People are trying to get a sense of who Caleb Williams is. Everybody knows he is a talented young man. He has arm strength, accuracy, and mobility that few quarterbacks possess in such abundance. It is a big reason why many consider him one of the best prospects to come out of college in years. The Bears had to figure out whether he had the mental faculties to handle playing in Chicago. Winning in the NFL takes profound self-confidence and the ability to handle the highs and lows. It also requires a relentless work ethic to push yourself every day.
That last part is something Williams had no trouble finding. From age 10, the young quarterback laid out a plan to chart a path to the NFL. It involved 5:30 a.m. workouts every morning, even at the cost of dates with girls and other social activities. Never was that drive more evident than during his freshman year of college at Oklahoma. Older team members, including starting quarterback Spencer Rattler, were part of a 6 a.m. workout group. Freshmen weren't allowed. Williams, desperate to get on the field as soon as possible, knew he had to get in on that action. So, according to Courtney Cronin of ESPN, he got a bit forceful.
Even after he was warned not to.
"He's like, 'Hey, I've been wrestling with this all night,'" Viney recalled, "'and I don't know who to talk to.'"
The weight on Williams' mind? How he could get into the 6 a.m. workout group.
"He goes, 'I'm trying to take a crack at this starting job, and Spencer works out in the 6 a.m. workout group,'" Viney said. "I kind of relax -- 'OK, listen here, freshman. I hear you. I love that spirit about you, but that's just not how it's set up.'"
Williams wasn't going to take no for an answer. The freshman went down to the locker room, got dressed and went to work out with the 6 a.m. group. Bennie Wiley, Oklahoma's strength and conditioning coach, ran up to Viney's office later that morning wondering why Williams showed up with the early lifters.
"This kid is on fire and wants to be on the rack next to Spencer Rattler," Viney said. "He wants to work as hard as Spencer Rattler, not to show him up, not to embarrass him -- 'I want to gauge my work ethic versus the guy in this program right now.'
"And then I knew. I'm like, 'OK, he's really different.'"
Caleb Williams sent the right message.
He wasn't there to help Rattler get better. He was there to compete with him. While Rattler started the season as planned, he struggled to start the season. After a rough first half against Texas, Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley opted to put Williams in. He sparked a stunning comeback win. Rattler never left the bench and eventually transferred to South Carolina. Williams went on to win the Heisman trophy and become the #1 overall pick in the draft. Challenge accepted and surpassed. They can say he wasn't trying to embarrass Rattler, but he was obviously sending a message.
Don't get comfortable.
While they aren't the same type of player, Michael Jordan had the same mentality. Even during his time at North Carolina, teammates would tell stories of how competitive he was and the borderline bullying antics he'd have in the locker room. It wasn't meant to make others feel bad. It was to measure himself against what he considered the best. Don't be surprised to hear Caleb Williams is doing the same thing in the Bears' locker room. Rookie or not, he won't waste time finding who the big dogs are and seeing what it takes to reach their level.
