How C.J. Stroud found his path to the NFL through Snoop Dogg’s youth football league

C.J. Stroud, now the quarterback of the Houston Texans, first showed his skills on a small Los Angeles field in 2014. At just twelve years old, he joined the Pomona Steelers, a team that played in Snoop Dogg’s Youth Football League.

Games were held east of downtown Los Angeles, and Stroud’s strong arm quickly made him stand out. His mother, Kimberly Stroud, was at first unsure about a league owned by a rapper, but after meeting the coaches, she felt it was safe and supportive.

C.J. Stroud’s early chance with Priest Brooks and Snoop Dogg

Coach Priest Brooks needed a quarterback in 2014, and people in Rancho Cucamonga, California, told him about young C.J. Stroud. When Stroud arrived at practice, he quickly won the role.

The league, started by Snoop Dogg in 2005, gave children ages five to thirteen an affordable way to play football. Kimberly Stroud later said, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” thanking the league for supporting her son. After those early years, C.J. Stroud went on to star at Ohio State University, then became the second overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. In his rookie season, he led the Texans to their first playoff run since 2019 and won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

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Snoop Dogg proud of NFL players from his youth league

Snoop Dogg’s league has produced more than forty NFL players, including JuJu Smith-Schuster, Romeo Doubs, and Jack Jones. On ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown in 2023, C.J. Stroud laughed, saying, “Damn, we’re at Snoop Dogg’s crib!” while remembering his youth games. Snoop Dogg recently told NBC, “I got 20 nominations for Grammys, zero wins. But I got 40-something kids in the NFL. I won it all.” Today, his league has over 60,000 kids learning teamwork and discipline through football.