Hope isn’t rare in the NFL. But the sustained belief is a different story. In Houston, CJ Stroud has flipped that script. What once felt like an aimless franchise now hums with quiet conviction. A rookie in 2023, fast forward to now, and he has become the reason the Texans feel like they belong in big-picture conversations again. Two quick playoff exits sting, but they’re ready to go all-in. And if you’re calling that a sophomore slump, Peyton Manning has a message: “He’s 22… I didn’t win a playoff game until my sixth year. He’s two for two.”
Year 3 isn’t about proving he belongs. It’s about pushing the ceiling even higher. So, how do you support a quarterback like that? Not just with pass-catchers and protection, but with a continuity of vision. That’s where the 2025 draft comes into play. The Texans doubled up on Iowa State wideouts, Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. And the naive assumption was, wait, why two guys from the same college? But Assistant GM Chris Blanco made the point clear on the July 1 episode of NFL Spotlight With Ari Meirov. He said, “It’s a coincidence they’re from the same school. But the thought process isn’t a coincidence.”
There’s precedent here. Just last year, Sean McVay and the Rams drafted two defensive linemen from the same college, Kobie Turner and Desjuan Johnson, both out of Richmond, to help replace the void left by Aaron Donald’s retirement. The thinking was clear: shared chemistry, shared system, plug-and-play mentality. Houston didn’t have an Aaron Donald-level vacancy, but the philosophy tracked. The Texans want to help CJ Stroud.
September 29, 2024, Cypress, Texas, USA: Texans quarterback CJ STROUD 7 celebrates after throwing a touchdown during the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars game at NRG Stadium in Houston. Cypress USA – ZUMAg261 20240929_znp_g261_028 Copyright: xDomenicxGreyx
Higgins gives them size and physicality, Noel brings short-area bursts and feel. Together? They offer matchup flexibility and scheme insulation for Stroud. And that wasn’t by accident. Blanco added, “It’s really just letting the board speak to us, like we’ve done so much homework, our scouts, and college directors do so much homework on these guys for two plus 25:53 years. If there’s two players from the same school and they both happen to play the same position, then they’re the best players for us.”
While the franchise is trying to help him get better on the field, he is busy somewhere else. Trying to change the lives of his fans.
CJ Stroud plays hero for the community
CJ Stroud isn’t just playing QB for the Texans; he’s quietly becoming the heartbeat of Houston. Not just because of the rocket arm or the game-winning drives, but because even when the cameras dim in the offseason, Stroud keeps showing up. This time, not at the 50-yard line. But behind the scenes, paying the way for seven Houston kids to attend church camp in Waxahachie, Texas, kids who couldn’t otherwise afford it.
Space City Church pastor Vaughaligan Walwyn, better known as Pastor Von Won, needed help to cover costs. So he reached out to the CJ Stroud Foundation. The reply was swift, like his passes. The foundation offered to cover seven full camp scholarships, the exact number on the back of Stroud’s jersey. A quiet detail, but one that says everything.
“It means the world,” Walwyn told KPRC 2. “For C.J. and his foundation to pay those fees and help us in any capacity, it’s a blessing.” But the roots of this story dig deeper, back to Week 4 of the 2023 season, when Texans team chaplain Mikado Hinson invited Pastor Von to speak before their clash with the Jaguars. His message? “You gotta go through the mud before you get to the miracle.”
The next day, Stroud threw a game-winning touchdown with 18 seconds left. Later, in his post-game presser, he quoted Von’s line word for word. “That resonated with me. The mud makes you who you are.” That wasn’t just a soundbite. It was a seed. Stroud’s faith isn’t a side note. It’s foundational.
In a league overflowing with talent, it’s rare to find a young star so grounded in why he plays. Stroud isn’t just leading the Texans with the pigskin in hand, he’s leading with faith and humility in the streets as well.
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