Caleb Williams claps back at McElroy over 'adversity' take
Quarterback Caleb Williams, widely considered the top prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft, strongly criticized the idea that he didn't experience enough adversity during his college football career.
Williams took to social media to address the comments made by ESPN analyst and former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy, who said not having a chip on his shoulder could be a concern for Williams.
"Caleb Williams, from the time he stepped on campus at Oklahoma to the time he stepped on campus at USC, he has never experienced adversity," McElroy recently said on "This Is Football" podcast. "Very little adversity as far as how he was received and how he was portrayed as the next best guy. ... I do wonder about, 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 (Patrick) Mahomes, who's still pissed that he got drafted 10th."
McElroy added: "The chip-on-the-shoulder aspect is something that I've valued more in recent years, and I'm just not 100% sure that Caleb Williams has that."
The comments didn't sit well with Williams.
"Let's go back to school again," Williams wrote in his response to McElroy before listing three challenges he faced in college, including a hamstring injury and USC's disappointing 2023 season.
Let’s go back to school again 😂🤦🏽♂️cause I’m bored rn..
— Caleb Williams (@CALEBcsw) April 9, 2024
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
Williams began his career at Oklahoma - then coached by Lincoln Riley - on the bench behind Spencer Rattler but took over as QB1 midway through the 2021 campaign. He then transferred to USC after Riley left the Sooners to take the same job with the Trojans.
Williams put on a show at USC and passed for 42 touchdowns against five interceptions to claim the Heisman Trophy in his first season with the school in 2022. He helped the Trojans reach the Pac-12 title game against Utah that year but suffered an injury in the first quarter of the Utes' victory that spoiled the Trojans' playoff hopes.
The 22-year-old accounted for 41 TDs in 2023. However, USC underachieved due to its defensive struggles and finished the season with five losses.
The Chicago Bears own the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and are widely expected to select Williams. He headlines a strong quarterback draft class that also features Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels, among others.