QB C.J. Stroud Reveals How He Won Over Houston Texans Locker Room Prior to Draft

How did rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud gain the respect of his teammates before his name was called in the NFL Draft?

Before he was a Houston Texan, quarterback C.J. Stroud's personality was already making an impact on the team's locker room.

Back in April, Stroud was at the Texans facility for a pre-draft visit. He was having lunch when safety Jalen Pitre joined at the table, and while one might expect a professional player to take it easy on a college kid, that wasn't the case.

Stroud admires Pitre's game, but he wasn't about to take any joking disrespect.

"He started talking trash," Stroud told ESPN. "I'm like, 'Man, I'm not backing down against nothing. I respect you, but that doesn't mean I'm backing down. If I come here, I'ma be on your [head].'"

Oct 15, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) reacts after a play during the third quarter against the New Orleans Saints at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports / © Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

In short, Pitre and the Texans were impressed. They could see that Stroud was a warrior, a mindset that was needed in Houston at a franchise that had won 11 games total over the last three seasons. The Texans (3-3) have already matched their win total from a year ago, and they are hoping that this is only the beginning of the good days to come under Stroud's leadership at quarterback.

"You're the youngest guy in the room," Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. "It's hard to step up and talk to men who are older than you, but as I told C.J., 'Everyone here, they respect you,' and they look up to him because they see, first and foremost, the type of player that he is.

"They see the plays that he is able to make, and when they see what he can do, guys want to play for him."

The Texans are entering a bye week in Week 7 of the NFL season, and they will return to action in Week 8 with a road date against the Carolina Panthers.