Why is C.J. Stroud's dad in jail? Everything we know so far

With a 470-yard, five-touchdown effort against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 9, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud furthered his case for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

But following the victory on Sunday, the former star player for OSU was more focused on addressing another matter. Stroud discussed the personal battle with his father's imprisonment as well as the circumstances in other American jails at his post-game press conference.

Parents are always proud when they see their children succeed. However, since Stroud's time in college, his father has never had the opportunity to see him play firsthand. This is because his father is serving a 38-year prison sentence and won't be able to get out until 2040.

The Texans quarterback said that due to his father's absence, he has persevered and acted as a family man since he a young age.

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What did C.J. Stroud's father do?

Coleridge Bernard Stroud III, Stroud's father, was sentenced to 38 years in prison following his plea of guilty to counts of carjacking, kidnapping, and robbery in a drug-associated event in 2015. The incident resulted in Stroud's father diving into San Diego Bay to elude law enforcement.

Coleridge was subsequently convicted for the second time, and his family was thrown into financial catastrophe.

Ever since his father's incarceration and Stroud's meteoric ascent, the quarterback has primarily been responsible for providing for his mother and siblings.

"What I've been battling with is trying to still be a family man, still help out, and still be a football player and do my job," Stroud previously said.

Although Coleridge's imprisonment did not hinder C.J. Stroud's growth in college, the 22-year-old prospect had just 50 pass attempts and one scholarship offer when he started his junior year of high school.

On November 13 episode of Tom Brady's Let's Go! Podcast, Stroud said of the situation regarding his father's incarceration:

"My father was incarcerated at a young age. So it was tough for me to grow up. I never wanted to see my mom and sister cry. Among my brothers, I'm the youngest of four. So they all kind of looked up to me.

"At that time, I was really really young, I made some mistakes but I always knew I'm gonna buy my mom a house. I'm gonna get her out of our situation."

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C.J. Stroud's father and other prisoners allege to have been subjected to inhumane conditions

C.J. Stroud grabbed the stage with a hopeful message regarding jail improvements after leading the Houston Texans to their fourth victory of the season last weekend.

The quarterback said that after speaking with his father over the phone recently, he was unable to hold back his sentiments about the situation inside American prisons.

"Our criminal justice system ain't right, man, and I didn't want to make this public," Stroud said. "I think I should speak up a little more about it because what he's going through is wrong."

Stroud asserted that he thought the conditions in jails were terrible after seeing recordings of rat and bug infestations.

Following Sunday's 39-37 victory over the Bucs, C.J. Stroud broke the NFL rookie record for the most passing yards in a single game.