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Caleb Williams Responds To 'Adversity' Claim With Poise

Originally posted on On Tap Sports Net | By Pat Boadway | Last updated 4/9/24

Caleb Williams is the talk of the NFL and rightly so, he's about to be drafted No. 1 overall by the Chicago Bears. But a wild take surfaced on the internet this Tuesday afternoon and the USC product himself sounded off after these comments.

Greg McElroy, the host of 'Always College Football', was on 'This Is Football' hosted by Kevin Clark and had thoughts on Caleb Williams. He mentioned a concern about Williams and compared him to Patrick Mahomes and Peyton Manning.

McElroy says he doesn't see the same chip on Williams' shoulder that Mahomes or Manning had. Mahomes will never forget being drafted 10th overall in 2017 and he still uses that as motivation seven years later.

So @GregMcElroy likes Caleb Williams. He has one concern: "Caleb Williams has never experienced adversity...I do wonder, is there a sense of entitlement, is there the chip on the shoulder that's going to keep him going 10-12 years down the road the way it does Mahomes." pic.twitter.com/nJxGI99AIY
— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) April 9, 2024

McElroy also mentioned Peyton Manning getting irked by Ryan Leaf's name even being mentioned in the same sentence as his for the first overall pick in the 1998 NFL draft. Manning went on to be one of the best quarterbacks in history and was known for his work ethic and drive.

But McElroy says Caleb Williams doesn't have that trait and that can't be developed either. Williams responded to the claim on X and it should surprise no one.

Caleb Williams Comments On 'No Adversity' Claim

Caleb Williams fired back at Greg McElroy after he claimed the projected No. 1 pick had never experienced adversity.

Let’s go back to school again ‍♂️cause I’m bored rn..

Adversity:
“A state or instance of serious or continued difficulty or misfortune.”

Y1. Didn’t start freshman year.
Y2. Popped hammy championship game 1st Q. Lost bc of my hammy.
Y3. 7-5 my last year of college ball. https://t.co/360cZjUGzD
— Caleb Williams (@CALEBcsw) April 9, 2024

He lists not starting during his freshman season, losing five games in his final year at USC, and injuring his hamstring. As described by the definition Williams provided, that certainly sounds like adversity. But it's not like he won't face any at the professional level.

The NFL is hard and winning doesn't come easy, especially in Chicago. If drafted by the Bears, Williams will automatically be placed on a pedestal unbeknownst to Chicago fans. The starting quarterback role — and there are only 32 of them in the league — is specifically critical in the Windy City.

The Bears have never had a quarterback at the same level as Mahomes or Manning. Sure there was success from Jim McMahon and Sid Luckman, but the NFL is in a new age now. With this job comes a new level of scrutiny and spotlight because if Caleb Williams isn't who most people believe he will be, Bears fans will tear him apart.

Luckily, the USC product doesn't appear fazed by the attention that comes with the celebrity lifestyle and that's something the Chicago Bears can really use to fix their franchise.

This article first appeared on On Tap Sports Net and was syndicated with permission.

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