Texans' C.J. Stroud reveals what he learned from Tom Brady

C.J. Stroud of the Houston Texans was among the rookie quarterbacks who spent time with retired living legend Tom Brady this past spring and recently recalled what he took from that experience. 

"On TV, you look at [star quarterbacks] and think, 'Man, they're just so busy. They can't hang out with their teammates. They're probably just locked in on what they got going,'" Stroud said while speaking with DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN. "And [Brady] was like, 'I just never want to let my teammates down.' He said those words exactly. I was like, 'Man, that's how I am.'" 

Stroud, the second overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, guided the Texans to victories across three of their last four games to get them to 3-3 ahead of their Week 7 bye. According to ESPN stats, the 22-year-old ended Week 6 ranked eighth among qualified players with a 96.4 passer rating, fourth with 1,660 passing yards and tied for ninth with nine touchdowns through the air on the season. The interception Stroud tossed in this past Sunday's 20-13 win over the New Orleans Saints was his first of the campaign. 

"I love kicking it with my boys," Stroud added while discussing the lunch conversation with Brady. "Those are my brothers. So it definitely hit home when he was talking about it."

Bien-Aime mentioned how Stroud paid for flights and hotel rooms so the signal-caller could spend extra time with offensive skill players after the Texans finished their springtime workouts. That's impressive considering the first-year pro didn't know until late August he'd be Houston's Week 1 starter. 

"If you can get a little getaway and be with your brothers, that's all you need," Stroud explained. "We were staying together, eating together, like doing every little thing. So we see what guys care for. I wanted to build team bonding away from Houston, Texas, and bond with my guys."

As of Tuesday afternoon, OddsChecker listed Stroud as the overwhelming betting favorite at -135 odds to earn Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. He'll likely have more important matters on his mind when the Texans play at the 0-6 Carolina Panthers on Oct. 29.