The Bears did what everyone has expected them to do for months, selecting quarterback Caleb Williams at No. 1 overall on Thursday night.
After Chicago made it official, Williams told a few reporters on the Chicago beat about how he had some trepidation about being selected by the franchise early in the pre-draft process. But after he met with the Bears at the scouting combine and went on his top 30 visit with the club, those doubts went away.
“When you only meet with somebody for 10 minutes and the history — like I haven’t known much about the Bears,” Williams said, via Josh Schrock of NBCSportsChicago.com. “The history since I’ve been alive hasn’t been necessarily where they are winning big games and Super Bowls and things like that.”
“What they told me was that you know, they haven’t always put people in the right position, and that’s their fault,” Williams added. “The plan is to change that around. As y’all have seen, the new stadium. As y’all have seen, the coaches that they have brought here, the executive staffs, things like that. Bringing people like that from winning cultures and winning places that want to win, and as a holistic family of the Bears but also stadium, team, coaches, executive staff. Everybody wanting to win and change the culture.”
Williams said that he went to his vision in Chicago with “an open mindset.”
“When I got there and got around everybody — players, coaches, executive staff — and I went from there and I fell in love with it,” Williams said. “I enjoyed it. I was comfortable. When I left there, I hopped on a call and said, ‘I’m OK being here. This is going to be alright. We’re going to do it and we’re going to have fun doing it.’”
Bears G.M. Ryan Poles had Williams meet with and have dinner with select veterans on the squad. That group gave Poles some positive feedback as well, helping to solidify the franchise’s plans that were realized on Thursday night.
Now Williams will get his career started with the Bears and he has big plans for the team and himself.
“To be the greatest or to be able to sit at the table,” Williams said. “You put dreams and goals in front of you that you aren’t able to reach within a year or two, and you try to go get ‘em. You have to consistently not get tired with consistency. Being able to be the same guy, being able to go in there and lead the guys and hold them accountable, and they hold me accountable to go get it. Having those team goals. The only way you can reach them.
“My last goal is immortality. The only way to reach that is winning championships. That’s big for me and something that is the reason I play the game. I’m excited.”
