“It's on me this time” - Chicago Bears’ Caleb Williams has heartwarming message to former USC teammates after being No. 1 NFL draft pick
Caleb Williams became the newest quarterback for the Chicago Bears on Thursday night, marking a significant milestone in both his career and the franchise's future. The Bears secured Williams as their QB1 for the 2024 season after selecting him as the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
The highly anticipated union between Williams and Chicago came to fruition in Detroit, solidifying his position as the next leader of the Bears' offense. Williams joins the elite ranks of Trojans who have been chosen as the top pick in the NFL draft, becoming the sixth USC player to achieve this honor.
Following his selection, Caleb Williams expressed his heartfelt gratitude to his former college teammates with an emotional message:
"Don't get me all emotional, guys. God, my guys. I love y'all boys."
He further conveyed his appreciation by offering to treat them to dinner:
"It's on me this time. Love you y'all, go kill it, man. Yeah, we're great vibes today, couple of my teammates and really good friends to be able to see their faces cheering me on, supporting me, it's all love."
Caleb Williams' 6-foot-1, 215-pound frame marks him as an imposing figure on the field. He shone as the top quarterback prospect in this year's QB-heavy draft. Williams' NFL journey commenced when he transferred to USC from Oklahoma in 2022, guided by coach Lincoln Riley.
At South California, Caleb Williams showcased remarkable talent, especially in 2022, accumulating 4,537 passing yards. He led the nation with 42 touchdowns that season. Prestigious awards like the Heisman Trophy, AP Player of the Year and Maxwell Award recognized his outstanding performance.
Williams' senior year saw continued excellence, throwing for 3,633 yards, 30 touchdowns and five interceptions. He shattered several USC season marks, including total yards (4,919), touchdowns (52), passing yards (4,537) and TD passes (42).
Bears select Caleb Williams as No. 1 pick: Aim to reverse quarterback misfortune
The Chicago Bears made a bold choice just before the draft, trading Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers in March. This swap fetched a conditional sixth-round pick, clearing a path to select Williams first overall. General manager Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus, who joined in 2022, spearheaded this strategic quarterback shake-up.
The Bears' interest in Caleb Williams was evident, as they sent a delegation to see him at USC's pro day for three days. They traded to get the first pick last season from the Carolina Panthers. This showed their eagerness to pick Williams, who was great at Oklahoma before going to USC. His passing yards went down a bit in 2023, but his touchdown and interception numbers were still pretty good.
The Bears have gotten better on offense for Williams, having signed running back D'Andre Swift and tight end Gerald Everett. They also got star wide receiver Keenan Allen.
Williams is a rookie quarterback in a special case, as Chicago hasn't had much luck with the quarterbacks it has drafted before. The franchise has not had star quarterbacks, but now, it wants things to change with Williams and has brought in players to help him succeed.