How Snoop Dogg's Youth Soccer League Shaped CJ Stroud

IT WAS THE summer of 2014, and Priest Brooks needed a quarterback.

Brooks was a rapper and producer for Death Row Records in the 1990s and early 2000s, but now coaches the Pomona Steelers in the Snoop Youth Football League.

Meet 12-year-old CJ Stroud.

Brooks knew it was “hard to find a good quarterback at that age,” so he “couldn’t be picky.” He had heard rave reviews about Stroud, who lived 40 miles east of downtown Los Angeles in Rancho Cucamonga, California.

When he heard that Stroud had left his original youth league in search of more competition, he made the call. Brooks invited Stroud and his family to an unofficial practice to see if it would be a fit, but there was one small problem.

Stroud's mother, Kimberly, was skeptical about a league run by rap icon Snoop Dogg. But her hesitation didn't last long.

“When we went to the actual practices and saw how professional and great everyone was,” Kimberly Stroud told ESPN. “So don't judge a book by its cover.”

Stroud shined with his precise passing and led the attack while “the guys had him in their sights,” Brooks said. His play earned him a spot on the league team in Los Angeles.

Stroud played two seasons in the league, but the games aren’t what he remembers. The league, which was founded in 2005 for kids ages 5 to 13, planted seeds that helped him develop and learn the benefits of building relationships with teammates and coaches. The Houston Texans quarterback learned about communication, teamwork and reliability.

“Kids in other communities didn't have soccer that matched the prices their mothers could afford,” Snoop said. “At the same time, being open to other kids. But the original idea was to help the urban inner city and give them a chance to play.”

In addition to his pinpoint accuracy, Stroud’s ability to unite teammates, regardless of their background, was something he learned in Snoop’s league. All of those tools helped the Texans in their quest to win the AFC South and reach the second round of the playoffs during Stroud’s rookie season.

“I was so competitive and wanted to win, so I thought, 'I've got to find a way to be a leader and hang out with these guys.' That was my first step,” Stroud told ESPN. “I started hanging out with guys off the field, my mom had kids come over and sleep over. She let me come over to their house.

“It was good for me to learn, that's how you build a brotherhood. I didn't even think about it then. But now that I'm older, that's what it was.”

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SNOOP AND STROUD now have a mentor-mentee relationship. But Snoop leans just as much on the quarterback to glean wisdom he can pass on to his athletes.

“It's special because [Stroud] “That's exactly what we want kids to be,” Snoop told ESPN. “Good students, good athletes, who respect their elders, their parents, and are good listeners. CJ was a good listener. So on that football field, he translates into a great leader.

“I like getting information from him because he's the future. … So being able to connect with the youth and stay active. That's a gift, and I think it's great that my football league has created that.”

Flashback to then @Snoop Dogg revealed that CJ Stroud grew up in his youth soccer league photo.twitter.com/XQvXBdNiqO

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The league has about 14-15 teams with logos that resemble NFL teams. Their season begins in September, when they host games at local schools in the area. There are seven games before the playoffs begin, with the two finalists meeting in the “Snooper Bowl.”

Snoop oversees everything, but he delegates responsibility to a board and staff that includes a league president and commissioner. His main goal is to provide an outlet for “people who look like me.”

It was Stroud's first time playing on a team with kids from the Los Angeles area, and he said it taught him how to “build confidence and learn what works for what guys” to get the best out of them.

It was Brooks who accelerated the process. He was also known as “Coach Fly,” a nickname that paid homage to his time at Death Row Records with Snoop during their musical heyday in the '90s, when he was known as “Soopafly.” Coach Fly and Stroud's relationship would become pivotal during the quarterback's teenage years.

On the field, the coach gave Stroud the power to lead the offense, allowing Stroud to develop into a leader.

“Coach Fly was the only coach in the area who believed CJ could run a complete offense and read defenses,” said assistant coach Mike Dedmen.

Off the field, Brooks “stepped up,” Stroud said, during a difficult time for the Stroud family. Stroud's father, Coleridge, was sentenced to 38 years to life in prison for 2015 kidnapping, carjacking and robbery charges. He is eligible for parole in 2040. Stroud calls Brooks “a father figure” in his life.

“Coach Fly is such an amazing person,” Kimberly Stroud said. “He was so instrumental to CJ during the tougher years of his adolescence — when daddy wasn't around, when mommy was working long hours.”

Brooks eliminated league fees and provided Stroud with uniforms. Stroud also bonded with Brooks' son, DonJ'rael. Sleepovers at Brooks' house created a sense of extended family.

“It's something I just had to do,” Brooks said. “To see the sadness on his face and what he was going through all of a sudden, it was important to make sure he was taken care of. I tell all my kids, 'I love you all right now.' I would die for them right now.”

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HOUSE OF COACH FLY is a place where Stroud and up to 10 teammates would meet. It's all part of the foundation that has made Stroud who he is today as a leader for the Texans.

The times they played soccer and ran through the streets, and the times Brooks and the other coaches would occasionally take the kids to one of their favorite pizza places or to Dave & Busters to hang out, it was all part of the bond that would be so important to Stroud.

During his rookie year, his teammates were always welcome to visit his house. Tight end Dalton Schultz would come over to watch film. Stroud's personal chef would cook for receivers like Tank Dell and John Metchie III. Left tackle Laremy Tunsil and Stroud would even go to Halloween events together.

“Because of who I am and growing up in Southern California, you get to experiment with a lot of different cultures,” Stroud told ESPN. “I get to understand people for who they really are. I can really relate to people. God has blessed me with that ability.”

Stroud communicates with his teammates in a friendly trash talk way. At Brooks' house, the kids would sit on his porch for hours and joke around. He said, “That was their thing.”

“Sometimes it got to me,” Brooks said with a laugh. “I had to really go at him hard to keep him off me.”

Years later, Stroud is still poking fun at teammates. Last season, offensive tackle George Fant, who played power forward at Western Kentucky from 2011 to 2015, debated Stroud over who was the best basketball player in the locker room.

During the friendly bickering, Stroud showed his teammates a comedic video that went viral of former NFL defensive back Anthony “Spice” Adams shooting a basketball and missing every time, claiming it was Fant.

“His ability to connect with a lot of different people from all walks of life definitely helps him win a locker room,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “It just makes it easier for our team to progress and progress a lot quicker because of his leadership skills.”

At 12 years old, Stroud already knew how to run film sessions. If wide receivers were running the wrong routes, he would physically walk through the route and explain how he wanted it done. He’s done the same thing with All-Pro receivers Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins now when Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik implemented a new game that required the duo to gesture during an OTA session in May.

Stroud found it important in his younger years to talk to everyone, whether they played a lot or not, as it created a bond within the team.

“He always made an effort to come to our offensive line and talk to us,” said Dominic Perez, his former center in the Snoop Dogg League. “We didn't protect him on pass plays just because he happened to be the quarterback. We wanted to protect him because he was C.J.

Stroud's current teammates feel connected on both sides of the ball.

“CJ's a great guy, man. He's easy to work with,” defensive end Will Anderson said. “Great friend, great brother, great teammate, everything you want from a guy like that.”

The Pomona Steelers are no more, but Stroud still keeps in touch with a few former teammates through a group chat where they exchange prayers and positive messages. Additionally, Brooks was present at the 2023 NFL draft when the Texans made Stroud with the No. 2 overall pick.

Before joining Snoop’s league, Kimberly Stroud knew her son was a leader. But she believes the league has strengthened that skill, as he’s learned how to communicate with kids from different backgrounds and upbringings.

What started as skepticism for her grew into a close-knit family.

“The Snoop Dogg League was super instrumental in CJ's journey,” Kimberly Stroud said. “It was a town that CJ Stroud was raised in, and it wasn't just his mom. It was God, more than anything, but He put people in our path to help CJ on his journey. The Snoop Dogg League was one of them.”