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INDIANAPOLIS — Before Caleb Williams even finished saying “good morning” on Friday, he was questioned on if he was afraid to compete against his peers since he will not be participating in the on-field workouts and will only do medicals during team visits.
Williams leaned in to hear the question to his left, looked quickly to his right and smiled before giving his first answer of the press conference.
The projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft simply said, “No,” and that the decision was made by him and his team. Williams also mentioned he didn’t feel a need to throw and redirected people to go watch his college tape.
There was no light lead-in for Williams’ first press conference since November 11, 2023.
In front of more than 100 media members and the thousands watching at home, Williams proved he isn’t someone who can be easily rattled.
Despite being in what would be an unsettling situation for most, Williams answered question after a question while having his hands nonchalantly inside of his hoodie pocket. He was unfazed by the moment.
That unshakeable quality is something that Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles covets at the quarterback position. The Bears hold the first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and Williams could very well be the franchise-altering player who changes the organization into being a legitimate contender.
When Williams goes into his meetings with NFL teams, that is one thing he will be looking for.
“The man thing that I’ve said is I want to go to a place that wants to win,” Williams said. “The whole 360. From the top all the way to, you know, the guys and down to the janitors, the people that make everything run. Everybody wants to win. Everybody is a part of that and we all take care of each other.”
In addition to showing his overall comfort, contrary to what Williams was questioned on to begin the press conference, he mentioned several times in his answers that he is a competitor.
That competitiveness doesn’t just show up on the football field, but also on how he views himself and where he believes he should go in the draft. He was asked about how disappointed he would be if he didn’t go first overall in the draft.
“It’s not a thought in my mind,” Williams said. “I don’t think that I’m not gonna be number one. I think I have put in all the hard work, all of the time, effort, energy into being that, so I don’t think of a plan B. That’s how I kind of do things in my life. I don’t think of a plan B. Stay on Plan A, and then when things don’t work out, find a way to make Plan A work.”
Williams is confident in his abilities — as a former Heisman winner should be. But regardless of how much success he achieves throughout his career, there will always be doubters and people questioning him on everything.
He was asked for his response to questions on his height.
“This is the first time I’m hearing about my height and size,” Williams said with a smile. “I’m around Aaron Rodgers’ size and maybe weight too: 215, 220 and 6-foot-1 [or] 6-foot-2.”
Another topic that has been highly scrutinized is the emotion Williams displayed after the 52-42 loss to Washington this past season.
“There’s not many people in the world that get to experience what I experience every game day, every practice,” Williams said. “It kind of always goes back there for me. It’s something only I get to experience. It’s something that I really care about, which is not only winning the game, but doing it with my teammates. So every time we lose, I feel like I let my teammates down.”
Football means everything to Williams, and that’s why he wants to be immortalized with the all-time greats. To be viewed in a similar light that Chicagoans view Michael Jordan.
“I’d say anywhere I go that’s my standard,” Williams said. “It’s what I play for as you all saw. I say don’t play for fame, I don’t play for money, I don’t play for jewels or anything like that. It’s to go out there and win as many games as possible. To be the best that I can. My plan is if I can be my best and play as many games as possible at my best, I think I can reach certain points like that.”
Williams may not be for everyone, but there is no doubt he is ready and wants to be the top pick in this upcoming draft and leave a legacy for all to remember. That would be something unprecedented for the Bears, and Williams isn’t fazed by the lack of success Chicago has had in its history at the quarterback position.
“I don’t compare myself to other guys that’s there or been there,” Williams said. “I think I’m my own player. I tend to like to, like to, you know, create history and rewrite history.”
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