HOUSTON -- It was a blistering hot day as the Houston Texans were entrenched in training camp in late July. Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud was just starting to get comfortable in the offense.
During an 11-on-11 drill that day, Stroud dropped back and launched a deep ball to receiver Nico Collins down the sideline with cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. in coverage. Collins made a tightly contested catch and tumbled to the ground in what would be Stroud's first dynamic play during camp.
That moment is when Stroud knew Collins could be "special.