CJ Stroud Identifies As Christian In The #MeMe Era | Bobby Burack
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is the presumptive NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. He is already among the best quarterbacks in the league after just 16 games as a pro. The Texans are two wins away from their first Super Bowl appearance due, in large part, to Stroud's mastery at the position.
Stroud is rightfully front and center of the sports conversation. And so is his faith.
He wears his faith on both sleeves, thanking his Lord and Savior each time he speaks to the media.
There hasn't been a star athlete this profoundly and openly Christian since, perhaps, Tim Tebow in 2011. (Tebow was more of a star personality than a star athlete.) The country has changed significantly since that time.
Stroud differs from most athletes in that way. This is the #MeMe era in which athletes determine success by how large they grow their individual brands.
Dollar bills, sponsorship deals, and social media influence are the priorities. Athletes use sports to build a brand.
Branding build requires parroting messages that align with the corporate press and the causes that Nike and Adidas uphold.
Brand building also requires self-censoring on topics that could sever relationships with the morally wicked, like the Chinese Community Party.
In 2019, LeBron James encouraged people within the NBA not to offer support for Hong Kong because upsetting the genocidal maniacs in the Chinese government could "harm financially."
“We do have freedom of speech, but there can be a lot of negatives that come with that too," said James after then-Rockets GM Daryl Morey spoke out against China.
Not a single mainstream professional athlete has disobeyed LeBron's orders.
LeBron plays by the rules of his handlers. He criticizes America, but not China. He rails against White America. He refuses to call former President Donald Trump by name. He's a puppet.
LeBron abides by the One True Opinion, the pre-approved narratives athletes are allowed to support. He's going to become a billionaire, as a result.
Faith is not one of the messages athletes are supposed to spread. Political influencers and lobbyists have, shamefully, politicized faith.
Athletes understand the dangers of linking themselves to Jesus Christ.
"The sports media wants athletes to speak out on everything off the field except religion," Clay Travis said in October.
NBC proved Clay's statement true earlier this week.
The network interviewed Stroud after the Texans playoff victory over the Browns last Saturday. NBC then edited the clip for social media, omitting Stroud's opening message:
"First and foremost, I just want to give all glory and praise to my Lord, Jesus Christ.”
Stroud should have praised George Floyd or Dylan Mulvaney. Had he, NBC would've praised him for his bravery. ESPN would've nominated him for the Arthur Ashe Courage Award.
But Stroud isn't loyal to Black Lives Matter or transgenderism. He's loyal to Christ. His loyalty is not for sale.
Stroud has never even succumbed to media pressure to speak on "what it means to be a black quarterback." Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Jalen Hurts are not so strong.
Stroud rejects the notion he should identify as a black quarterback, as per the wishes of the press.
"As a human nature, I don't really think we should black-and-white everything," Stroud told reporters last September who were pressuring him to discuss so-called racial biases in sports.
He’d rather just identify as a Christian.
Stroud will not be made a useful idiot. He affirms that statement each time he shouts out his savior and wears clothing with photos of Jesus.
That's risky -- risky for Stroud's brand. One of the NFL's television partners already tried to silence his message.
C.J. Stroud does not care.
His faith -- not his brand, Instagram following, or relationships with sponsors -- is his priority.
Stroud says he is honored to play for the Texans. But his mission is greater than starring in the biggest television show in the country, the NFL.
“He laid His life on the cross for us," Stroud told reporters in October. "This is bigger than just ball, and if I have to use football for my purpose — to spread the Gospel and the life of Jesus Christ — then I’ll do that.
"And I think that’s what God wants," he concluded.
If C.J. Stroud has to choose between God and his brand, he has already made his decision.