“Comparison is the thief of joy.”
These profound words of insight were shared by Ohio State quarterback and Heisman frontrunner C.J. Stroud during his Big Ten Media Days interview with FOX Sports college football analyst R.J. Young.
Stroud stated that he received this advice from his father and would pass it along to younger athletes who aspire to play football at an elite level. At just 20 years old and being a member of Gen Z, our present generation of high school and college students commonly depicted as desiring constant evaluation, gratification and approval from peers, Stroud is definitely wise beyond his years in realizing that he does not have to liken himself to others.
As he prepares for what many Buckeye fans and sports writers believe will be his final season in the scarlet and gray due to being a projected first-round 2023 NFL draft pick, Stroud continues to mature and build his own legacy in the chase for a national championship.
As much as I have been looking forward to the forthcoming college football season and the anticipated top-five matchup between Ohio State and Notre Dame on Sept. 3, I have not stopped thinking about Stroud’s FOX interview. The counsel that he shared from his father is the type of instruction that molds young people into visionary leaders, and it strongly complements Stroud’s athletic prowess as OSU’s QB1. Stroud has displayed his incredible accuracy and precision to carve up opposing defenses on the field, and he is growing into a humble and perceptive role model off it.
As he elaborated a little more in his talk with Young on how “if you compare yourself to others you’ll have no joy,” Stroud briefly referenced social media and how he was glad his mother was “old school” in not giving him a phone until he was a teenager. This isn’t the norm today for many kids younger than Stroud, as a Cricket Wireless survey conducted by OnePoll revealed 10 as the average age parents allow their children to have smartphones. And it’s almost a sure bet that this younger cohort of Gen Z is mesmerized by TikTok audio memes while they still communicate on Snapchat and Instagram.
Stroud’s thoughts on social media fit the description that Ryan Jenkins, author of “The Generation Z Guide,” mentioned in a recent Psychology Today article. Jenkins labeled social media as a “comparison trap,” explaining that “comparing our life to someone else’s highlight reel leads to questions like, am I good enough, smart enough, wealthy enough, etc.?”
Stroud knows a thing or two about highlight reels being hyped in college football. Last season, he passed for 4,435 yards and 44 touchdowns with only six interceptions, and his highlights flooded YouTube and other national sports streaming sites. This is the reality now for star players in the Power Five conferences, as media money and exposure in the college football landscape have increased immensely since the Supreme Court ruled against the NCAA monopolizing broadcasts 38 years ago.
There’s lots more fame and recognition, and with corporate name, image and likeness opportunities where highly recruited and popular players can be paid more than some assistant coaches, comparison and criticism by fans and analysts will be swift. Stroud must carefully navigate this era of college football marketability along with other highly touted QBs this season, including Georgia’s Stetson Bennett in his quest to lead the Dawgs to back-to-back titles, along with Alabama’s Bryce Young and USC’s Caleb Williams.
One of Stroud’s final comments in his FOX interview that beautifully illustrates his seasoned progression as a prominent athlete is when he said, “God’s gonna test you before He gives you what you want.” This prudent remark had a Psalm 26:2 vibe. The NIV version of this verse says, “Test me, LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind.”
Stroud’s most difficult tests on the field during the 2021 season came with losses to Oregon and Michigan, losses that shut the Buckeyes out of the Big Ten championship game and a playoff spot. With OSU fans always expecting to be in national title contention, these defeats strengthened Stroud’s stamina, showing that he had the heart and mind to be the leader his team needed. This will carry Stroud into the upcoming season with a determined focus, and I pray he holds on to his joy when the media scrutiny begins.
Dr. Jessica A. Johnson is a lecturer in the English department at The Ohio State University-Lima. Reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter @JjSmojc. Her opinion does not necessarily represent the views of The Lima News or its owner, AIM Media.
