Texans' C.J. Stroud 'A Huge Fan' of Ravens' Lamar Jackson

Houston Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud details why he's "always been intrigued" by Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson ahead of their Week 1 matchup.

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is just as excited as any rookie making their regular season debut this weekend.

The co-captain is ready to command the Texans offense, but he's also focused on the enemy, as Houston will travel to Baltimore and play the Ravens on Sunday.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has been commanding the offense since the middle of the 2018 season and won the MVP award in 2019 at just 22 years old. Stroud revealed that he's admired the scrambling quarterback for quite some time.

"I'm a huge Lamar Jackson fan," Stroud said during Wednesday's press conference. "I remember the first time watching him, I was in middle school and that video came out where he was running on the sideline, stayed back, walked into the end zone, and put his hands up. I was like 'Man, who is this dude?'"

Lamar Jackson was too smooth in high school 🥶 @Lj_era8 pic.twitter.com/Y2mBqP0UrZ

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 30, 2021

Practically since he won the Heisman Trophy at Louisville, Jackson has been heavily critiqued for his ability to throw the ball, as he often takes off with his legs. Stroud explained why he's "always been intrigued" by Jackson and ignored the media's thoughts of him.

"(Jackson) is a very underrated passer and he's very accurate, especially down the field," Stroud said. "Of course, his running ability speaks for itself, but I think he's a lot smarter than what people give him credit for."

As previously stated, Jackson started for the Ravens midway through his rookie season due to an injury to Joe Flacco. He led Baltimore to a 6-1 record during that span and clinched the playoffs. They lost in the Wild Card round, but his flashes earned him the starting spot for the 2019 season.

Stroud explained that he's watched Jackson's rookie season "a couple of times" and learned a lot from it. Stroud is hoping to meet Jackson after Sunday's game and talk about that season and beyond.

"He had a hell of a rookie year," Stroud said. "The way that he can operate, run the ball, be very deliberate and accurate in his throwing is very cool to me. I've been a big fan of his and I'm excited to line up against him. Hopefully, I get to talk to him and I'm excited to see him have a great year."