Since beginning his preparations for the draft, Caleb Williams has been compared to several prominent NFL quarterbacks. The two most common were Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers. Others were Kyler Murray and Russell Wilson, likely alluding to his shorter height and mobility. One name that might surprise a lot of people is Drew Brees. When watching the two on tape, you wouldn’t immediately see the similarities. Brees wasn’t exactly known for his improvisational skills or making plays with his legs.
That isn’t where the connection is made. It’s the way they think. Former tight end Clay Harbor described Brees as meticulous. He wanted everything done a certain way, not just in games but also in practice and even off-season workout sessions. He’d organize everything from the flight schedules to meal plans and how each throwing session would go. Every detail was accounted for. USC passing game coordinator Dennis Simmons found out immediately that Williams was cut from the same cloth. He told Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune when it first clicked.
It was really early on in the recruiting process. COVID had hit, and we weren’t able to do business and all of the things of that nature. He and his family were organizing visits for other players around the country that we had as prospects to try to finish out the class. So you knew he had some sort of leadership role and organizational skills.
And then he would go out with the skill guys and do private throwing sessions with those guys on his own, where he organized and did all of that stuff. Just the feedback from some of those kids was, “This guy is not just a good quarterback. This is a generational-type, different guy.” When you’re recruiting players, obviously talented guys want to link up with other talented players. Just to hear those compliments and those words used about him by his peers, you knew you had something good.
Caleb Williams had that mentality in high school.
Think about that. He wasn’t even officially a teammate with those other players yet. That didn’t stop him from doing what he must to prepare for the upcoming season. Keep in mind this was despite the knowledge he probably wouldn’t start that year. He was under no obligation to do any of that but did it anyway. That is what he felt must be done to help himself and the program succeed. You can’t argue the results. Williams stepped in midway through that first season and rallied the Sooners to a strong record.
Nothing has changed since then. Caleb Williams is still as driven and detail-oriented as ever. He relentlessly pesters coaches with questions, not just about how a play is constructed but also about its purpose. The more he understands, the better prepared he’ll be to run them. What made Brees great wasn’t his arm strength or accuracy. It was his ability to think the game at high speeds. He knew where the ball was supposed to go and when. If defenses were aligned to counter a given play, he’d know to check to something else.
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That is where Williams wants to be. He seems on the right track.
The secret as I said before for this team is that the team as a whole buys into the “eff predictions” mindset and works hard to do their best. In fact, I’d go so far as to say they should ignore the hype and just do it for themselves. There is no better feeling than be united and get it done for yourselves.
Another thought…some guys thrive on pressure as in MJ for example, some fold as in JF. Ryan Poles understands this and it’s why he passed on last year’s QB class and chose CW this year. I dont think they can put too much pressure on CW. He thrives in those situations. He lives for them. Definitely agree with Tim….56.. he’s usually spot on.
I don’t believe it was the Bears as a whole that put too many expectations on the past QBs. Thats not why they failed. Trubisky was never destined to be great. Just a terrible choice by Pace. His failure choosing him. Same with JF. Sure he could have had better circumstances to succeed around him, but pretty good chance he is now the best he’ll ever be. Either you have the talent and confidence it takes to fire it in there or you don’t. Trubisky and JF just don’t. Trubisky has failed elsewhere. He is what he was destined to… Read more »
@timgjerde56 – I agree with you, he shouldn’t be coddled. He should be challenged. But the constant raising of expectations and hype are a burden that no rookie should be saddled with. I look at this team and I see improvement. But I also a lot of question marks and holes. Will we have two healthy starting guards all season? Can Darnell Wright go from a guy who tosses guys around King Kong to a guy with better techniques who gets a pff rating of at least above average? Shelton and Bates – are they answers or Lucas Patrick 2.0.… Read more »
You’re right Tim and that’s exactly what Poles looks for in his players; Guys who want it and are willing to work hard for it.