Caleb Williams is many things. He’s an absurdly talented young quarterback, steadily emerging as one of the best at his position in the NFL. He is also a savvy businessman, already involved in a diverse portfolio of sponsorships and ownership well before most professional athletes even start thinking about such things. Last but certainly not least, he is an outspoken presence online, unafraid to get involved on social media more than most players at his position. Yet one thing that gets somewhat glossed over through all of that.
Loyalty.
One thing that has become pretty evident about Williams is his willingness never to forget where he came from. His presence has been felt at USC even after leaving the program for the NFL. He’s been spotted at games supporting his former teammates and has attended practices. So it wasn’t a big surprise that the Bears quarterback popped up at the Trojans’ pro day last month in advance of the draft. What wasn’t known at the time was that Williams almost did something unprecedented.
He almost threw passes during the event, which NFL quarterbacks don’t do. The latest episode of 1920 Football Drive documented how Chicago Bears scout Francis St. Paul had to step in to make sure he didn’t.
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Caleb Williams certainly would’ve drawn attention.
It would’ve been the first documented instance of an NFL quarterback throwing at a college pro day. So why did St. Paul stop him? Part of it was to avoid such publicity. However, it mostly had to do with not taking the spotlight away from the guys actually on the team. He wanted the USC quarterbacks to do the throwing themselves. That day was about them. Williams had his moment two years ago. This had to be their opportunity to get noticed by pro teams.
Kudos to St. Paul for doing that. Some scouts might not have the willingness to put their foot down like that with one of your team’s star players. It speaks to his experience and Caleb Williams’ personality that he did so without fear of retribution. It was the right decision. That day was about the players trying to make the NFL, not those already in it. Mind you, Williams wouldn’t have done it for the attention. He just wanted to help. It was more about leaving the work to the kids still chasing the dream.
The Bears placated Williams in the end.
They did so by adding two players to the roster via undrafted free agency. One was wide receiver Kyron Hudson, and the other was right tackle Mason Murphy. That doesn’t include Miller Moss, the Louisville quarterback who was Caleb Williams’ backup at USC. Adding them was meant to bring in some bodies for training camp, but it’s hard not to read between the lines. The Bears want to make sure they keep their quarterback happy. Keeping a pipeline open to his alma mater is an easy way to do that.
Either way, it’s hard not to chuckle at the story. Williams was more than ready to loosen up and throw at the event, no questions asked. That speaks to both his love for USC and his competitive nature. Somewhere beneath the surface was that compulsive need to remind everybody that he’s still the BMOC (big man on campus). It is why you can’t help but love the guy. He seems more than ready to get back to work, preparing for another push to win the Super Bowl.
