Texans Head Coach DeMeco Ryans and quarterback CJ Stroud are all praises to God after finishing strong in the NFL playoffs.
On Saturday, the Texans defeated Indianapolis in a 23-19 decisive win, which led them to earn a spot in the AFC South division — their first in 2019.
A teary-eyed Stroud is still wrapping his head over their victory. In an interview, he said, “I’m just blessed enough to be the vessel that Christ picked to lead this great franchise. So, I can do nothing but thank the Lord.”
The rookie also noted that the victory and recognition should not be his alone. He emphasized the efforts exerted by the entire team, including the linemen and receivers.
“It’s not me, it’s my teammates. My linemen. My receivers running great routes. My running backs doing their job. My tight end. Our defense.”
“It’s not just me out there.”
Stroud, 22-year-old, broke the single-game rooking passing yards record, he also finished the playoffs with a 4.6-1 touchdown to interception ratio, the first rookie to achieve that since 1946. The quarterback threw 4,108 yards, with an average of 8.2 yards per attempt.
According to NFL records, only eight quarterbacks have achieved this: Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Matt Ryan, Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson and Alex Smith.
“It’s a blessing,” said the rookie during an interview with ESPN.
“I can’t do nothing but just thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. … I’m just blessed enough to be the vessel that Christ picked to lead this great franchise, so I can do nothing but just thank the Lord.”
He also said he wrote “777”, “To the glory of God” and “Proverbs 3:5-6” on his wristband before the game commenced.
In a post-game conference, Stroud thanked God again and said, “Whew! That’s a good game. … To be my first season and make the playoffs, man, it’s just been a heck of a year. I’m blessed enough to be in this position for this great organization, this great city of Houston. I’m just blessed.”
This was also Ryans’s first year coaching the team.
Also a faithful servant of Christ, Demeco opened his post-conference speech with, “All glory, honor, and praise goes to God.”
“He’s just blessed us throughout this entire season. Our team has been humble and worked, and fought behind the scenes, and I think it means a lot to our guys to get the spotlight today. … It’s a proud moment for our organization. I’m happy to be a part of it, happy to be along for the ride.”
