It’s not easy to play football at the Division 1 level. It’s even harder to play quarterback in a Power 5 conference. And then there is the pressure cooker that is being the starting quarterback at The Ohio State University. And C.J. Stroud has handled it all with class and dignity.
Players come to Ohio State knowing they will be under the proverbial microscope and still choose to do so knowing what the expectations are. The Buckeyes were the only show in town for more than a century and so the passion runs deep. Sometimes at a nauseating level.
Stroud came to Ohio State as a four-star prospect and the No. 2 rated pro-style quarterback in the 2020 class according to 247Sports composite rankings. So the expectations were already high for the California native. Adding to that pressure, Stroud would be following some legends and record-setting quarterbacks at OSU in Justin Fields, Dwayne Haskins, and J.T. Barrett.
Those are big shoes to fill and sometimes the immense pressure to perform can overwhelm athletes and send them into the fetal position. But C.J. Stroud seemed to embrace the pressure, all while being one of the most humble human beings on the planet.
Stroud always seemed to take more heat than the rest of the team, but he never put the blame elsewhere. When Ohio State lost to Oregon in just his second start, the many coaches sitting on couches at home were already calling for his head. Funny thing, Stroud did everything he could to keep the team in the game throwing for almost 500 yards and four touchdowns but got little help from the defense. Oh… and he was playing through a shoulder injury.
He took heat in the loss to Michigan last year and then again this season when he said that “one game does not define this team.” Ohio State fans know The Game is a defining moment. And I believe C.J. Stroud knows that as well. But I also get what he’s saying… there is more to life than one game. And if your entire life is thrown off kilter for the next 365 days because 20-year-olds lost a football game, then it might be time for some self-reflection.
Most people have no idea what it’s like on the other side. To hear how awful you are, to have disrespectful things said about your family, and the absolute worst in humanity… keyboard warriors sending out death threats. I get it, players get paid now, you paid for that ticket, you have the right to boo… blah, blah, blah. Some fans, and I know it is a minority, need to grow up.
What will CJ Stroud’s legacy be at Ohio State?
A quarterback who in the biggest game of his career gave every ounce he could, a truly legendary performance.
All along he said his goal was not to prove the doubters wrong, but the people who believed in him right: pic.twitter.com/JPATFPTOlh
— Adam King (@AdamKing10TV) January 1, 2023
Most people would crumble facing a fraction of that kind of adversity, but C.J. Stroud kept his head held high and just kept coming back for more. He gave us his absolute best, day in and day out.
And in what was likely his final performance in scarlet and gray, Stroud left his heart on the field. Without his top two running backs and his top receiver entering The Peach Bowl, and then losing his top tight end and receiver during the game, the young man almost single-handedly willed the Buckeyes to a win with his arm and his legs.
But it wasn’t meant to be as the kick sailed wide left. And through the disappointment, he was gracious in defeat and the 21-year-old spoke with a class that many professionals lack in the postgame interview.
Stroud owns 17 school records at Ohio State. The 0-2 record against the Wolverines will stick out like a sore thumb, but that won’t be the only thing we remember. C.J. Stroud has represented Ohio State well and given us some of the most memorable moments in OSU football history.
For that, we say thank you C.J. Stroud for taking the criticism (sometimes unnecessarily) and still giving Buckeye Nation your all in every single practice, unseen video session, and every game. You made our Saturday afternoons in the fall for the last two years something special.
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