Caleb Williams facts for kids
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Williams with the Oklahoma Sooners in 2021
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| No. 18 – Chicago Bears | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | November 18, 2001 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 216 lb (98 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Gonzaga College (Washington, D.C.) | ||||||||||||
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| NFL Draft: | 2024 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of Week 18, 2024 | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Caleb Sequan Williams (born November 18, 2001) is a talented American football player. He plays as a quarterback for the Chicago Bears in the National Football League (NFL).
Caleb played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners for one season. Then, he moved to the USC Trojans. In 2022, he won the famous Heisman Trophy. This award goes to the best college football player. He also set new school records for passing yards and touchdowns. In 2024, the Chicago Bears chose Caleb as the very first player in the 2024 NFL draft.
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Early Life and High School Football
Caleb Williams was born in Washington, D.C. on November 18, 2001. He went to Gonzaga College High School and played football there.
In 2018, as a sophomore, he led his team to win the WCAC Championship. This meant they were the best team in their area. He was also named the Washington, D.C. Gatorade Football Player of the Year. He threw for 2,624 yards and 26 touchdowns. He also ran for 394 yards and 10 touchdowns.
The next year, as a junior, he continued to play great. He threw for 1,770 yards and 19 touchdowns. He also ran for 838 yards and 18 touchdowns. In 2020, his senior season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Caleb was considered the top quarterback prospect in his class. He decided to play college football at the University of Oklahoma.
College Career Highlights
Playing for Oklahoma
Caleb started his college career with the Oklahoma Sooners in 2021. He began as a backup quarterback. This means he wasn't the main starter. But during a big game against the Texas Longhorns, he got his chance.
Oklahoma was losing badly, 35–17. Caleb came into the game and helped his team make an amazing comeback. They won 55–48! He threw for 212 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 88 yards and one touchdown. The next week, he became the starting quarterback. He finished his first year with 21 passing touchdowns and six rushing touchdowns.
Moving to USC
On February 1, 2022, Caleb decided to transfer to the University of Southern California. He joined the Trojans team. This meant he got to play for his old coach, Lincoln Riley, again. Riley had moved from Oklahoma to USC.
Caleb quickly became the starting quarterback for USC. He was also named a team captain. In his first game, he played very well. He completed 19 of 22 passes for 249 yards and two touchdowns. USC won that game 66–14.
Winning the Heisman Trophy
In 2022, Caleb had an incredible season. He was named the AP College Football Player of the Year. He also won the prestigious Heisman Trophy. This made him the first USC player to win the Heisman since 2005. He led the entire NCAA with 42 passing touchdowns that year.
His Final College Season
In 2023, Caleb and the Trojans finished the regular season with a 7–5 record. He threw for 3,333 yards and 31 passing touchdowns. He also ran for 11 touchdowns. After this season, he decided to enter the 2024 NFL draft. He ended his college career with almost 10,000 passing yards and 120 total touchdowns.
USC honored Caleb by retiring his number 13 jersey in 2024. This is a special tradition for Heisman winners at the school.
Professional Football Career
The NFL Draft
Before the 2024 NFL draft, many experts believed Caleb Williams would be one of the first players chosen. They thought he was the best quarterback in his draft class. People admired his ability to make plays even when things didn't go as planned. ESPN's expert, Mel Kiper Jr., called him a "fabulous playmaker."
On draft night, the Chicago Bears selected Caleb Williams as the first overall pick. The Bears had gotten this top pick from a trade with the Carolina Panthers. Caleb was one of six quarterbacks chosen in the first round. This tied a record from the 1983 NFL draft. Caleb chose to wear number 18 for the Bears. This was his high school number. His college number 13 was already taken by another player.
His First NFL Season (2024)
Caleb was named the Bears' starting quarterback in May. He signed a four-year contract worth $39.4 million. This money was "fully guaranteed," meaning he would get it all.
He became the first top draft pick quarterback since 2002 to win his first NFL game. The Bears beat the Tennessee Titans 24–17. In Week 3, he threw his first two career touchdowns. He also set a new Bears rookie record with 363 passing yards. This happened in a close loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
After a tough start, Caleb led the Bears to wins over the Los Angeles Rams and Carolina Panthers. He threw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns against Carolina. This made him the first Bears rookie quarterback with multiple 300+ yard games. In Week 6, playing in London, he threw four touchdown passes. The Bears won 35–16 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. This gave Chicago its first three-game winning streak since 2020.
The Bears faced some challenges later in the season. They lost several games in a row. In Week 12, Caleb threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns. He also set a new Bears rookie passing yards record. On Thanksgiving, he threw three touchdowns. He also set a rookie record for passes without an interception. However, the Bears lost their sixth straight game. This led to their head coach being fired.
Caleb led a game-winning drive in the final game of the season. This ended the Bears' long losing streak. It also gave them their first win against the Green Bay Packers since 2018. This win stopped Caleb from tying a record for most consecutive losses by a top rookie quarterback.
Caleb finished his first NFL season with several Bears rookie passing records. He set records for completions, yards, and touchdown passes. He was also the first Bears quarterback to start every game in a season since 2009. He was sacked 68 times, which was a team record. His streak of 354 passes without an interception was the longest for a rookie. It was also the fourth longest for any passer.
Impressive Records
NFL Records
- Most consecutive passes without an interception by a rookie: 354 (in 2024)
Chicago Bears Team Records
- Most completions in a single season by a rookie: 351 (2024)
- Most passing attempts in a single season by a rookie: 562 (2024)
- Most passing yards in a single season by a rookie: 3,541 (2024)
- Most passing touchdowns in a single season by a rookie: 20 (2024)
- Highest passer rating in a single season by a rookie: 87.8 (2024)
- Most sacks taken in a single season by a rookie: 68 (2024)
- Most rushing yards in a single season by a rookie quarterback: 489 (2024)
- Most passing yards in a single game by a rookie: 363 (September 22, 2024)
- Most games with 300+ passing yards in a single season: 4 (2024; tied with other players)
- Most games with 300+ passing yards and 2+ passing touchdowns in a single season: 4 (2024; tied with another player)
- First rookie quarterback with multiple games of 300+ passing yards (2024)
- First rookie quarterback with the best touchdown-to-interception ratio: 3.33:1 (2024)
See also
In Spanish: Caleb Williams (fútbol americano) para niños
