Who is C.J. Stroud’s mom? Meet Kimberly Stroud, the mother of Texans QB cheering on Houston in NFL playoffs.
Kevin Durant said it best 10 years—moms are the real MVPs.
C.J. Stroud has enjoyed an incredible rookie season in the NFL. The No. 2 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft helped lead the Texans to an AFC South title and a playoff berth by going 10-7 in the regular season.
The success translated over to the start of the postseason. Stroud became the youngest quarterback in NFL history to win a playoff game when the Texans beat the Browns last week during the AFC wild-card round. It’s no coincidence that his biggest supporter was in attendance for the game—his mother, Kimberly.
Stroud’s close relationship with his mom has been well documented since the Ohio State product entered the league in the fall. She was back in action this week during the divisional round, as Kimberly was seen cheering on the Texans QB from the stands.
Family ❤️💙 pic.twitter.com/K6qwCA6E5q
— NFL (@NFL) January 13, 2024
The Sporting News has more details on Stroud’s mom and their relationship.
Who is C.J. Stroud’s mom?
Kimberly Stroud is the mother of C.J. Stroud.
The two have a very tight relationship. Both have been open about the hardships they faced during Stroud’s childhood due to the decisions of his father, Coleridge Bernard Stroud III. The quarterback’s dad has been arrested twice and is currently incarcerated on a 38-year sentence.
The arrest of the patriarch put the family “into financial ruin.” The four children and Stroud’s mother were close to being homeless as a result.
“My mom had to play both roles for me for a while—mother and father,” Stroud said during the NFL Draft. “I’m super blessed to have a mother like I do.”
ESPN cameras capture @CJ7STROUD mother pulling for her son. pic.twitter.com/YVPJuE7YPJ
— Mark Berman (@MarkBerman_) January 20, 2024
With Stroud’s father mostly absent during the quarterback’s adolescence, it caused Stroud to mature at a young age—something that helped mold Stroud into the man he is today.
“He had a choice when his father went away,” Stroud’s mother said. “He was going to let that motivate him and be the best, or he was going to succumb to it and become a statistic of a kid whose parent did something they shouldn’t.
“I sit, and I’m amazed at how resilient he is. C.J. is the most amazing human I have ever met.”
In November 2023, Kimberly and C.J. launched the C.J. Stroud Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps single mothers, children of incarcerated parents, and criminal justice reform.
Kimberly Stroud BIG John Cena fan https://t.co/klq3rrqVSu pic.twitter.com/Ocvo8u4D3C
— Stuart Feiner (@StuartFeiner) January 20, 2024
“There’s a lot of different passions that [C.J.] has… [helping] single moms [is one of them] since I was a single mom,” Stroud’s mother said. “We all started crying [during the event] because a mom’s husband’s in prison. Same situation.
“I’m really grateful that C.J. has taken the step… for a young voice in our generation to shed light on some of the issues that go on in this world.”
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