CJ Stroud reveals why it's okay to be vulnerable
When CJ Stroud threw a touchdown pass to Tank Dell late in the Houston Texans' eventual loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Ohio State product's excitement immediately turned to heartbreak when his exciting young wide receiver didn't get up after the play.
When word came to Stroud that Dell was injured, he couldn't hide his reaction, breaking down into tears at the realization that his friend was not only going to miss the remainder of the season but would have to spend the night in the hospital instead of flying back home with the rest of the team.
Discussing what happened in the game and how it felt to have such a vulnerable moment in front of the world, Stroud didn't run away from it, letting fans, media, and anyone who was willing to listen know that he was proud to show his vulnerability off to the world, as it's good to show fans not to shy away from the human factor.
“I wouldn't say I was second-guessing it, but it was just not easy for me to sit there and be emotional,” Stroud said. “But it's something that we all go through in life and it's easy to be a fake tough guy. It's easy to go through life acting like everything doesn't affect you,” CJ Stroud told reporters via Click2Houston.
“But, deep down, we all know we're going through something and, for me, I think it's good for young men and women out there, kids who are brought up and taught. I was taught this, too, as a kid, not from my parents, but just from the world of, ‘Don't let anybody see you emotional. Don't let anybody see you down.' There's some truth to that in certain aspects, but there's also life and I think it was good to see people see me in that light and knowing that there is still a human factor to me. And I am a normal person.”
Interesting stuff, right? Well, wait, it gets even better, as Stroud had even more to say on the subject.
CJ Stroud wants to keep Tank Dell involved moving forward
Discussing Dell's injury further, Stroud noted that while the injury isn't in his control, he hopes to keep Dell involved moving forward, as he's still an important part of the team.
“To see something that he had really no control over and it's not easy, so that's where that comes from. And I think it's just what God is doing in my life. He's softening my heart in so many ways because I wouldn't have done that, probably, last year. But just the new creation that I am in Christ, I'm constantly growing and just knowing who He is and reading his word. And me and Tank do a Bible study every week, at least twice a week,” Stroud told reporters.
“And I hope that we can continue to keep going with that. But there's so much hope that we have and had and that stuff doesn't go anywhere just because tragedy strikes. So, I believe that we'll get past this. There is light at the end of the tunnel, but it might be a long way to get there. And I think that was good for people to see that we're just normal people at the end of the day.”
Though the perception has changed quite a bit over the years, sports is widely still viewed as a big, macho place where the only acceptable emotions are elation, excruciation, anger, and agony. To have a young quarterback in the middle of a playoff push declare for the world to hear that he is totally fine with showing his vulnerability to the world, crying on television for the world to see, really shows a maturity that is as fresh as it is respectable. No matter how the rest of the season shakes out, be it Super Bowl glory or a first-round exit, it's safe to say Stroud has the maturity to handle it accordingly.
