Caleb Williams is certainly one of the best quarterbacks to come out of college in recent seasons. Some would even go so far as to label him as generational. From flawless arm strength to astute pocket awareness, the USC quarterback has everything in his locker room.
Despite the overwhelming positives that scream that Williams is tailor-made for the NFL, there are a few who are doubtful about his abilities as an athlete.
While the Chicago Bears are more or less confirmed to be the team he will play for in the league, a few NFL scouts would rather steer clear of him as apparently he ‘scares the s--- out of them.‘
Longtime sports writer David Fleming recently appeared on Pablo Torre‘s podcast titled ‘Pablo Torre finds out’ powered by Draft Kings and revealed the red flags few scouts saw in the 22-year-old. One scout claimed Williams was too emotional, which can be a massive hindrance in the NFL.
I hated it. I hated it. He would scare the s--- out of me if I was working for a team. Raw emotion is great, but Caleb's thing? That was ridiculous to me. That threw up major red flags. You just lost a game in the middle of the season, and you went hugging mommy and crying in mommy's arms. The scout told Fleming
It was a throwback to when Williams faced Washington in Week 10 last season. Despite throwing for 27 of 35 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns, the Trojans lost the game 52-42.
It was against one of his greatest rivals, Michael Penix Jr. So after the match finished, Williams became very emotional and was seen crying while hugging his mother in the stands.
Several NFL teams are scared of Caleb Williams
Following the crying incident, Williams had to do damage control because of the increased media scrutiny and online trolling. In a press conference, the Heisman Trophy winner expressed that he gives it all during game days and sometimes the results don’t go the way fans expect them to.
However, that doesn’t mean players can’t convey their emotions.
I go out every single day with blood, sweat, and tears. I give my all to every single play and every chance that I get, and I've been an advocate for mental health; show your emotions and express yourself. Williams said
This sent alarm bells ringing. Fleming added that one scout specifically told him that several NFL teams are hoping to avoid Williams in the draft. They compared him to rock and roll singer Prince.
He scares the s--- out of a lot of NFL teams too. The book says he's just kind of a weird kid. One GM told me it's like if Prince played quarterback. Fleming revealed
It’s a very odd way to describe an athlete; however, there may be some truth in teams steering clear of the USC quarterback. Former New York Giants Super Bowl winner Amani Toomer called the crying incident ‘strike two’ from Williams.
How are you going to come into the huddle as a rookie? You got your nails painted. You have your tissues in your back pocket. And you know where your mom is in the stands; you go crying to her. Come on, man. What are we talking about? Toomer told ESPN New York radio’s ‘DiPietro and Rothenberg’ back in November per FOX Sports Digital,
Williams loves to paint his nails. After receiving immense trolling on social media, he claimed that he would continue to do so and that it was nobody’s business.
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