Scarlet Sunrise: C.J. Stroud wins PFWA Good Guy Award
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C.J. Stroud wins PFWA ‘Good Guy’ Award
A year removed from putting on an air show at Ohio State’s Pro Day, C.J. Stroud returned to the Woody Hayes Athletic Center this March to support the Buckeyes players preparing for the 2024 NFL Draft.
The media approached Stroud for interviews, but he didn’t want to take attention away from the draft prospects who were performing that day. It was their moment, after all.
But Stroud didn’t leave the media hanging. He said he’d chat with reporters when the dust settled from the pre-draft showcase inside the Woody.
Well after the event wrapped, and friends and family members of the participating prospects had departed the facility, Stroud came back out to the indoor field and happily conducted interviews.
The local and national media covering the NFL saw that professionalism from Stroud on a day-to-day basis throughout his AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign, and after the fact, too.
And, so, it’s no surprise he won the Professional Football Writers of America Good Guy Award Wednesday.
The other four finalists for the award, which the PFWA has given out annually since 2005, were Cleveland Browns guard Joel Bitonio, Buffalo Bills tackle Dion Dawkins, Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
PFWA presents the award to a player who helps pro football writers do their jobs effectively, offering accessibility, candor and respect to the reporters who cover the league.
“First and foremost, I want to give all glory and praise to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” Stroud said in a statement. “It’s a blessing to be recognized as the PFWA Good Guy Award winner, and it stands out to me because it’s more of an award that embodies someone’s character rather than the stats they compile on the field.
“I appreciate the job the media has and thank them for choosing me as someone who is deserving of this honor. A special shoutout to the other very deserving players who were nominated and those that won before me.”
Stroud began that statement just like he began his press conferences at Ohio State — by praising God and spreading his faith. He’s continued to do so in the NFL as well.
After becoming a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist and the highest-drafted quarterback in Buckeyes history, Stroud hit the ground running with the Texans.
The No. 2 overall pick reset the record for most pass attempts to start a career without a pick and then finished the season with more than 4,000 passing yards and a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 23:5.
He said all the right things in front of the camera while leading Houston from worst to first in the AFC South and, ultimately, becoming the youngest quarterback to ever win an NFL playoff game.
Stroud said after this year’s Ohio State Pro Day that leading the Buckeyes, and the media coverage that comes with that privilege in Columbus, prepared him for the NFL spotlight
“In the NFL [world], everybody knows how to be an NFL quarterback nowadays, and everybody knows how to be C.J.,” Stroud said in March. “So it’s like, I got a lot of that here. And, you know, early on I didn’t know how to handle it to be honest. And it was hard for me. But I had a lot of great mentorship.”
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Stroud said his agent David Mulugheta, as well as NFL quarterbacks such as Justin Fields and Deshaun Watson, provided some of that wisdom. He added that watching “a lot of OGs in the game like Cam Newton” do media helped, too.
“And just being myself, you know. I can sit up here and crack jokes with y’all,” said Stroud, who at one point humorously interrupted the interview to call defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. a “tennis ball” for wearing a neon yellow shirt after Pro Day.
“Early on, you would try to answer everything the right way. Like, man, whatever you’re doing, I just try to be myself.”
Ohio State Recruiting: Sights and Sounds from Day One of the 2024 On3 Elite Series
The 2024 On3 Elite Series got going on May 29 at the W Hotel in Nashville. The event, which featured a host of top-rated prospects in the 2025 recruiting cycle, included a good bit of Ohio State representation.
Three Buckeyes commits, most notably quarterback Tavien St. Clair, and several other Ohio State targets attended. Lettermen Row was in the media room all day and interviewed every prospect considering the scarlet and gray.
Here are the sights and sounds from day one of the 2024 On3 Elite Series.
Hardworking TC Caffey never gave up on Ohio State dream, now is important piece of RB room
After starring at Hubbard High School in Hubbard, Ohio, TC Caffey had scholarship offers to play running back at smaller Division I programs. Instead, he walked on at Ohio State.
“It was a big dream for me,” Caffey said in April. “I’m a competitive person. And I felt like this was the most competitive place to be. We’ve got the most talented people in America playing this game here.”
Caffey added: “Really just being able to come out here and compete with them every day and building myself as a man and as a football player.”
Caffey almost immediately realized that dream, scoring a can’t-miss, 49-yard touchdown against Toledo in Week 3 of the 2022 campaign. Although he hasn’t played most of the last two seasons, Caffey hasn’t given up on his love for the Buckeyes and his drive to contribute.
And now, entering his third year, Caffey’s in position to play a role in the Ohio State backfield for the 2024 season.
For the full story, go here.
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