‘The community hero,’ how Texans’ C.J. Stroud gives back to families, students with Back to School event, local partners

HOUSTON – When Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud was in middle school, his mother, Kimberly, made a tough and honest evaluation.

He was rough on his backpacks. They would get ripped up, or not smell great, which he owns completely.

On a larger level, though, the backpack was symbolic for the future NFL star and his mother as she raised him in Rancho Cucamonga, California in difficult economic circumstances as a single mother. The moment planted an important seed in the family, of wanting more and wanting to give back to children in similar situations.

That’s why the C.J. Stroud Foundation was launched. That’s why they held a special Back to School giveaway Saturday that included providing 500 free backpacks along with school supplies and other resources for students and families at the Houston Texans YMCA.

“The C.J. Stroud Foundation was founded on hope and giving back, and giving kids a fresh start on the school year is something that’s so important,” said Kimberly Stroud, the president of the former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year’s charitable foundation. “When C.J. was in middle school, we would have to recycle his backpack because we couldn’t afford to buy him a new one. Some of those years it was stinky. As a mom, there’s little things that you just can’t afford.

“So, we really wanted to bless these families with just a little bit of help to be able to give these kids a fresh start for the new school year. Just to let them know that we see them and we care for them as our future. We know that little things like this can make a big difference for kids, because they did for us.”

Stroud was joined by community leaders, including law enforcement officials with Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare there as well as City Controller Chris Hollins, teammate Tank Dell and family members.

For Stroud, 23, and his family it’s about letting people know how much he cares about them and taking strategic action to lend a helping hand.

Ever since his arrival in Houston as the second overall pick in the draft after a consensus All-American and Heisman Trophy finalist career at Ohio State, Stroud has been heavily involved in the community.

“He’s a star, right? I mean, Rookie of the Year, future MVP, future Super Bowl champion here with the Houston Texans, but he’s the community hero,” Hollins said. “These families are in need, right? They’re here to see him, hopefully get a T-shirt signed or a ball signed, but they’re here to get essential supplies for these young people as they’re headed back into the school year so they can kick off their year with success, continue to fight for their dreams, and we’re helping them do that."

From the beginning of his time in Houston, Stroud has emphasized an overriding mentality toward his philanthropy.

It’s not just about a backpack or an autograph, it’s about something larger and more intangible than that. It’s about creating a moment, creating a feeling, building connections and authentic relationships that go beyond that given day or an interaction no one knows about other than Stroud and the individuals he meets.

“I started staying rooted in the community by showing my face, but not just showing my face but experiencing it, hearing people out, talking to people,” Stroud said. “So, I don’t like all the cameras to be honest when I do things in the community. Just because I like to really reach out to people. It’s connecting to be rooted with somebody in a personal moment. So, I like to just go out to the park and talk to somebody, or I’ll go to a basketball court one day, or just go to restaurants, talk to the waitress, or people in general.

“I think that I’m an introverted extrovert, so I like meeting new people that we’re doing life together with. So, that’s how I like to stay rooted, but also just be somebody’s impact. I try to also be respectful of people’s time and what they’re going through. The whole reason my mom and I started this foundation was to be able to give kids things we wished we could’ve had growing up. It’s a blessing to be able to do something like this today, and I hope that we’re able to give the people here some hope with it.”

Stroud once played in a youth football league owned and operated by rapper Snoop Dogg.

He took a page from Snoop in terms of how he carries himself with people. It’s not about being a celebrity. It’s about being a genuine human being.

“It feels amazing to be able to give back and show my face to the community and just be with them through events like this,” he said. “They might see me on TV and think of me in a certain way, but I would love for them to see me as someone they can relate to as a person and have a conversation with too.

“I got a chance to meet Snoop Dogg when I played in his youth league, and he came and introduced himself to me like he was a normal person, and told us we could be just like him, so I just try to emulate that and be personable and friendly with people.”

For community leaders like Teare, seeing the example of Stroud is inspiring and someone they love partnering with. They’re deeply committed to helping, just like Stroud.

“Supporting back-to-school efforts is more than just providing supplies — it’s about investing in families and strengthening our community,” Teare said. “By working to give every child access to quality education, we create a foundation that protects public safety and steers youth away from the criminal justice system.”

Gonzalez emphasized the importance of education and literacy and a cause that’s extremely important to the Stroud family: incarceration reform.

Stroud’s father, Coleridge, is in Folsom State Prison and is serving a 38-year-to life sentence after pleading guilty to charges of carjacking, kidnapping and robbery in a drug-related incident. His earliest parole date is 2040. His son has been working with Michael Rubin and the Reform Alliance to help promote prison reform.

“Education is so important,” Gonzalez said. “My father couldn’t read and write, so I know the importance of literacy and staying in school. We were just talking literacy events for the community, financial literacy, so many other things, very important issues around incarceration reform.

“Today, it’s about the future, it’s all about the mission and we have a great future going forward. It’s about investing in you and definitely it wouldn’t be possible without these incredible leaders. So, let’s have a great school year coming up and let’s go Houston Texans.”

The Texans report to training camp Tuesday and begin practicing Wednesday morning for nine workouts in 11 days before they travel to West Virginia to The Greenbrier for four practices Their first preseason game is Aug. 9 on the road against the Minnesota Vikings.

A two-time defending division champion the past two seasons, the Texans have a strong roster and an established franchise quarterback in Stroud. They also have a community leader who cares deeply.

“I’m not from this area, but we all kind of go through similar things as people no matter your skin color, no matter the culture, no matter the city,” Stroud said “Whatever the case may be, we all kind go through a lot of the same things. I had to go through things and I had to be humble.

“So, I hope they can see themselves doing great things. You know, our kids are future presidents, they’re future lawyers, cops, city officials, DAs, all the things that run the cities and run our country. You know these are the kids that we’re impacting today. So, I’m hoping, even if they don’t think it’s football, they can do something special in their lives.”

Since the Stroud family came to Houston, they’ve become a vital part of the community. They’ve embraced the city, and the city and its residents have hugged them back.

“It’s invaluable,” Kimberly Stroud said. “It blows my mind how great Houston is. They’ve welcomed us with open arms. The culture here is so amazing and it’s really genuine. And so we just, we appreciate it so much and we love the community of Houston. We also love California, right? But we really love the way Houston has embraced us.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com