CJ Stroud shares 1 wild way Ohio State fans criticized him

Apr 17, 2021; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback CJ Stroud (7) drops to throw during the first quarter of the annual spring game at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

Ohio State fans are known for being some of the most passionate in college football, and CJ Stroud says he received one particularly sobering reminder of that during his time with the Buckeyes.

Stroud, who threw for over 8,000 yards and 85 touchdowns in his two years as Ohio State’s starting quarterback, told “The Jim Rome Show” recently that he stayed off social media during football season. That did not stop Buckeyes fans from being able to reach him.

Stroud said he started getting messages from angry Ohio State fans on Venmo, which is an app that is used to exchange money.

“For me and my teammates, being at Ohio State, if you have social media or any type of technology, Ohio State fans have it,” Stroud said, as transcribed by Paul Harvey of Saturday Tradition. “I was getting DMs — I don’t have social media during the season — I was getting DMs on Venmo, the money app through fans telling me to play better. It comes with the territory. It was insane, but at the end of the day, it comes with the territory. I learned so much from it.”

Venmo requires users to include a message or note when they send money to a person, so that probably means Ohio State fans sent Stroud money (likely very small amounts) just to criticize him. Those fans should probably reevaluate their lives.

Stroud is expected to be one of the top players taken in the upcoming NFL Draft. Between dealing with Buckeyes fans and some of the strange controversies he has been dragged into, NFL teams should feel confident that Stroud is capable of handling outside noise.