Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud becomes an international name among sports figures

The NFL has almost undoubtedly surpassed baseball and MLB as “American sport”, but the league has also begun to flourish internationally. The NBA has done a great job leveraging its sport in other countries for decades now, and the NFL has also found a way to expand its reach, hosting regular season games in London, Germany, in Mexico and now in Brazil. rugby players entering the league.

The expansion of soccer is fantastic for the growth and longevity of the league as a whole. This may encourage those who live outside the United States to believe that they can achieve their goals by playing in one of the most prestigious sports leagues in the world, outside of the sport(s) that dominate the sporting world in their city or their country.

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The growth and reach of the NFL and football has become more and more evident over the years and Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud is noticing it personally this offseason. Starting in May, Stroud and Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons went on an offseason tour through Asia, serving as football ambassadors while helping kids gain knowledge about the game and the NFL.

Stroud was impressed by the number of kids he saw from another part of the world wearing his jersey number and saw it as inspiration to continue to grow the game and pay it forward.

The late Kobe Bryant and other basketball stars like LeBron James and Kevin Durant have already gone on similar tours to different countries, increasing their popularity along with basketball. The same can be said of football. Stars like Christiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Lionel Messi have all made an impact on the game here in the United States – especially Messi, who came abroad to join MLS team Miami.

For Stroud, being an ambassador for the league and football shows not only his love of the game, but also the passion he has and the character he embodies in giving back to a community eager to learn from the best in the industry .

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