C.J. Stroud has been one of the top-rated quarterbacks in the NFL in his rookie season. He is expected to be named Offensive Rookie of the Year for 2023 and has led the Houston Texans to the playoffs. The Houston franchise looks to have found its future after selecting Stroud second overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Stroud’s first name is widely known; he has used C.J. since he was a kid. But what does C.J. stand for, and what is his full name?
What Is C.J. Stroud’s Full Name?
Stroud’s full name is Coleridge Bernard Stroud IV, a name that was originally given to his great-grandfather and has been passed through the family.
Stephen Means from Cleveland.com reports that the name derives from a philosopher from the 1800s: Samuel Taylor Coleridge, an English philosopher and poet.
Coleridge is most famous for his Theory of Life philosophy, which analyzes someone’s “personal engagement with life.” He has gone on to influence many great British philosophers and poets and was one of the leading minds of his time.
The regal nature of Stroud’s name has stunned NFL fans, with some fans saying Stroud has one of the coolest names in the NFL.
Despite his full name, Stroud has always gone by C.J.
However, where the J in C.J. comes from is unclear. Stroud told the Big Ten Network that he has been called C.J. since “he was born,” and he has always used the moniker given to him by his mother. The J isn’t an initial in Stroud’s full name, so it could be that the J stands for junior, although that is purely an educated guess.
That is because Coleridge Bernard Stroud III is C.J.’s father, who often goes by Coleridge Sr. Stroud’s father hit the news when he was sentenced to 38 years in prison in 2015. He pleaded guilty to charges of “carjacking, kidnapping, robbery, evading an officer with reckless driving and misdemeanor sexual battery,” reports CNN.
“That’s what I’ve been battling with, trying to still be a family man … and still be a football player and do my job,” Stroud said. “I got to talk to my dad a little bit this week. I’m praying to God that something can happen, that he can get out and come to one of these games. I’ve been praying for him a lot,” Stroud said.
CJ Stroud is wearing custom prison reform cleats with "free pops" written on them
His father is currently serving a 38-year prison sentence pic.twitter.com/jCGzzrVzwd
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) December 3, 2023
That connection has led the Texans QB to support REFORM Alliance, which “aims to transform probation and parole by changing laws, systems, and culture to create real pathways to work and wellbeing.”
Stroud wore cleats baring REFORM during the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats campaign earlier in the season in the hope that his high-profile name would bring exposure to prison reform.