Boardroom sits down with the newest football face of Jordan Brand to learn how this deal came to be and what it means to the Houston Texans QB standout.
CJ Stroud is the newest member of the Jordan Brand family.
The reigning Rookie of the Year and ascending NFL MVP candidate brings the basketball-born brand a new leader on the gridiron, a key ambassador in the Houston market, and a natural fit for the $7 billion brand built off spreading its wings.
While CJ’s status in pro football came quickly, this deal itself has long been in the works.
“That’s been a five-year relationship,” Stroud told Boardroom regarding his roots with the brand. “That didn’t happen overnight.”
Growing up in California — a “basketball state,” as described by Stroud — the blossoming baller’s fandom of Michael Jordan‘s namesake company started in childhood. The youngest of four, CJ recalls his older brother and sister wearing Jordans regularly while he’d have to wait for holidays to get a pair.
“On a lucky Christmas or birthday? My mom and dad blessed me with a pair,” said Stroud. “That’s when it all started for me.”
Playing both basketball and football throughout his youth, Stroud would watch the likes of Mike Bibby and Andre Johnson appear in campaigns for MJ, often wearing player-exclusive Air Jordans in action.
“They used to come out with videos of the [PEs] they’d get,” Stroud said. “It always inspired me to one day get a Jordan deal to get Jordan cleats in my team colorway. For it to come to fruition is dope.”
Starting Week 1, the lifelong dream will become a reality.
According to sources close to the contract, the multi-year deal between Jordan Brand and Stroud will see the Texans quarterback lace up Jumpman cleats on Sundays and appear in retail signage tied to the global sportswear giant. And if Stroud continues to soar, there will be an ability to build a signature line within the brand, similar to Russell Westbrook, Randy Moss, and other past ambassadors.
“Once we introduce people to the things we’re doing as a brand? It’s gonna make people not only support Jordan Brand but support me within that as well,” Stroud said. “I’m very excited for that.”
Subscribe for the biggest stories in the business of sports and entertainment, daily.
Make no mistake, Stroud’s signing with Jordan Brand isn’t a simple handoff when it comes to partnering. As cited in Boardroom’s August Cover Story on Stroud, the Texans quarterback is incredibly hands-on when it comes to working with founders and sitting down with leadership.
Thus, he’s already making moves to integrate himself with the $7 billion brand.
“Having a relationship with the people who make everything work,” said Stroud. “Building a team and combining my team with the Jordan Brand will make my experience more intimate and successful in the long run.”
Although the deal didn’t happen overnight, it’s still a dream come true for the 22-year-old talent.
Across categories, Jordan Brand has elevated athletes through footwear, advertisements, and international tours to corners of culture few competitors could reach on their own. In Stroud, both the brand and the QB have a chance to take their talents to the next level.
“It’s what he really wanted,” Bryan Burney, marketing manager for Stroud at Athletes First, told Boardroom. “We know what Jordan Brand can do from a brand elevation standpoint. If they put their resources behind CJ as he continues to play well? There’s no limit. There are things Jordan can do that no marketer can do.”
Already, Stroud has high hopes of aligning his Jordan Brand ambassadorship with local 7-on-7 sponsorship, community outreach, and giveaways. An active philanthropist, Stroud spent the summer throwing youth football camps in Japan, China, and Morocco.
Still, it’s the feverish fanbase that backs his pro football franchise that might mean the most to not just CJ but also JB.
“Houston has repeatedly been in the top two if not the No. 1 seller of Jordan sneakers — anywhere,” Houston-based artist and entrepreneur Bun B told Boardroom. “We’ve always led that charge here. We identify with the player, the brand, and the excellence that it symbolizes.”
For decades, Houston has shown up for Jordan Brand from a sales perspective, with MJ’s namesake company reciprocating the love. In recent years, Jordan has become the official outfitter of the Houston Cougars basketball team while also aligning with local legend Travis Scott.
Stroud cites Scott as one of his favorite current members of the Jordan Brand family, along with recent signee Maxx Crosby.
“These are guys who have been influential in the game, their careers, and repping the brand,” said Stroud. “Being themselves and being swaggy with it. That’s something that I plan to do.”
As alluded to, it means more happening in Houston than most might realize.
Though the likes of Andre Johnson, Derek Anderson, and even UGK have been tied to Jordan Brand in years past, claiming the quarterback in said city is a perfect storm of meeting an audience of footwear and football fans exactly where they’re at.
“To be connected to something like that in the city of Houston is bananas,” said Bun B. “It goes deep into how that company thinks and how that company markets.”
A match made in heaven, it’s a testament to the speedy ascent of Stroud, who remains rooted in playing the long game.
“I don’t rush things,” said Stroud. “I pray about it to discern the right things from the wrong thing.”
Another right decision from the reigning Rookie of the Year.
Read More:
