For a Generational Talent and No. 1 Pick Who's Already Made Himself Insanely Rich and Famous, Caleb Williams Spends an Inordinate Amount of Time Worrying About What People Say About Him

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Last season when Caleb Williams got hassled by a Notre Dame fan who stormed the field after the Irish beat USC to harangue him about the "F-U-C-K-N-D" painted on his fingernails, Williams later replied with this:

“Everybody wants to be in these two size 12 and a half shoes right here. I’m not worried about some kid running on the field who doesn’t really have anything associated with Notre Dame other than possibly their family going there or him going there himself. I’ve got a lot of guys over here that I’ve got to lead. An opinion of a sheep? Lions don’t worry about that, so I’ll keep moving on and keep fighting."

Speaking just for me, I have no more desire to be in his two size 12 1/2s than Al Bundy wants to squeeze a pair of 7s onto the feet of a body positive woman:

Williams is weeks away from not only getting drafted first overall, but landing in arguably the best situation any quarterback taken No. 1 has ever landed in. He's also 22 years old. Won a Heisman playing for one of the premier programs in America's second largest media market. And because he played when he did, he was able to make $10 million doing it. By contrast, I'm long past my admittedly brief, unimpressive prime. And the highlight of my week was watching the Red Sox lose 7-1 on Opening Day with the same guys I've been hanging out with since elementary school at the same sports pub we've been going to for 30 years. So it's not for me to judge Williams because I've never walked in his 12 1/2 cleats. 

But still, you can't help but notice that for a guy as successful as he's been, and with a future as bright as his appears to be, he's one lion who spends and awful lot of time worrying about the sheeps' opinions. This Twitter beef with Jack Mac, for example:

And now this latest example. Greg McElroy went to Alabama, was drafted by the Jets in the 7th round in 2011, started one game in his second season and was out of football. You'd think him raising one, relatively minor concern in his draft evaluation wouldn't move the needle for a guy who's widely regarded as one of the best prospects to ever hit the draft. But you'd be mistaken. Williams felt the need to respond:

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The point isn't whether Caleb Williams has or has not faced adversity in his life and career. I mean, he's not some Olympic hopeful dedicating her floor routine to her dear departed great grandmother who died tragically at the age of 103. Or some candidate for office who wants you to think he grew up in a log cabin and not raised by nannies while his Ivy League parents spent all their free time at a country club that doesn't allow Jews. We don't need convincing. The Chicago Bears certainly don't. He's getting the Final Rose on draft day, regardless of whether some relatively obscure draft pundit thinks he's been riding a gravy train with biscuit wheels all this time. 

The question is, why would Williams care? I mean, I get that he's "bored rn." But since when is that an excuse to start concerning yourself what draft gurus are saying? I'm pretty sure that when lions get bored they eat a zebra or take a nap or bang a lioness. They don't start worrying about the sheeps' scouting reports. Not when they're mortal locks to be Lion King of the draft. 

The fact Williams likes to kill his boredom by answering small and rather nitpicky criticisms is not a great look. Especially when he's weeks away from being the QB1 in a major market that's not famous for going easy on their athletes and coaches. And given that there are already draftniks out there throwing up all the red flags they can about Williams' personality and consider him a "high risk from the neck up based on Williams actions, conduct and words that he’s demonstrated":

… now might be the perfect time for him to get off X and just enjoy what's left of his offseason. I think it was Adam Savage from Mythbusters who said reading what people say about you online is like cutting yourself. And he couldn't have been more right.

If Williams is worrying about this picayune stuff now, it doesn't bode well for him if he and the Bears get off to a bad start. Or better yet, just delete his account until after his rookie season. No good can come of this.