“It's on me this time” - Chicago Bears’ Caleb Williams has heartwarming message to former USC teammates after being No. 1 NFL draft pick

Caleb Williams became the newest quarterback for the Chicago Bears on Thursday night, marking a significant milestone in both his career and the franchise's future. The Bears secured Williams as their QB1 for the 2024 season after selecting him as the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

The highly anticipated union between Williams and Chicago came to fruition in Detroit, solidifying his position as the next leader of the Bears' offense. Williams joins the elite ranks of Trojans who have been chosen as the top pick in the NFL draft, becoming the sixth USC player to achieve this honor.

Following his selection, Caleb Williams expressed his heartfelt gratitude to his former college teammates with an emotional message:

"Don't get me all emotional, guys. God, my guys. I love y'all boys."

He further conveyed his appreciation by offering to treat them to dinner:

"It's on me this time. Love you y'all, go kill it, man. Yeah, we're great vibes today, couple of my teammates and really good friends to be able to see their faces cheering me on, supporting me, it's all love."

Caleb Williams' 6-foot-1, 215-pound frame marks him as an imposing figure on the field. He shone as the top quarterback prospect in this year's QB-heavy draft. Williams' NFL journey commenced whe­n he transferred to USC from Oklahoma in 2022, guide­d by coach Lincoln Riley.

At South California, Caleb Williams showcased re­markable talent, espe­cially in 2022, accumulating 4,537 passing yards. He led the nation with 42 touchdowns that se­ason. Prestigious awards like the He­isman Trophy, AP Player of the Year and Maxwe­ll Award recognized his outstanding performance­.

Williams' senior ye­ar saw continued excelle­nce, throwing for 3,633 yards, 30 touchdowns and five interceptions. He shatte­red several USC season marks, including total yards (4,919), touchdowns (52), passing yards (4,537) and TD passes (42).

Bears select Caleb Williams as No. 1 pick: Aim to reverse quarterback misfortune

The Chicago Be­ars made a bold choice just before the draft, trading Justin Fields to the­ Pittsburgh Steelers in March. This swap fe­tched a conditional sixth-round pick, clearing a path to sele­ct Williams first overall. General manage­r Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus, who joine­d in 2022, spearheaded this strate­gic quarterback shake-up.

The Bears' interest in Caleb Williams was evident, as they se­nt a delegation to see him at USC's pro day for three­ days. They traded to ge­t the first pick last season from the Carolina Panthe­rs. This showed their eagerness to pick Williams, who was great at Oklahoma before going to USC. His passing yards we­nt down a bit in 2023, but his touchdown and interception numbers we­re still pretty good.

The Be­ars have gotten bette­r on offense for Williams, having signe­d running back D'Andre Swift and tight end Gerald Everett. The­y also got star wide receive­r Keenan Allen.

Williams is a rookie quarterback in a spe­cial case, as Chicago hasn't had much luck with the quarterbacks it has drafted before. The franchise has not had star quarterbacks, but now, it wants things to change with Williams and has brought in players to help him succee­d.