on the field, so I’m excited to be able to do that with this great organisation.
"They’ve taken it very methodically and want me to learn it step by step, just like they would do with anyone else. I’ve tried to do a lot of work on my own so when I come back the next day, I have that put in the bank to be able to move on to the next install or whatever it is.
"This has been an amazing couple of weeks for me and I’m very grateful for the opportunity that I have. The first couple of days of OTAs have been good, I’m just trying to get better every day and trying to push myself, learn from the older guys and get all the feedback I can and be on my film, be here all early, all the little things to push myself to be great."
Not only do the Texans have a highly-regarded QB heading into the new season, but they also have a well-respected first-year head coach in DeMeco Ryans. The 38-year-old was drafted by the Texans in 2006 and spent five years wit the team before moving on to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The former All-Pro linebacker built his reputation as the coordinator of an impressive San Francisco 49ers defence for the past two seasons before getting his shot with the Texans, and Stroud is enjoying their burgeoning relationship.
Stroud said: "He’s a young coach who knows how it is to play in this league and play for the Texans, so he knows a lot about the city of Houston and what comes with playing here. He’s just been great, very vocal and he’s really funny, too. It’s great not to have a head coach who’s stuck up all the time or super mad. He’s been amazing, very transparent and communication has been great, so he’s going to be a great head coach."
Another growing bond is between first-round pick Stroud and third-round wide receiver Dell, with the pair connecting on and off the field. "It’s been going great," Stroud said. "We’ve been hanging out in the hotel and going over scripts, getting the plays down together and great to be in a great rookie class, not only just as football players but human beings.
"Tank has done a great job. He’s vocal and he wants to be better and wants to know what we like so he can run the routes a certain way and he wants to get it right with the coaches, so he’s very in tune to what we want and he wants to be great and it’s great to be around someone very like-minded."
