C.J. Stroud’s heard the criticism about him and his Buckeye teammates over the past few weeks. On Wednesday, the Ohio State quarterback responded.
Despite holding an 11-1 record, earning a trip to New York as a Heisman Trophy finalist and still having a chance to win this year’s national championship game, a second straight loss to Michigan has brought about widespread backlash on both Stroud and the Buckeye program.
But perhaps what’s bothered Stroud the most is the condemnation some have cast upon Jaxon Smith-Njigba for his decision to opt out of Ohio State’s College Football Playoff semifinal matchup against Georgia. The Buckeye wideout, who played in just three games this season while dealing with a hamstring injury suffered in the season opener, said in a Dec. 5 statement that “after consulting with my doctors, it has been determined that I will not be able to participate in the playoffs.” Smith-Njigba declared for the 2023 NFL draft in the same statement.
Draft analyst Todd McShay subsequently cast dispersions on Smith-Njigba’s health status on an ESPN broadcast when he said “NFL scouts would love to see him play, and there are a lot of reports from NFL scouts I’ve talked to that said he’s healthy enough to play and he’s protecting himself for the draft.”
Damn, Dr Mcshay.. JSN got a big heart, you dont know the man. Not to mention, dont speak on what you dont know. Simple. Sorry to see this. https://t.co/3s6vprxOTd
— Garrett Wilson (@GarrettWilson_V) December 8, 2022
In an interview at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, Stroud said people outside the program have “no clue” what Smith-Njigba’s been through this season.
“I know that people were talking about how he should play and y'all have no idea the stuff that he's been through this year, like no clue. So who are people to talk about my brother like that?” Stroud said. “So it kind of gets me a little angry that people try to make it seem like he's not a team player and he doesn't care about his teammates. That's the total opposite wrong. I'm on the phone with him every day. ‘How's practice, bro? I'm watching a film, I'm doing this, helping out the young receivers.’ He helped out (Marvin Harrison Jr.) so much this year, he helped out (Emeka Egbuka), those dudes who had to step up.”
Smith-Njigba isn’t the only Buckeye star whose season has been cut short due to injury prior to the CFP. Starting running back TreVeyon Henderson indicated in a tweet Tuesday that he won’t be on the field for the Peach Bowl, and told the Columbus Dispatch he’ll need surgery to repair torn ligaments and broken bones in his foot.
As much as I wanted to finish out the season with my brothers, I know god have bigger and better plans for me! Its always light at the end of the tunnel, be back better than ever.. #KeepGoing
— TreVeyon Henderson (@TreVeyonH4) December 13, 2022
Stroud said he wishes both players were healthy enough to play, but knows the effort Henderson and Smith-Njigba put in to return to the field. Stroud also said “it’s sad” that critics have taken aim at players who “really put our lives on the line.”
“Of course I want Trey and Jaxon, other players that are out to play. And honestly it sucks, I feel so bad for them and they work so hard. And honestly, the stuff that people are saying to them is crazy, man,” Stroud said. “Especially Jaxon. I don't go into back and forth with people and try to prove them wrong or right. I really don't get into that, it really doesn't matter. But it's sad that people – we really put our lives on the line and our bodies on the line and our mentals, and I'm not saying other people in other careers don't. But people judge us so much because we have a scoreboard and we have a result that people can go look up online. And that makes it kind of tough, man. … It's unfair for people to try to ridicule Jaxon or Trey or anybody who's out with injury. Because that's the worst part of this game.”
Stroud’s taken plenty of heat himself for whatever role he had in the Buckeyes’ most recent loss, which made him Ohio State’s first starting quarterback since Steve Bellisari to suffer back-to-back defeats to the Wolverines (1999 and 2000). Stroud had his most completions of the season against Michigan (31), threw his fifth-most passing yards (349) and was given his third-highest Pro Football Focus grade of the season for the performance. But Stroud also threw two interceptions and had his second-worst passer rating of the year (131.1) as the Ohio State offense mustered just three points in the second half.
“Honestly it's sad that I am used to it. Like I'm used to getting things on my phone that honestly aren't – people wouldn't be proud if everybody in the world were able to see it.”– Stroud on criticism
Stroud said he’s grown accustomed to the detractors, even if he doesn’t think all of their critiques – and the way they go about disseminating them – are fair.
“Honestly it's sad that I am used to it. Like I'm used to getting things on my phone that honestly aren't – people wouldn't be proud if everybody in the world were able to see it,” Stroud said. “But it's fine, like it comes with the territory. You have to accept the good with the bad. I don't feel bad for myself, I never will. I don't want other people to feel bad for me. My mom, like she gets a little upset and stuff, but at the end of the day, you have to accept the good with the bad.”
But Stroud has another chance to silence doubters in the CFP. And the fact that he still has an opportunity to play, unlike several of his injured teammates, only fuels him more.
“A lot of people just watch the game and be on the couch. I live it. Every single day. I'm the one who's getting laughed at on the TV and things like that,” Stroud said. “So it's somewhat unfair that people have that type of opinion. And I'm sorry if I got away from your question, that was on my heart. And I just want to go out there and do it for them, really. Do it for those guys who didn't (get to play), like (medically retired running back) Marcus Crowley, who maybe will never play again in his life. Our old running back and another brother of mine. So it's people like that that I want to do it for that I care so much about.”
A chip on his shoulder is nothing new for Stroud. But considering the discourse of the past few weeks, Stroud may have an edge we haven’t quite seen this season when he suits up for the Peach Bowl at the end of the month.
"It's really Ohio against the world, and we call it the Woody against the world. So people take that as you want to take it,” Stroud said. “But at the end of the day, I feel like we know what we have in this building."
