Caleb Williams is one of the more divisive topics among NFL fans and media personalities. Nobody disputes the #1 overall pick’s talent. The comparisons to Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes are earned. He has a strong, accurate arm along with rare improvisational skills. The problem people have is with his personality. Williams paints his nails. He wears dresses during fashion events. He cries openly after a devastating loss. This isn’t the type of player people are used to, making everybody wonder if he’s too soft for the NFL.
Tyler Dunne of Go Long decided to get to the bottom of this situation. He contacted a scout friend he felt would have a similar stance, having followed Williams closely throughout his ascent at USC. Surprisingly, the scout revealed somebody who has the entire NFL fooled.
Honestly, that’s the sort of rhetoric I expected to hear from one trusted scout who’s been following Williams closely. Instead, this scout reveals the exact opposite. He effusively praises Williams’ iron will. Before even touching on the QB’s athletic gifts, he insists all pizzazz is an all-time head fake.
The idea that Williams is not a competitor, not tough is “a completely false narrative” to him.
“I just think it’s different than what most people are used to,” the scout says. “This guy is the ultimate team player, the ultimate competitor. This is the guy you really want leading your franchise.”
Williams might be an eccentric character with unique quirks, but don’t let that fool you. Nobody has a more burning desire to win and be great. People keep comparing him to music legend Prince as if that’s some sort of insult. They ignore the fact Prince won seven Grammy awards and sold over 150 million records. Eccentricity is not a disqualifier from greatness.
Joe Namath did all the things quarterbacks never did during his era: he wore fur coats, did pantyhose commercials, and flaunted his nightlife. Jim McMahon showed up to his first press conference in Chicago holding a beer. He feuded with then-commissioner Pete Rozelle, wore outlandish hairstyles, and once mooned a helicopter at practice. Let’s not forget how wild and out of control Brett Favre was coming into the NFL. Nobody said you had to be a choir boy to win this league. If anything, having a personality is usually a good thing.
It is about whether you can keep that separate from the work necessary to succeed. Caleb Williams has already shown many times that this is no problem for him. He won a Heisman trophy being that type of person. The Bears didn’t seem at all bothered by the reputation. They’d dug into the details just as the scout had and reached the same conclusions. Williams may have others fooled by his different personality, but hidden beneath the surface is an uncompromising animal obsessed with winning.
