ATLANTA—C.J. Stroud has endured more difficult days than this one.
After all, this is only a sport. There is life outside of the arena. Stroud knows that more than most—a childhood rocked by the incarceration of his father that led to financial struggles in his family and a late-blooming career.
And yet, in this moment, after he carved through one of the country’s best defenses, after he set up his team for a rousing upset, after he positioned Ohio State for a trip to the national championship game, his football dream was shattered.
