Thanks to a remarkable trade with the Carolina Panthers, the Chicago Bears now possess the coveted number one pick in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft. The prize they are poised to secure is none other than the generational quarterback prospect, Caleb Williams. Hailing from USC and crowned the Heisman Trophy winner in 2022, Williams stands as one of the most complete quarterback prospects in the league's storied history. Coaches, analysts, and even rap icon Snoop Dogg have drawn comparisons between Williams and the likes of Patrick Mahomes. However, the sole blemish on Caleb Williams' record, if it can even be called that, pertains to his perceived lack of competitiveness. This perception seems to have stemmed from an incident during this season, wherein Williams was spotted in the stands, consoling his mother after a USC loss. The notion that this incident translates into a lack of competitiveness remains somewhat perplexing.
Recently, Caleb Williams' USC teammate, MarShawn Lloyd, engaged in a conversation with Bears beat writer Nicholas Moreano. Lloyd shed light on what makes Williams a remarkable player and prospect: his unyielding competitiveness, a quality that doesn't diminish when the game clock isn't running.
Lloyd recounted an incident where Williams's competitive fire blazed during a dodgeball game, even though his team ended up on the losing side. "How upset he was over a game of dodgeball demonstrates his burning desire to win," Lloyd asserted.
If this account is indeed accurate and not merely Lloyd's exaggeration, then this seemingly trivial detail could be an encouraging harbinger of Williams's future success. After all, one of the legendary anecdotes about Michael Jordan's competitiveness involves his defeat in a ping-pong match against Christian Laettner during the 1992 Summer Olympics. In response, Jordan ordered a ping-pong table to his hotel room, practiced intensively for three days, and subsequently defeated Laettner in their rematch with ease. Considering this, there's every reason to credit Caleb Williams for embracing his inner White Goodman when competing in dodgeball.
