$2.9 million worth CJ Stroud Channels inner Ohio State fan ahead of Pro Bowl showdown - “BUCKEYES!”

Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud has met and probably exceeded expectations in the first year of his NFL career. While he had a good record at Ohio State in college, he stepped up to take the Houston Texans to their first division title since 2019 and a playoff win to get a Pro Bowl selection as a rookie pro.

Ahead of the showpiece showdown on Thursday, he channeled his inner Buckeyes fan alongside another former Ohio State star.

Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward took to Instagram to share a snippet of him talking to Stroud ahead of the Pro Bowl. He gave a shout-out to the QB, spelling out the name of the school they represented once.

“O-H-I-O @cj7stroud,” Ward wrote in his Instagram story.

The former Buckeyes quarterback reposted it on his Instagram stories, bringing out his inner fan of the program through his message.

“BUCKEYES,” Stroud wrote in his own IG story.

The social media exchange between CJ Stroud and Denzel Ward.

Both players are in Orlando, Florida, for the 2024 Pro Bowl Games, representing the AFC team. While it is Stroud’s first time, Ward has achieved this status three times in his six seasons with the Browns. They faced each other in the wild-card round of the just concluded playoffs, with Stroud leading his Texans to a solid 45-14 win.

It was the Texans’ first playoff win since 2019 and the first in the quarterback’s career. Rivals then, teammates now.

---

A look at CJ Stroud's Collegiate career

CJ Stroud joined the Buckeyes football program in 2020. After redshirting his freshman season, he played two seasons as the starter and broke many school records. The quarterback threw for 8,123 yards in 25 games and scored 85 touchdowns. The opposing defenses could intercept just 12 of his 830 pass attempts.

Stroud led the Buckeyes to a College Football Playoff appearance in 2022 while winning the Rose Bowl in the previous season.

Stroud was a Heisman Trophy finalist for both seasons as an Ohio State starter. After declaring for the 2023 NFL draft with two years of eligibility still left, the Texans picked him up as the second overall pick behind Alabama Crimson Tide’s Bryce Young, who went to the Carolina Panthers.

The rookie, who has a reported net worth of $2.9 million, has adapted well to life in the NFL and looks set to be the face of the Texans for the foreseeable future.