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HOUSTON - Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud's religious beliefs have been discussed since it was revealed that NBC cut out part of his post-game interview with him "Thanking God" following the Texans' AFC Wild Card victory against the Cleveland Browns.
Since then, Stroud's teammates and other NFL players have expressed support for him, expressing his faith. Stroud shared that numerous players and teammates from around the NFL have approached or reached out to him to express their appreciation for his consistent expression of faith.
He mentioned that his faith has provided him with strength, motivation, and purpose, both on and off the field.
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C.J. Stroud says NFL players thank him for mentioning God and his faith
Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud's religious beliefs have been discussed since the Houston Texans lost the AFC Divisional round on Jan. 20.
CJ said, "I’ve had a lot of great people who have reached out, and even guys after games, who just talk about how I mention God and Christ. I always tell people that it’s not me, it’s him. There’s nothing I can do to ever repay what the Lord has done in my life, and I don’t want to, I just want to act in what he’s calling me to do."
Defensive end, Will Anderson Jr. also said something in the post-game interview that also gained a lot of support. Anderson mentioned the team culture and how important it is to show love.
Anderson Jr. said, "Players can get wrapped up in wanting approval, and I don’t think it’s wanting approval," Anderson said. "I think it’s wanting love and wanting to be shown the same love as everybody else. That’s one of the biggest things us rookies talk about. Let’s show love. Let’s have energy. Whoever we walk by, whether it’s a nutritionist, custodian, security guard. How can we make them feel loved by coming and working for the Texans, this stadium, everything? That’s how you change a culture. That’s how you get everybody wanting to be a part of something special."
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Will Anderson Jr. emphasizes team culture in AFC postgame interview
In a post-game interview, defensive end Will Anderson Jr. highlighted the significance of team culture, expressing the need for love and unity among players, emphasizing the importance of making everyone feel valued within the Texans organization
Controversy arose when it was noted that NBC edited out a specific part of Stroud's post-game interview where he gave praise to Jesus Christ. In the original interview after the Texans' victory over the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the playoffs, Stroud began by saying, "First and foremost, I just want to give all glory and praise to my Lord, Jesus Christ."
While the live broadcast on NBC included this statement, the network's repost of the interview on X (formerly Twitter) omitted this particular mention of faith.
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The decision to edit out Stroud's reference to Jesus Christ has sparked criticism and raised questions about potential editorial choices made by the network.
CJ Stroud addressed the situation, acknowledging the positive feedback he had received for openly expressing his faith.