Terrell Owens on Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud: ‘The sky is the limit for this guy’

HOUSTON – Terrell Owens loped into a route, holding his hand high in the air to signal for a throw from Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud during his youth football camp.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver good-naturedly accepted being a secondary target for the Pro Bowl selection as Stroud threw a series of passes to an admiring group of fans.

They aren’t alone in their respect for the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Owens, 50, who still looks like he could suit up and catch touchdowns after playing in the NFL for 15 seasons and finishing third in league history with 15,934 receiving yards and 153 touchdowns, is highly impressed with Stroud’s abilities on the field and dedication to the community.

“The sky is the limit for this guy,” Owens said of Stroud, who led the Texans to an AFC South division title and playoff berth as a rookie. “Obviously coming in as a rookie living up to the expectations and it’s only going to get better. The expectations for him and Houston, the team goals obviously is to win the Super Bowl championship.

“With this guy, if they surround him with the right weapons and obviously you have a great coach in DeMeco Ryans, defensively it’s a lot to be said for those guys and what they did last year. You put all those things together and win ball games.”

As a rookie, Stroud passed for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and five interceptions with a 100.8 passer rating. He joined Tom Brady and Joe Montana as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to lead the league in passing yards per game and touchdown-to-interception ratio.

And Stroud, conducting his second annual youth football camp, has been making an impact in the community with his involvement and example as a role model.

“This is awesome to get out in the community,” Owens said. “Obviously, No. 1 for C.J. Stroud, obviously for what he’s doing on the football field. Now, you see what he’s doing off the field. Last year, obviously the crowd was big.

“Now, it’s even bigger and it’s only going to get bigger and better obviously with the greatness he’s exuding every day and throughout the season.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com.