C.J. Stroud's father, Coleridge Bernard Stroud III, was convicted and sentenced to 38 years to life in prison following a guilty plea stemming from a 2015 drug-related incident involving charges of carjacking, kidnapping, robbery, and misdemeanor sexual battery. The severe sentence significantly impacted Stroud during his youth, though the star quarterback has since become an advocate for criminal justice reform while maintaining supportive communication with his father.