From a five-star recruit's early drive to his "Iceman" nickname, uncover the relentless ambition shaping Caleb Williams' journey.
There's no doubt that Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has a great competitive drive.
Fans saw it multiple times this season.
One of the biggest moments was in the Wild Card win over the Green Bay Packers. The Bears were down 21-3, but Williams kept believing and trusting his teammates, and Chicago came back to win 31-27.
His calmness in those moments earned him the nickname "Iceman," and he's currently in the process of registering the trademark for that name. NBA legend George Gervin and former MMA fighter Chuck Liddell are battling Williams for the trademark.
Fans may not know this, but Williams has had this competitive drive since his time at Oklahoma and USC.
Williams was a five-star recruit on many websites, like On3 Sports. He ended up committing to Oklahoma and told people beforehand that he would start.
However, there was one problem.
Spencer Rattler was already in place as the starter, and just had a career year in 2020, throwing for 3,031 passing yards, 28 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Rattler was projected to be a first-round pick in the NFL Draft, and Williams had some work to do to earn playing time.
He shared on an episode of "The Pivot Podcast" one year ago that he was angry that Rattler was starting over him because he believed he was the best.
Williams thought that he had performed better than Rattler did in the spring, and he wasn't happy with Lincoln Riley's decision. Instead of begging for playing time, Williams kept working and eventually asked Riley what he had to do to beat Rattler.
Riley simply said, "Keep going."
Williams didn't know it at the time, but those two words would be very important. He eventually watched Tom Brady at the New England Patriots during the early years of his career.
Brady sat behind veteran quarterback Drew Bledsoe. Brady kept preparing, and Bledsoe suffered a major injury, giving the young quarterback a chance to shine, and he never gave the starting job back.
That's exactly what Williams did at Oklahoma.
"I watched Tom Brady, for Drew Bledsoe, is when you prepare, you prepare," Williams said. "When you get your moment, cause you never know how long it's gonna be, you never know what's gonna happen. When you get your moment, you don't give it back."
Rattler started the first six games for Oklahoma in 2021, throwing for 1,371 passing yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions. He initially started against Texas, but struggled and was replaced by Williams.
The rest was history, as Williams helped lead Oklahoma to a 55-48 win over Texas. He finished that game with 212 passing yards, 88 rushing yards, and three total touchdowns.
Williams started the remainder of the games that season and threw for 1,912 passing yards, 21 touchdowns and four interceptions. After Riley left for USC, he followed him and won the Heisman in 2022 after finishing with 4,537 passing yards, 42 touchdowns and five interceptions.
After the 2021 season, Rattler transferred to South Carolina and became a fifth-round draft pick in 2024. Williams went No. 1 overall.
This admission from Williams tells you everything you need to know about the Bears quarterback. It's that quiet confidence and persistence that have guided him during his short time in the NFL. It explains why Williams was able to take such a big leap in year two.
In his second year in the league, Williams became the Bears' record holder for single-season passing yards. He finished with 3,942 passing yards, 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
With the same mentality that helped him overcome the odds at Oklahoma, there's no doubt that it's going to keep fueling him in the NFL as he enters year three.