LOS ANGELES — Before Caleb Williams started his scripted throwing session at USC’s Pro Day on Wednesday, the projected No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft warmed up by tossing some passes to his teammates.
Except he did so left handed.
It didn’t matter that all 32 NFL teams were in attendance at Allyson Felix Field at Katherine B. Loker Track Stadium & Colich Center on USC’s campus. The quarterback’s confidence and comfortability appeared throughout the entirety of the Pro Day.
Never at any point did he wear headphones to drown out the large crowd of NFL personnel and media members. Never once did he look like the moment was too much for him. Never once did he look like he wasn’t having fun as he smiled during the workout.
Williams threw 50 total passes – with most of them coming from the pocket. To put it simply, Williams makes throwing a football with accuracy and velocity look effortless.
The ball zips out his right hand and consistently lands where it needs to for his intended target. Timing, precision, strength. The 6-foot, 217-pound quarterback displayed all of those important attributes.
On his final pass attempt, Williams showed off his arm and aired a 60+ yard pass to wide receiver Brenden Rice and hit him in stride to end the workout.
Then, because he wanted to, Williams punted a ball over 40 yards. After posing for pictures on the field with his teammates, Williams did a series of interviews and exited the field.
In one of the tunnels leading into the stadium, a small crowd gathered. Williams gave people high fives and fist bumps as he walked with six event staff members.
Roughly 30 minutes after Williams left the field, he reappeared in the middle of campus just outside Heritage Hall, which houses USC’s greatest athletes. Still in the black No. 13 t-shirt he threw in and wearing a black pair of New Balances. He was with two others as he was walking around campus.
One person asked Williams if he could get a selfie, and the star quarterback didn’t hesitate to pose for a picture. Then another individual asked Williams to sign some memorabilia. Again, Williams went over and provided his autograph before leaving.
This is someone who has been in Dr. Pepper and Wendy’s commercials, is on the packaging for Trolli sour gummy worms and has won a Heisman Trophy.
Yet he doesn’t let his celebrity status get the best of him. But in a little over a month, he will be a franchise quarterback and presumably for the Chicago Bears.
General manager Ryan Poles said during the NFL Scouting Combine that one of the factors he was looking to have answered in a quarterback is how that individual handles pressure and how they handle pressure being in a big city.
Williams made USC’s Pro Day look like a typical Wednesday for the 22-year-old college superstar. He just has a unique and natural ability to thrive in what are typically stressful situations.
Obviously nothing is guaranteed and Williams will have plenty to live up to once he becomes drafted, but he has the exact makeup that is needed to be a successful quarterback in the NFL.
