It was seen as a no-brainer for the Chicago Bears to select Caleb Williams with the first pick of the 2024 NFL Draft - but just who is the man being pegged as the saviour of the team and the next big star of the sport? In a word, he's different. Not only with his talent on the field but with his persona off it, and a larger-than-life personality is just what is needed to turn around this flagging franchise.
Bears fans hope to be looking back at this pick in years to come as the turning point for a team without a Super Bowl since the famous 1985 season, without a play-off win since 2010 and without much hope at all since then. There have been false dawns and near misses but the Bears, the second-oldest team in the NFL with nine overall championships, have never had a star quarterback in modern times. Now their dreams rest with a 22-year-old who in college football could do just about anything - and all eyes will be on him come the start of the season in September.
Starting with Oklahoma, Williams transferred to the University of Southern California (USC) and easily won the Heisman Trophy as college football's best player in his first year at USC in 2022. The team struggled more last year, but Williams still shone through as not only one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks but also one that just does not give the ball away.
Williams totalled 10,082 passing yards and 93 touchdowns in his three years at college - throwing just 14 interceptions - along with 960 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns on the ground. Throw in the fact Williams can extend plays and throw just as well while scrambling as in the pocket - think Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers on the run - and he had NFL talent evaluators salivating at his skillset.
In crucial third and fourth down situations he took his game to an elite level, going 199 passes without an interception, while in the red zone he threw 46 touchdowns and gave the ball away just once. "One of the most talented quarterbacks I've ever evaluated," said former NFL quarterback and now TV analyst Chris Simms., external "One of the greatest throwers in college football history." Read More About Bears pin hopes on Williams Meet NFL's next superstar
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