Caleb Williams has shown himself to be one of the most proficient QBs of his class as of now. He has quickly risen above his competition and has become the projected No. 1 pick since he declared for the draft. However, even the best players out there have bad days, and Williams faced his when he and the USC Trojans lost to the Washington Huskies (52-42) in November. In the wake of that devastating loss, the young QB fully intended to take the loss on his chin; however, a special presence on the field after his loss made him lose his composure.
On the Pivot Podcast, when Ryan Clark inquired about the fateful loss, the 22-year-old QB wasn’t afraid to show his emotions. He explained that initially, he was emotionally fine and that he felt in control. The QB had accepted the Trojans’ fate; they were no longer advancing to the playoffs. However, once Caleb saw his mother and sought comfort in her company, his emotions got the better of him.
“I was sitting over there, beat up; I was defeated. Right there at that moment, I was good. I didn’t start doing all that until I got up there.” Caleb said. “I was walking up to her; I was good, I was good, I was good. Then I hopped up, and I touched my mom and I just lost it. Because in my mind, I was going through everything. I was like, ‘This is it. I can (no longer) get to the Pac-12 Championship.”
After his breakdown, the star QB faced some backlash from the fans. Some naysayers believed that Williams’ emotional reaction to a loss was not in line with the very spirit of the game. However, even immediately after USC’s loss against the Washington Huskies, the soon-to-be NFL star spoke about his emotional reaction and his honest opinion about it.
Caleb Williams: The Football Poster Boy for Emotional Health?
While he did receive some flak from fans for crying after the loss last year, Caleb himself did not see anything wrong with it. After ending his college career on a sad note, the USC QB was questioned about his reaction after the game. He did not shy away from admitting his emotions, either. He explained how he feels that showcasing emotions on such a public forum is necessary and healthy. Caleb even added that he has always been this way, adding,
“It’s something that I’ve been doing since I was young, and now on a national level being able to try and share that awareness with the public. Me doing just what I did on Saturday, even though it was far from what I was trying to do, it showed and spread that kind of awareness,” as reported by USA Today.
While the QB faced some flak for it, in the eyes of his fans, he came out looking like a complete athlete and a complete individual. In the future, the QB’s level-headedness is going to be a boon to whichever NFL organization drafts him. Currently, the Chicago Bears, who hold the No. 1 overall pick, are expected to select him.
