Caleb Williams has been the center of attention since the Chicago Bears drafted him first overall in April. The USC standout understands what it’s like to be the center of attention. It has been the case since he first took the field for Oklahoma in 2021 and only grew as he won the Heisman and started racking up accolades. Now, he comes to a football-crazed city with one of the largest media markets in the country. One would understand if Williams was feeling intense pressure to perform.
Yet, based on what people have seen so far in training camp, that isn’t the case. The quarterback has looked calm, composed, and focused on his job. During a recent appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio, he was asked the obvious question. Does he feel pressured by his current situation? One part of his response stuck out in a big way.
“Pressure comes from not being ready. Pressure comes from not having confidence. Preparation’s everything.”
That may come across as some off-the-cuff remark from the young quarterback, but football historians would immediately recognize it as a paraphrasing of a quote often used by Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame head coach Chuck Noll. He would always tell them the same thing.
“You only feel pressure when you don’t know what you’re doing.”
Not many young quarterbacks can make this claim. It usually takes them a few years before they grasp what is truly required to excel at this level. Williams has clearly done his homework. He understands the need for relentless hard work. Not only does it prepare his body for the rigors of a long season, but it also toughens his mind for the countless challenges other teams will put in front of him. Tom Brady also said the secret of his success in so many big games came from preparation. It wasn’t some magic brain chemistry only he possessed. It was all about his maniacal need to know every detail.
It appears Caleb Williams has the same mentality. Coaches have said he’s ahead of schedule in everything. His mastery of the cadences, calling plays in the huddle, and making adjustments at the line have advanced rapidly. His crisp two-minute drill on the first day of pads at training camp was a sign that he could execute when the need arose. If Williams holds to that same mentality Noll had all those years ago in Pittsburgh, he is going to win a lot of football games in Chicago.
