NEWSLETTER
Before I left for a mini-vacation, I wrote this post sharing video from the Minnesota Vikings 2024 draft war room. Part of me thought it was worth sharing because I find it worthwhile to keep tabs on the Chicago Bears’ rivals. But more than that, I wanted to use that moment as a platform to openly pine for the Bears to share content like that on their channels.
One day into my vacation, the Bears did what I (and other fans) have been requesting and dropped a new episode of 1920 Football Drive. In the latest installment on the team’s YouTube page, we get a behind-the-scenes look at the Bears draft war room. This isn’t new from the Bears, who have given us content like this in the past. But what blew me away was that it was more than 38 minutes of quality stuff. While watching this episode, it reminded me of the feeling I used to get on Christmas as a kid when an unexpected present came later in the day after a morning of unwrapping gifts.
That is to say that while I won’t get to everything here, I will break the most interesting anecdotes into their own posts. With that being said, there isn’t a better place to start than with an inside look at what the Bears were saying about Caleb Williams *BEFORE* they used the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on the USC quarterback.
These three quotes stood out to me:
“This is the prototype new age quarterback that’s a high-level competitor. Flashes of rare talent with his arm. Capable of making throws from multiple arm angles at all three levels. He could play within the pocket or out the pocket. … This guy comes in, he will be an eventual top-five QB in the league. His combination of his ability, competitiveness and desire to win makes him rare.”
While lazy content creators use “generational talent” as a blanket term to describe a top prospect, I love the words Bears Senior National Scout Francis St. Paul uses above to describe the traits that make Caleb Williams stand out.
“Great teammate. Pushed me day in and day out. When I had my head down the year before, he’d tell me to come back, lock in and focus. He was the guy who believed in me, that’s how I grew as a person. Ended up becoming a better player because I was around him.”
Breck Ackley, the Bears’ Assistant Director of College Scouting, shared some feedback that he picked up while interviewing some of Caleb Williams’ college teammates. Among the quotes he offered up was the one above, which is glowing praise without being over-the-top. We, as football fans, know how important it is to see a quarterback lift their teammates. Former Bears coach John Fox used to talk about how great quarterbacks are like a tide that raises all boats. Based on that feedback, it sounds like Williams did that for at least one teammate in college.
“As a person, very good personal character. Good supportive family. He’s got a good team around him, as well. Despite all the accolades, he does stay grounded. Really humble for everything he’s accomplished.”
For all the whispers about Caleb Williams possibly being too Hollywood for an NFL locker room, there has been far more evidence that proves that isn’t in his DNA. To be the first high-profile NIL athlete comes with its own bit of pressure. But it seems as if Caleb has handled it well. Perhaps that bodes well for his ability to handle the pressure that comes with being the Chicago Bears’ QB1.
Sure, there were more that I could’ve pulled. But I am instead choosing to nudge and encourage you to watch the latest episode of 1920 Football Drive in its entirety. C’mon, now. It’s not like there is anything else to watch right now. The Bulls and Blackhawks are in hibernation. I suppose the same could be said about the Cubs offense. And the less I say about the White Sox, the better it is for all of us.
And I’ll end with this: Thanks, Bears. Give us more … please?
