Heisman winner Caleb Williams, who grew up in Bowie, could stay in school if NFL situation isn't right, father says
BALTIMORE - Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams, who grew up in Bowie, deflected questions about his NFL future after his father told GQ Magazine that he could remain at USC beyond this season if the situation isn't right at the next level.
Williams is projected to be the top overall draft pick next April.
"I've got Stanford this week and that's what I've been focusing on," Williams told the media on Wednesday. "That's my main focus, my main goal, to prepare for Stanford. I don't want to let my teammates down on Saturday. That would be the answer to all of those questions toward the NFL."
Williams' father, Carl, told GQ Magazine that depending on who is drafting first overall, the junior quarterback could decide to return for another year.
Most NFL experts project that the Arizona Cardinals will have the worst overall record this year, therefore, giving them the No. 1 selection.
"The funky thing about the NFL draft process is, he'd almost be better off not being drafted than being drafted first," Carl Williams said. "The system is completely backwards. The way the system is constructed, you go to the worst possible situation. The worst possible team, the worst organization in the league—because of their desire for parity—gets the first pick. So it's the gift and the curse. I mean, I've talked to Archie Manning—his career was shot because he went to a horrible organization. I've talked to Lincoln [Riley], and Kyler [Murray] struggled because of where he was drafted. Baker [Mayfield] struggled mightily because of where he was drafted. The organizations matter."
"He's got two shots at the apple. So if there's not a good situation, the truth is, he can come back to school."
Williams told GQ Magazine that he has always gotten to choose where he plays football.
John Elway and Eli Manning were among several college quarterbacks who refused to play for the top team in the NFL Draft, and demanded to be traded.
Elway threatened to play baseball instead of playing for the Baltimore Colts. He was then traded to the Denver Broncos.
"I've always been able to choose the team that I've played on, and then everything's been scheduled for me," Caleb Williams told GQ Magazine. "But now, going into this next part of my career, it's weird [because] it's so uncertain. You don't know anything. You can't control anything but you and how you act. That's honestly the weirdest part for me, is the uncertainty."
Last year, Williams became the first Heisman Trophy winner from Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia.
The 6-foot-1 quarterback played high school football at Gonzaga College in Washington, D.C. before initially playing college ball at Oklahoma.
He then transferred to USC where he turned around a Trojans squad that won just four games last season.
According to The Washington Post, Williams grew up in Bowie. He moved with his family into a Northwest D.C. apartment when he chose Gonzaga over a bevy of both local and national suitors.
Before that, Williams attended St. Pius X Regional School in Bowie.
Williams passed for 4,537 yards with 42 touchdowns and five interceptions last season. He completed 66 percent of his passes.
