Caleb Williams was the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft for a reason. He’s a gifted athlete, and he’s prepared for the opportunity to take the Chicago Bears to new heights. However, he’ll start his NFL career on the sidelines of the 2024 Hall of Fame Game. Let’s take the opportunity to get to know more about Williams off-the-field, such as his family, ethnicity, and background.
Caleb Williams’ Family
The Bears’ rookie signal-caller is of mixed ethnicity. His father, Carl Williams, is African-American, while his mother, Dayne Price, is assumed to be of Hispanic descent. However, on the QB’s official website, he is described as African American and Native American.
Nationality-wise, the USC alum is American. He was raised as the only child of Williams and Price in our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. Growing up, he attended Gonzaga College High School in D.C., a private Jesuit Catholic all-boys school. Despite being such a small school, Gonzaga produces many professional athletes.
This was likely important to Williams and his parents. The QB’s father and mother were athletes in their own right in college. His father was a college football player at Oklahoma State, and Price was a multi-sport athlete, playing volleyball and basketball at the University of Maryland.
The family business was also in athletics. Williams’ parents established the Athletic Republic in the Capitol Region of D.C.
Williams’ Focus on Athletics Paid Off
William’s parents’ mix of athletic genes and focus on sports when the QB was a child paid off.
The former USC Trojan was awarded the Heisman Trophy in 2022 as a sophomore in his first year as the Southern California quarterback. In just his second year as a signal-caller, Williams threw 4,075 yards and possessed a passing percentage of 66.1%, a QB rating of 167.94, 37 TDs, and just four interceptions. He averaged over 300 passing yards per game.
KEEP READING: Caleb Williams’ Car Collection
Flash forward to April of 2024, and Roger Goodell comes to the podium. Of course, we know the history — he went No. 1. But did you know that Williams’ father had an interesting take on the draft process? In an interview with GQ:
“The funky thing about the NFL draft process is, he’d almost be better off not being drafted than being drafted first. The system is completely backward. 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.”
However, the Bears are primed to rise above expectations. Aaron Rodgers seems to think so, too. Surrounded by D’Andre Swift, Cole Kmet, Keenan Allen, and DJ Moore on offense, Williams will have a supporting cast to help accelerate his maturation.