Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud had a vision in the eighth grade. Hearing that statement would make many people believe that he was looking further into his career path, which led him to be a two-time Heisman Finalist at Ohio State University and 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
But before that could happen, Stroud, who was selected second overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, had to overcome the struggles of growing up in a small apartment above a storage unit, raised by a single mother who did everything she could to provide for the younger Stroud and his three older siblings.
“When C.J. was in eighth grade, he had a vision to give back to kids the things that he didn’t have, or it was hard for us to get because I was a struggling single mom,” said Kimberly Stroud, C.J.’s mother.
On Friday, the C.J. Stroud Foundation partnered with Lily’s Toy Box in Houston, Texas, to provide more than 25 families with bicycles, backpacks, Target gift cards, free haircuts, and school supplies in their annual Back-To-School Giveaway.
“One of the things was backpacks,” said Stroud, who runs the foundation, when discussing what her son wanted to ensure each kid had. “You think that’s such a small thing, but kids go through stuff quickly, so we wanted to give backpacks and school supplies.”Kim Stroud, mother of Texans QB C.J. Stroud tells a story about him having to use his backpack multiple times during middle school because they struggled financially. Today the C.J. Stroud Foundation gave 25 families school supplies and bicycles. #BigSargeMedia @KimStroud510 pic.twitter.com/TNUUxiFGY4
— BIG SARGE MEDIA LLC (@BigSargeSportz) August 24, 2024
Stroud, 22, who is preparing for the upcoming NFL season, wasn’t the only one with a dream to help the less fortunate when they were younger. When she was eight years old, Lily Dubose wanted to do something to help kids who had lost their toys during Hurricane Harvey in September 2017.
Yearning to help others, she donated her toys to children in shelters across Houston and surrounding areas that had been relocated due to the natural disaster. That drive and passion led her and her family to start a non-profit organization, Lily’s Toy Box, which collects toys and gives them to underprivileged kids.
“It is just so much fun to work with them, and they are such a blessing,” said Dubose about the Stroud Foundation. “They helped us in numerous ways to make this event possible,”
For Tiffany Young and her nine-year-old son, the Stroud Foundation was a blessing in disguise. Kim Stroud personally invited the mother of two after reading her submitted story and was very familiar with her situation, having been through it when C.J. was younger.
“She knows my story,” said Young after the event. “It was a blessing to be out here and actually get to meet her. It feels great being out here with people thinking about the kids. My son was excited. He shopped for himself and his little brother.”
Stroud and his foundation have been instrumental in giving back and helping others throughout the city.
After Houston suffered devastation from Hurricane Beryl in July, they partnered with H-E-B to hand out gift cards in the city of Kingwood. He was also able to help a family he met who was extremely affected by Beryl as he teamed up with Ashley Furniture Company to help refurnish their home.Here is a personal testimony from a mother and son who were personally invited by Kim Stroud to attend the Back-To-School drive held by the C.J. Stroud Foundation on Friday. #BigSargeMedia @KimStroud510 @CJ7STROUD pic.twitter.com/4fDd2Kdszk
— BIG SARGE MEDIA LLC (@BigSargeSportz) August 24, 2024
“My son is an amazing human being,” said Kimberly Stroud as she spoke with reporters. “I can’t speak highly enough about all my children, but C.J., they broke the mold when they made him. He loves everybody, and it is genuine. It is not just to be seen; he genuinely loves everyone.”