Caleb Williams
A quarterback prodigy whose audacious playmaking and Heisman-winning college career made him the most coveted prospect entering the NFL.
Born 2001 (age 25)·American football player·Birthday: November 18·Generation Z
Biography
Caleb Williams arrived at the University of Oklahoma as a backup and left the University of Southern California as a football phenomenon. Taking over as Oklahoma's starter mid-season, he immediately displayed a preternatural calm and a knack for the spectacular. His subsequent transfer to USC reunited him with his former coach, and there he unleashed a season for the ages, throwing for over 4,500 yards and 42 touchdowns to claim the 2022 Heisman Trophy. Williams's game is defined by creativity outside the pocket, an ability to extend plays that borders on magical, and a competitive fire that rallies his teams. His selection first overall by the Chicago Bears marked the beginning of his next chapter, carrying the hopes of a historic franchise on his shoulders.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Caleb was born in 2001, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Caleb Was Born
The biggest hits of 2001
#1 Movie
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Best Picture
A Beautiful Mind
#1 TV Show
Survivor
Caleb's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
2001Born
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2006Started school
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2014Became a teenager
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2017Could drive
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2019Could vote
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2022Turned 21
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 25 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the 2022 Heisman Trophy after a record-setting season at USC where he threw for 4,537 yards and 42 touchdowns.
- Became the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, selected by the Chicago Bears.
- Led USC to an 11-3 record and a Cotton Bowl appearance in his Heisman-winning 2022 season.
- Earned unanimous All-American honors in 2022.
Did You Know?
He painted his fingernails with messages like 'F--- Utah' before rivalry games in college.
Williams is a distant relative of jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald.
He initially committed to play college football at the University of Oklahoma before following coach Lincoln Riley to USC.
He is known for his pre-game ritual of eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
“I want to play at one place for 20 years and chase one guy, No. 12.”
