When Houston Texans Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud was asked about Michigan's recent cheating scandal during a news conference Thursday, he almost opted not to address it. Eventually, he said his college team had an idea something wasn't right.
Suspended Michigan football analyst Connor Stalions is currently at the center of an NCAA investigation into whether he stole other team's signals.
"It's my past life," the former Ohio State quarterback responded as he started to say that he had nothing to say about the wrongdoing.
On Tuesday, photos emerged to support the allegation that Stalions stole other team's signals. A video from Michigan's 45-23 win over the Buckeyes last season seems to show the staffer assisting coaches on the sidelines.
After saying he's not the type of person to reflect on past situations and assess blame on others, he gave a brief answer.
"They beat us. It is what it is. I'm not super happy with that. But man, I'm in the NFL now. I'm not worried [about] what happened in college," he said. "We had an idea on maybe if that stuff was going on. But at the end of the day, it is what it is. I'm not here to go back and forth with that. I'm a Texan now."
CJ Stroud on if he had any suspicions of Michigan cheating/stealing signs while he was at Ohio State #Texans pic.twitter.com/4qb4sraoSG
— Shaun Bijani (@ShaunBijani) October 25, 2023
Stroud's statement about the team's inkling of misconduct aligns with a report from Yahoo Sport's Ross Dellenger that said Big Ten opponents were aware of an "elaborate scheme' surrounding Stalions.
"We heard they had a guy pick plays pretty good and had all this information from not your typical ways of getting the signals," a Buckeyes staff member told Dellenger last week. "We get into the game and it's the second quarter. I see him across the field and he's checking his 11x17 sheet."
As the weeks continue, more circumstantial evidence of Michigan's alleged cheating emerges, including Dellenger's report that Stalions purchased tickets to games featuring potential College Football Playoff opponents last season.
In the wake of continued findings, some sports figures question whether the scandal really made much of a difference.
Michigan beat Ohio State last season but they came up short in the playoff, taking a 51-45 loss to TCU in the semi-finals. The Buckeyes playoff journey ended in a 42-41 playoff loss to Georgia on a last-second field goal.
Stroud, the No. 2 overall pick of the 2023 NFL draft, is clearly not sparing many thoughts about Michigan. He has the future to focus on, which includes a matchup with the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
Of course, even that event will have some reminders of the past, as Panthers quarterback Bryce Young was Stroud's childhood friend and the No. 1 overall pick of their class.
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