The Houston Texans’ growing popularity comes after its surprise 10-7 season, largely due to the efforts of AP Rookies of the Year C.J. Stroud and defensive end Will Anderson Jr.
Stroud recently partnered with Dallas Cowboys star pass-rusher and Lone Star State icon Micah Parsons to hold youth and high school football camps for 10 days in three cities in Asia.
The 2024 Asia Tour, sponsored by Gridiron Imports, is a non-profit organization that aims to provide players around the world with an opportunity to play football and receive education at the high school and college levels in the United States.
Friday marked the second day in Beijing, which Stroud shared with his Instagram followers, posting videos of him snapping photos with campers and going through drills.
CJ out there teaching the best sport in the world in China.
If he becomes the favorite NFL player in China.. look out. About to do numbers. pic.twitter.com/gDJynvIz9l
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) May 1, 2024
The duo will wrap up their time in Beijing on Saturday before stopping in Shanghai the same day and leaving the next. They’ll complete the tour with a week-long stay in Tokyo starting next week.
While rivals during the season, Stroud and Parsons have frequently appeared alongside each other in the offseason. The Texans’ quarterback was a recent guest on Parson’s Bleacher Report podcast “The Edge” and again sat down together on B/R’s NFL Draft Live Show.
The content did not disappoint.
THIS IS AWESOME… CJ Stroud picking his all-offense versus Micah Parsons picking his all-defense, and the two arguing why they will win.
🔥🔥🔥
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) April 25, 2024
The two courtside together at Game 4 of the Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks playoff series, prompting another humorous quotable from Parsons that flabbergasted Stroud.
CJ Stroud dunking on Micah Parsons all offseason has been hilarious to watch pic.twitter.com/R3YXSF40kb
— Jacob (@Stroud4AllPro) April 28, 2024
The two are clearly good friends off the field. On, they’ll meet for bragging rights when Houston travels to Arlington and AT&T Stadium to Dallas during the upcoming regular season.
Stroud’s play has factored into his ascension into superstardom, and the continually rising popularity of social media has him poised to reach a level of buzz Houston has yet to see in this new age of technology.
While J.J. Watt remains the franchise’s most influential star, even he couldn’t create the same hype as a young and talented quarterback like Stroud.
C.J. Stroud and Sketch has to be the most wholesome thing I've seen today. pic.twitter.com/2L9MJCAjg9
— te𝕏 🌎☄️💕® (@TexanicoYT) April 7, 2024
It’s a path nearly all legendary quarterbacks take. Fans loved Tom Brady when he was the underdog who upset the St. Louis Rams, dubbed the Greatest Show on Turf, but fans of teams outside of Boston hated him by the decade’s end.
Winning is the root of hate, and the Texans are building a strong contender after appearing in the playoffs again for the first time since 2019.
Free agency further magnified the buzz around the AFC South ballclub with the additions of Danielle Hunter and Denico Autry. At the same time, Stroud and the offense gained reinforcements from trades that secured Pro Bowlers Joe Mixon and Stefon Diggs.
Winning the AFC South comes with playing a first-place schedule, including matchups with seven playoff teams from a year ago. It’ll be must-see TV when Stroud duels Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and reigning league MVP Lamar Jackson.
Houston had zero primetime games in 2023 until its regular season finale with Indianapolis moved to ESPN on Saturday. It was the nation’s first time truly watching Stroud since the College Football Playoff, and he gave them a show, throwing for 264 yards and tossing two touchdowns that led to a 23-19 division-clinching win.
This angle of CJ Stroud’s 75-yard TD is awesome. pic.twitter.com/Mvw5nEEige
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) January 7, 2024
Houston will likely be in multiple primetime games in 2024, and perhaps one will be its matchup with Parsons and Dallas.
The Texans won’t take any teams by surprise this season, so it’ll be a developing story throughout the year if Stroud and his team make opposing fans envy their success.
