HOUSTON — When the two were teammates at Ohio State, it didn’t take long for Jaxon Smith-Njigba to make an impression on C.J. Stroud.
“The first day of practice, he one-handed a pass and I was like: ‘This dude’s for real,’” Stroud recalled this week. “Ever since then, he’s one of the best I’ve ever played with, if not the best.”
This week Stroud and Smith-Njigba will play against each other for the first time in the NFL when the Houston Texans visit the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night. Though they won't be on the field at the same time, they're looking forward to seeing who comes out of the game with bragging rights.
“I’m excited for him to be in Seattle and us to compete,” Smith-Njigba told The Associated Press. “That’s a lot of our relationship is competing against one another. So, it’s awesome that we get to do it on Monday night.”
Stroud and Smith-Njigba both joined the Buckeyes in 2020 and spent three seasons together at Ohio State. They produced many highlights in their time there, but none shined brighter than the show they put on in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day in 2022.
Stroud threw for a school-record 573 yards and a record-tying six touchdowns to lead the Buckeyes to a 48-45 win over Utah. Smith-Njigba set a record for any FBS bowl game with 347 yards receiving and had a school-record 15 receptions with three touchdowns in the thrilling victory.
“Honestly, for us, we didn’t even really know it was that crazy, it was like a day of practice for us,” Stroud said. “Me and him have a connection that I think is just natural. We just took off that day, but it was other days we did really good too.”
Smith-Njigba agreed with Stroud’s assessment of the record-setting day.
“It was just a great experience,” Smith-Njigba said. “I saw that interview that he did … and saying it was just like practice. It really was. It was just like practice, but on a grand stage at the Rose Bowl. So, just a special moment that we had that we’ll never forget. We’ll cherish forever.”
Smith-Njigba had touchdown receptions of 50 and 52 yards in the second quarter of that game before scoring Ohio State’s final touchdown on a 30-yard grab in the fourth quarter.
Stroud and Smith-Njigba remain close, with the quarterback saying that Smith-Njigba is one of his best friends. Another reason that Rose Bowl was memorable for Smith-Njigba was because it was his first visit to California and he loved being there with Stroud, who grew up about 30 minutes from the stadium.
“That day was special, playing back home and him having probably the most legendary receiver performance in college was pretty dope,” Stroud said.
Smith-Njigba thinks of that day and their time at Ohio State often.
“I look back a lot and just smile. Because I got to play with a lot of great guys, including C.J.,” he said. “You always want to be tight with your quarterback. But, it just happened naturally that we became … almost brothers. Just the special relationships that you’ll have forever.”
After leaving Ohio State, Stroud was selected with second overall pick in the 2023 draft and Smith-Njigba was taken later in the first round at No. 20. Stroud threw for 4,108 yards with 23 touchdowns to lead Houston back to the playoffs and earn AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in his first season while Smith-Njigba’s breakout campaign came last season when he had 1,130 yards receiving.
Along with the bond between Stroud and Smith-Njigba, the Texans and the Seahawks are also connected through first year offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, the son of former Texans coach Gary Kubiak. The elder Kubiak coached the Texans from 2006-13 and Klint Kubiak spent a lot of time around the team in that period, getting a front row seat to a large chunk of the career of receiver Andre Johnson, who is the first Texan to go into the Hall of Fame.
Some of the qualities that Johnson possessed as a player remind him of Smith-Njigba
“The kind of worker that (Smith-Njigba) is, that’s what Andre was when I was growing up,” Klint Kubiak said. “My dad said: ‘if you want to know what a pro looks like, look at No. 80.’ That’s what great players do, they’re very self-motivated and that’s what (Smith-Njigba) is.”
Smith-Njigba is off to a great start this season and his 696 yards receiving rank first in the NFL entering Week 7.
It’s an accomplishment that Stroud could envision that first day at practice in Columbus, Ohio, when the two were just teenagers.
“I’ve always known that this is going to happen," Stroud said. "So, it’s no surprise to me, but I’m just very proud of him. I think he’s going to continue to do great things.”
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AP Sports Writer Andrew Destin contributed to this report from Seattle.
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