C.J. Stroud may have had a theatrical entrance to the NFL as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 draft, but the rest of the Houston Texans rookie’s acclimation hasn’t been as glamorous.
The former Ohio State quarterback has had to respond to challenges throughout training camp, and offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik has paid attention to Stroud’s composure.
“The first thing I’ve seen is that it’s really hot in Houston, and I know there’s challenges that come with that,” Slowik told reporters Aug. 1 after practice. “Making sure that you know how to handle the heat, you know how to handle the challenges of a wet ball, you know how to handle the challenges of a center who maybe just ran four run plays in a row and 30 yards down field and, you know, he’s a little greased up.”
Despite the heat and the slippery conditions from the humidity and sweat, Stroud still was able to have quality reps.
“Having answers and preparation for that is a big part of just being able to handle the environment, and then on top of that, being able to continue to trust his feet, go through his progressions, which he’s done a really good job of as we get through camp.”
Stroud has also demonstrated the ability to learn from mistakes — regardless of who is at fault.
Said Slowik: “Then mistakes get made along the way. Sometimes it’s the receiver, sometimes it’s me, sometimes it’s him, and you kind of just learn from them, grow from them, bank it. That’s what training camp is about. Training camp is about good-on-good, not always having a perfect play, and seeing if we can make it work because that winds up paying off in season.”
Stroud is currently locked into a battle with Davis Mills for the starting quarterback job. If the rookie can continue to show he can handle adversity, the nod to Stroud should be a given.
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