HOUSTON – Emotions cascaded over C.J. Stroud in the most somber of moments, one of the most trying things he’s ever had to endure as a football player.
The excitement and instant satisfaction of a well-delivered touchdown pass had immediately transformed into abject sadness and shock as Stroud saw his best friend, Texans wide receiver Tank Dell, down in the end zone and writhing in pain after the catch, having suffered a gruesome knee injury that left him fallen on the ground at Arrowhead Stadium.
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Stroud rushed over to Dell’s side to comfort his friend after he sustained a dislocated knee that was jutting out at a strange, painful angle, along with torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments, ending his season. Before Dell was transported in an ambulance to the University of Kansas Medical Center trauma unit, Stroud kneeled over his friend. It was an emotional scene as a watery-eyed Stroud cried openly with tears steadily crossing his face down his cheeks and falling off of him. Stroud prayed, and the Texans quarterback fully embraced his emotions even though he was taught by his parents to be stoic and keep his emotions inside as a child.
In the most sensitive of moments, on the high-profile stage of the NFL, Stroud was his authentic self. He was truly vulnerable, and brave and compassionate.
When Stroud was getting a haircut in the days after the brutal injury sustained by Dell, whom he calls his brother, he had a deep conversation about his feelings and showing them to the world.
“I wouldn’t say I was second-guessing it, but it was just not easy for me to sit there and be emotional,” Stroud said. “But it’s something that we all go through in life and it’s easy to be a fake tough guy. It’s easy to go through life acting like everything doesn’t affect you. But, deep down, we all know we’re going through something and, for me, I think it’s good for young men and women out there, kids who are brought up and taught. I was taught this, too, as a kid, not from my parents, but just from the world of, ‘Don’t let anybody see you emotional. Don’t let anybody see you down’
“There’s some truth to that in certain aspects, but there’s also life and I think it was good to see people see me in that light and knowing that there is still a human factor to me. And I am a normal person.
In reflecting on what had transpired and his reaction, Stroud wasn’t embarrassed. He was simply being human. A deeply religious 23-year-old, Stroud prayed with his teammates as Dell was taken to the hospital. After the game, he knelt in prayer with Chiefs players, including quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
#Texans C.J. Stroud on the devastating knee injury suffered by his best friend Tank Dell @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/74XseAVq2c
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) December 23, 2024
Watching his friend, who deeply loves football and his teammates, go down stirred something deep within Stroud. It’s a jarring situation, and Stroud is leaning on his faith as the entire team goes through an extremely tough situation.”
“To see something that he had really no control over and it’s not easy, so that’s where that comes from,” Stroud said. “And I think it’s just what God is doing in my life. He’s softening my heart in so many ways because I wouldn’t have done that, probably, last year. But just the new creation that I am in Christ, I’m constantly growing and just knowing who He is and reading his word. And me and Tank do a Bible study every week, at least twice a week.
“And I hope that we can continue to keep going with that. But there’s so much hope that we have and had and that stuff doesn’t go anywhere just because tragedy strikes. So, I believe that we’ll get past this. There is light at the end of the tunnel, but it might be a long way to get there. And I think that was good for people to see that we’re just normal people at the end of the day.”
Stroud and running back Joe Mixon, who stayed with the quarterback, while Dell was being boarded onto the ambulance, talked and offered encouraging words.
Stroud has watched Dell experience a lot of adversity during his first two years in the NFL.
Dell broke his fibula as a rookie, ending a promising season for the former University of Houston standout.
During the offseason, Dell was an innocent bystander who suffered a gunshot flesh wound in his leg as a victim in a mass shooting in Florida while attending a party.
Dell’s family moved to Houston this season to provide support for him.
Now, Dell is dealing with yet another setback medically.
“It’s not easy to see your brother go down like that,” Stroud said. “. So, we’ve got to just be there for him and it’s not easy. I think everybody kind of saw how hard I took it. This isn’t the end for him. This is just another bump in the road. There’s always light at the end of the tunnel.”
Stroud urged everyone to give Dell privacy as he deals with this devastating injury and to show compassion for his ordeal.
“I think just for people to give Tank a little space right now and just pray for him from afar,” Stroud said. “Let him go through this because the worst thing that you want to hear is everything’s going to be OK and all these types of things. Clearly, he doesn’t want to hear that.
“He needs to hear the truth. But let him spend this time with his family and try to just give him a little bit of room just to breathe and take in what’s really going on and mentally, just get sane. So, it’s not easy, but I’m going to be here for him and that’s my brother through thick and thin, through life, I’m going to be here for him and that’s my brother.”
The support from Stroud extends to wide receiver Jared Wayne, who accidentally collided with Dell and injured his teammate. Wayne has been inconsolable. He’s at a loss for words at this time. He feels extremely bad about what happened, even though it was obviously not what he was intending when he ran his route near Dell and fell into his leg.
Stroud has prayed with Wayne and attended church services with him.
“J. Wayne, I mean that guilt and that shame is something I deal with a lot, too,’ Stroud said. “And, I think, for him, the best thing that he can do is just be around us. And I’ve been able to pray over him. We went to church. I try to tell him just not to internalize it. It’s football. God didn’t cause this. Some things in life, it’s just what the nature of what you’re in, which is football. Things like that happen. And just because something tragic like that happens, doesn’t mean you should point the finger at yourself or anyone else.
“It’s part of the game. So, I feel for him. I understand what he’s going through and I think it’s good for him to be around just brothers right now and we’ve been able to actually build our relationship, even before this happened through the Lord. And I think that’s how we’ve got to continue to go. So, I think just what he’s feeling right now isn’t easy and it’s not something that I would not wish on my worst enemy. We’ve got to be here for him just as much as we’ve got to be here for Tank because you can just see it on him. And I think it’s important for us to be around him.”
'What he's feeling right now isn't easy. It's important that we be here for him' #Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud on emotions of Jared Wayne, who accidentally collided with Tank Dell on his devastating knee injury (dislocated knee, torn ACL) @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/WnxWou51VY
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) December 23, 2024
The Texans have a football game to play on Christmas against the Baltimore Ravens, an internationally broadcast game on Netflix. Beyonce is here to perform a halftime show. Life, and the NFL, stop for no one.
The Texans have to gather their composure, compartmentalize their emotions and play again. It’s the profession they’ve chosen, hard as it is when something like this happens.
“The position we’re in, it’s not a lot of times where you can sulk in your feelings for very long,” Stroud said. “You’ve got to just keep rolling. I think that’s a testament to just life in general. Everybody has stuff on their plate. Everybody is going through something. And just because we’re in this position, doesn’t mean you get to feel sorry for yourself, or anything like that.
“‘No, you’ve got to keep rolling and I think us playing will help, winning helps. And, of course, it doesn’t fill the whole void of the hurt, but it also can make you feel better in the moment. But I think the main thing, for us, is just to put our best foot forward and try to take these next weeks as serious as we can and focus on one thing at a time. And I think that’s the recipe for what the rest of the season could be.”
Stroud was asked how he’s doing, given all that has happened. It’s been an up-and-down season, but the Texans are the AFC South division winners. They’re going to play in the playoffs in the AFC wild-card round and host a home playoff game.
“I’m best of my life, try to just be where my feet are at,” Stroud said. “Since I’m here in the facility, I’ve got to be here and I want to be here and game plan for the Ravens and do what we need to do to put our best foot forward and win this game and also when I get out of here, be where my feet are. I’m doing just fine, though. I’m the last person people should be worrying about.
“It’s my brother that’s on my mind. I just feel this way for him because I know how many people are depending on him and what he’s done to put himself in this position to come back from injury and the thing’s he’s gone through. So, it’s not easy, but this is the time where we’ve got to come together as a community and at the end of the day, it’s not just about football. It’s not just about the Texans. It’s not just about winning the game. It’s about a person who is going through a lot and we’ve got to be there for him and hold him up.”
#Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud on loss of his friend, wide receiver Tank Dell, to terrible knee injury, and emotional situation for AFC South winners @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/3huNWpdPfZ
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) December 21, 2024
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Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com.
