C.J. Stroud: From overshadowed to Ohio State star, thanks to talent, chess

“Will you train me after this?” Stroud asked Makowsky. Stroud met with Makowsky from 10 p.m. to midnight for a couple of nights. They worked on having a plan and a process, knowing what the threats are and what to attack. From that perspective, Makowsky was teaching Stroud to process how all of the pieces — and players — worked together in a complex environment, and seeing the entire board. Or the field.

Brooks said that it was “a mind-blowing” experience for a lot of these kids.

“For C.J., it allowed him to come to the line and have a check off process,” he said. “It gave him a way to organize his thoughts in the moment, without making it bigger than it is. And when it clicked, he was all in. He ignored all the white noise of the other kids laughing. You could just see that it unlocked him.” The mindset Makowsky showed them was: “Hey man, simple is better. Less is more. Don’t overthink it. See it. Be it. Let it go. You’ll always have an answer. You’ll never be surprised.”

Brooks was amazed as Stroud transformed. “His confidence was growing. The ball is not hitting the ground. He’s hitting the check downs. Everything. Every play finished with a completion. He didn’t try to do too much, which is hard for guys there. Can they be patient and disciplined enough to take what the defenses is giving you? That’s hard for a teenager. But he was so hot, we were blowing people out. (Opponents) hate seeing the ball completed. As soon as they come up, boom, he throws it over their head and hits them with the big play. Big dime balls down the boundary.

“C.J. understands that simple game within the game. The arm talent was crazy. He was pushing the ball down the field. He was playing chess from the pocket.”