All About Houston Texans Quarterback C.J. Stroud's Parents, Kimberly Stroud and Coleridge Bernard Stroud III

C.J. Stroud made his family a privilege earlier nan 2025 NFL play began.

"I've learned I for illustration to beryllium down nan shadows much now than I did erstwhile I was younger," he told ESPN successful September 2025. "I spent a batch of clip pinch my family this offseason, a batch of clip pinch my friends astatine nan formation — conscionable doing nothing, conscionable clearing my mind."

His family includes parents Kimberly and Coleridge Bernard Stroud III, who joined successful 1997 and had 4 children together — Isaiah, Asmar, Ciara and C.J. — until Kimberly revenge for divorcement successful 2012.

Coleridge, a erstwhile pastor, influenced C.J.’s Christian religion and helped get his boy willing successful football. However, Coleridge was sentenced to 38 years successful situation erstwhile C.J. was 13 years old, which had a profound effect connected nan quarterback.

“People gaffe up ... group make mistakes. As I’m getting older, I’m realizing really reliable it is to beryllium a man — not only a man, but a Black man successful our communities,” he told The Columbus Dispatch successful September 2022. “I deliberation I thrive now astatine this age, conscionable knowing that doing nan correct point is nan correct measurement and letting God lead your life is nan champion way. That’s what I learned from my father.”

The Houston Texans backmost wouldn’t beryllium wherever he is without his mother’s support aft his begetter was incarcerated.

“My mom, she had to play some roles for maine for a while; mother and father,” C.J. told nan NFL Network successful April 2023. “I’m ace blessed to person a mother for illustration I do.”

So, who are C.J. Stroud’s parents? Here’s everything to cognize astir Kimberly Stroud and Coleridge Bernard Stroud III.

Coleridge was a pastor astatine a religion

Coleridge and Kimberly helped build a religion called Life Application Christian Center successful their hometown of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., wherever Coleridge was a pastor. Coleridge would sometimes impact C.J. successful his sermons and moreover inquire him to speak to nan congregation occasionally, according to Sports Illustrated.

“C.J. and Ciara, my younger two, that’s each they knew was church. We went to religion respective times a week,” Kimberly told Fox Sports successful November 2022. “We dedicated a batch of our clip to volunteering successful our neighborhood, successful our community. So my children spent a batch of clip being selfless and knowing there’s a lot, there’s a large world retired there, and you’re not nan full world."

C.J. has ne'er shied distant from speaking astir his faith. Shortly earlier he was drafted into nan NFL successful April 2023, he told PEOPLE that his religion was helping him stay “stress-free.”

“Wherever God wants maine to be, that’s what’s important,” he said. “I mean, I cognize that He has a scheme successful my life, truthful whether I spell 1, 2, 3 successful nan draft, wherever it’s at, I’m fresh for it, and I’m blessed to beryllium here.”

Coleridge and C.J. person had an up-and-down narration

While Coleridge had a affirmative effect connected his son’s early childhood, C.J. will ne'er hide erstwhile his begetter called to opportunity he was successful situation erstwhile he was 13 years old. Coleridge was convicted connected charges of carjacking, kidnapping, robbery and misdemeanor intersexual artillery connected to a drug-related incident and is eligible for parole successful 2040.

At his 2018 appeal, per Sports Illustrated, Coleridge said that he “spent astir 20 years arsenic a successful businessman, pastor, homeowner, husband, and father.” When his woman revenge for divorcement successful 2012, his “life spun retired of power again and he began utilizing forbidden narcotics again aft much than 20 years of sobriety.”

After Coleridge was incarcerated, he and C.J. didn’t speak for years. Eventually, they reconnected.

“My pops, he was my champion friend, to person your champion friend beryllium snatched for illustration that, it was tough,” C.J. said connected The Pivot Podcast in September 2022. “I conscionable look astatine nan things my dada did that were positive, but for a while, I hated my pops, for real. Like, man, really could you time off maine for illustration that?”

“When I talk to him now, I don’t clasp [any] sick will. I show him ‘I emotion you man,’ ” he continued. “At nan extremity of nan day, you made your mistakes and I made mine.”

Coleridge’s situation condemnation inspired C.J. to advocator for criminal justness betterment

C.J. turned nan spotlight onto criminal justness betterment during a postgame property conference connected Nov. 5, 2023.

“I sewage to talk to my dada a small spot this week and I’m praying to God that thing tin hap that he tin get retired and travel to 1 of these games ... our criminal justness strategy isn’t correct and that’s thing that I astir apt request to beryllium a small spot much vocal about,” he said astatine nan time. “It’s not conscionable my dad’s business but nan full criminal justness strategy is corrupt ... criminals should do their clip ... but they’re still humans.”

C.J. has besides worked pinch REFORM Alliance, which intends to "transform probation and parole by changing laws, systems, and civilization to create existent pathways to activity and wellbeing." He chose to correspond nan statement connected Dec. 4, 2023, wearing civilization cleats during nan Texans' crippled against nan Denver Broncos arsenic portion of nan NFL's My Cause My Cleats initiative.

Kimberly is an inspiration to C.J.

After Kimberly and Coleridge divided successful 2012, she raised her children arsenic a azygous mother and worked arsenic a spot head for a retention installation to supply for nan family.

According to ESPN, C.J. ne'er complained astir their financial situation. When Kimberly noticed C.J. had blisters connected his feet from playing a play successful cleats he had grown retired of, he told his mother he didn’t want to show her because he saw really difficult she worked.

“You’re not gonna person to do this forever. I conscionable want you to cognize that," he told his mom.

Kimberly has ever been impressed pinch her son’s characteristic and resilience, which she discussed pinch Sports Illustrated successful December 2022.

“He had a prime erstwhile his begetter went away,” Kimberly said. “He was going to fto that motivate him and beryllium nan champion aliases he was going to succumb to it and go a statistic of a kid whose genitor did thing they shouldn’t.”

She continued, “I beryllium and I’m amazed astatine really resilient he is. C.J. is nan astir astonishing quality I person ever met.”

Kimberly and C.J. person a charitable instauration together

In November 2023, nan Stroud family launched nan C.J. Stroud Foundation. Kimberly serves arsenic nan organization's president, and while C.J. primitively wanted to sanction nan instauration “The Stroud Family Foundation,” she convinced him to usage his sanction instead.

“I told him it’s not what it’s named, but what it stands for,” Kimberly told WSYX astatine nan time. “We’re building a bequest wrong nan community. When group spot your name, they’ll cognize that you not only attraction astir shot but besides astir them.”

The foundation’s first charismatic event, “Quarterbacking Hunger,” occurred later that month. The arena provided Thanksgiving turkeys and meal fixings to 100 azygous mothers successful nan Houston area, arsenic good arsenic gloves, scarves, hats and different essentials for families to return home.

“There’s a batch of different passions that [C.J.] has ... [helping] azygous moms [is 1 of them] since I was a azygous mom. We each started crying [during nan event] because a mom, her husband’s successful situation ... aforesaid business [as erstwhile C.J. was increasing up]," Kimberly told KHOU astatine nan time. “I’m really grateful that C.J. has taken nan measurement ... for a young sound successful our procreation to shed ray connected immoderate of nan issues that spell connected successful this world.”

Kimberly has a podcast pinch different NFL mother

In November 2023, Kimberly told WSYX that she would beryllium starting a podcast called The Mom’s POV Show pinch Monica Daniels. Daniels is nan mother of Arizona Cardinals violative tackle Paris Johnson Jr., who was C.J.’s teammate astatine Ohio State.

“She’s 1 of my closest friends, and she’s going done nan aforesaid point arsenic me,” Kimberly said. “She’s unthinkable and truthful strong. She’s ever encouraging maine and vice versa.”

The 2 planned to talk each aspects of parenting a collegiate and master athlete.

“I wish they would constitute a book to each backmost moms, aliases assemblage shot moms erstwhile they first commencement successful this travel because there’s really thing retired there,” Kimberly antecedently told Fox Sports. “You’re conscionable benignant of winging it pinch a batch of different parents who are winging it too.”

So far, nan duo person released 3 podcast episodes, pinch nan astir caller successful January 2025.