Rose Bowl Game a snap for C. J. Stroud

LOS ANGELES (News4usonline) – Ohio State redshirt freshman quarterback C.J. Stroud will be the man in the middle when the Rose Bowl Game is played on New Year’s Day. There, Stroud and his Buckeyes teammates will go toe-to-toe with No. 11 and Pac-12 champion Utah. 

From all indications, it should play out to be a fabulous game in Southern California, something the state didn’t get an opportunity to see in person last year due to the contest being moved to another location due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

For Stroud, this marks a return to his roots. Stroud is a hometown kid who has made good. During his school football career, Stroud played ball at Rancho Cucamonga High School where he developed into the No. 2 pro-style quarterback in the nation. During his senior year, Stroud threw for 3,878 yards and 47 touchdowns.

When it came to being recruited, Stroud was QB No. 3, behind Alabama’s Bryce Young (Mater Dei) and Clemson’s signal-caller D.J. Uiagalelei (St. John Bosco High). Since being named the starter for Ohio State during the summer, Stroud has lit a fire under the Buckeyes’ offense. Behind Stroud, Ohio State is No. 1 in total offense (551.4 yards) and scoring offense (45.5 points per game).  

He’s had a spectacular season, leading the No. Buckeyes to a No. 6 ranking and a 10-2 regular season record. Stroud’s numbers for this season rank among the best. His stat line mirrors what he did in his final year in high school: 3,862 yards and 38 touchdowns to just five interceptions. 

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Stroud now gets center stage with a mega-bowl experience that few have had. During the Rose Bowl Game media press conference, Stroud talked about the quarterbacks who inspired him.  

“I was watching quarterbacks like Deshaun Watson, Michael Vick, Cam Newton,” remarked Stroud. “I mean, of course, like the older guys. My dad used to make me watch Warren Moon and Ronald Cunningham and showing me the way that they paved for us to even be in this opportunity because back in the day we weren’t allowed to play quarterback, you know what I mean, or we weren’t wanted to play quarterback because they didn’t think we had the smarts for it, so I definitely think that me being in this platform is a blessing.”

Not being able to play or given an opportunity to the quarterback position was once upon a time a reality if you were African American or Black. Moon, Cunningham, as well as the likes of Joe Gilliam and James “Shack” Harris, helped break those barriers for quarterbacks like Stroud. 

And now, Stroud gets to pay it forward himself now that future quarterbacks will be eyeballing his performance on New Year’s Day. 

“I think it’s a big influence,” Stroud said. “I think growing up watching other young Black quarterbacks like myself, but in a different time setting, it was like a big inspiration for me just to let myself know I can do it. So I definitely think that it could be a boost for who knows what type of kid. It could be Black, White, Mexican, Puerto Rican. It doesn’t really matter. I just want to inspire young kids to know they can do it just like I am. I think it’s a big blessing and big inspiration.”

With quarterbacks of color like himself, Young, and Uiagalelei on the rise, Stroud believes it is an opportunity to expand the game even further to those who don’t often see themselves playing the most dominant position in football.  

“For sure,” Stroud said. “Yeah, I think it’s a great thing. Especially when you’re coming from where we come from in Southern California, you don’t really see too many young Black quarterbacks make it out, but I think we’re starting to pave the way. 

“We have other quarterbacks as well, like Jayden Daniels at Arizona State and D.J. at Clemson. We have a lot of guys out here balling out in college and even in the pros. I think it’s just a blessing.”

The landscape of the quarterback position has certainly evolved. One of those players chiefly responsible for the quarterback evolution was former Texas star, Vince Young. 

Young single-handedly dominated USC with a stunning 467 yards (200 yards rushing) in total offense to lead the No. 2 Longhorns to an improbable upset win against the top-ranked Trojans.

Young’s famous touchdown scramble in the game’s waning seconds, clinched a 41-38 win for Texas in the 2006 Rose Bowl Game. When asked what Rose Bowl Game quarterback performance impressed him the most, Stroud said Young’s unforgettable day.    

“Probably Vince Young in that Texas-USC game,” Stroud said. “That was probably the best game probably ever in football, college football. I think that was probably the one that sticks out for me.”