Caleb Williams Oozes Confidence, Says Being No. 1 Draft Pick Is Plan A And There's No Plan B
INDIANAPOLIS – Caleb Williams came to the NFL scouting combine with one plan: To be the No. 1 overall selection in the April draft. Anything short of that does not merit thought for the Heisman Trophy winning quarterback.
"It's not a thought in my mind," Williams said Friday. "I don't think that I'm not going to be No. 1. I put in all the hard work, all of the time, effort, energy into being that.
"I don't think of a Plan B. That's kind of how I do things in my life. Stay on Plan A. And when things don't work out, make Plan A work."
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 29: Caleb Williams #QB14 of USC poses for portraits at the Indiana Convention Center on February 29, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)
Williams Confidence On Display
This kind of confidence can be impressive because it's born out of the fact this guy produced – throwing 93 touchdowns and only 14 interceptions in his 33 college starts at Oklahoma and USC.
So there's a reason for Williams to be confident and secure. And that's a necessary quality for any NFL quarterback, because opposing teams, media narratives, and sometimes even teammates and coaches question practically everything every week.
So a strong root system for self-confidence is good. But …
Confidence sometimes comes with hazards. It can become a problem when it bleeds into arrogance. And Williams definitely has twinges of that.
Listening to him, one picks up a I-know-better-than-you or I-know-stuff-you-don't know air to Williams.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 04: Caleb Williams #13 of the USC Trojans shakes hands with Milton Hopkins Jr. #14 of the Washington Huskies after a game at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 04, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. The Huskies defeated the Trojans 52-42. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Williams Explains Crying Moment
Consider:
One of the viral moments Williams had this past season – beyond his 30 TD passes and 3,333 passing yards – came when he cried on his mother's shoulder in the stands following a 52-42 loss to Washington.
The pundit class went bonkers, saying Williams showed too much emotion, or worse, was simply being a crybaby.
Well, folks, Williams isn't moved by your opinions because he's had experiences you simply have not.
"There's not many people in the world that experience what I experience every game day, every practice day," Williams said. "It kind of always goes back to that for me.
"It's something I only get to experience, it's something I really care about, which is not only winning the game but showing love for my teammates. And every time we lose, I feel like I let my teammates down."
Williams rarely speaks publicly. (Got news for him, he'll be mandated to, at least twice a week, in the NFL). As a professional, he'll face tough questions like the first one Friday about not throwing or working out at the combine.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 18: Caleb Williams #13 of the USC Trojans walks to the field for team entrances prior to a game against the UCLA Bruins at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 18, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ryan Kang/Getty Images)
Williams Not Testing In Indy
The question wasn't why aren't you throwing? The question was are you afraid to compete and that's why you're not throwing?
"No," Williams said. "Not doing things. That was a decision by me and my team, my family. It comes down to that."
It also comes down to Williams believing he's proven everything he needs to prove to teams on the field already. It's all on tape.
"I didn't feel the need to go out and throw," Williams said. "I played around 30-some games, I believe. Go ahead and go watch real live ball with me and see how I am as a competitor."
Williams is also not submitting to medical testing here. That's a rarity. OutKick contributor Dr. David Chao, previously the San Diego Chargers team doctor for 17 years, said he cannot recall anyone ever declining to do medical tests unless they were nursing an injury and preferred to be tested at a later date.
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 21: Former USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams poses for a photo during a game between the New Orleans Saints and the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on December 21, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images)
Williams Wants To Write History
Williams isn't nursing any visible injury. But he simply doesn't feel like being poked and prodded by 32 teams.
"For the medical stuff, I'll be doing the medical stuff, just not here in Indy," Williams said. "I'll be doing it at the team interviews. Not 32 teams can draft me. There's only one of me. So the teams I go to for my visit, those teams will have the medical and that'll be it."
Some teams will view this as Williams holding his authority. Others will see this as Williams seeming entitled. Or unbending.
It's in the eye of the beholder.
So is this for any team asking Williams to describe himself and his goals:
"I don't compare myself to other guys. That's there. Been there," he said. " I think I'm my own player and I tend to like to create history and rewrite history."
So, confidence.
Perhaps bordering on arrogance.