Before Caleb Williams was scheduled to report to training camp Tuesday with the other Chicago Bears rookies, the quarterback was throwing passes to high school students in Chicago’s Pullman neighborhood on Saturday.
More than 700 people representing 12 Chicago schools packed the Dr. Conrad Worrill Track and Field Center at Gately Park to greet Williams in the first Chicago event for his Caleb Cares Foundation.
Williams gave footballs to nine winners of the Caleb Cares Hero Awards, presented to students who model kindness, empathy and respect. He delivered them by launching them into the stands, where a few were caught to cheers.
Williams is slated to throw to Bears players in the week ahead as training camp practices begin July 20, though the Bears have not yet announced that Williams has signed his rookie contract. After the event, Williams, the No. 1 draft pick in April, brushed aside a question about the status of the contract — and whether he still would report if it’s not done in the days ahead.
“I’m not handling that,” Williams said. “My lawyers and attorney and everybody, the head of the Bears, everybody up there up top is handling that. That’s not my position that I’m handling.”
Williams, who does not have an NFLPA-certified agent, answered similarly when he was asked in June about the contract that is expected to be worth $39.5 million over four years, with a fifth-year option. Rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze, the No. 9 pick, also remains unsigned.
Williams did say Saturday he was excited to begin practices, which open early for the Bears due to their participation in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game against the Houston Texans on Aug. 1.
“You start getting to the end of the break and you’re training and you’re ready to go,” Williams said. “Really excited. … I’m really happy to be back in Chicago and to get this thing going. We’re only about three weeks away (from the exhibition opener).”
Caleb Williams was having fun launching the footballs for the Caleb’s Hero awards at the winners in the bleachers. pic.twitter.com/02zXSTJi0j
— Colleen Kane (@ChiTribKane) July 13, 2024
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Ald. Michelle Harris, Bears general manager Ryan Poles, coach Matt Eberflus and wide receiver DJ Moore were among the notable people present on the South Side on Saturday to support Williams’ first foundation event in Chicago.
Williams started the foundation to promote and give resources to messages of anti-bullying and mental health awareness. H has held previous events in his hometown of Washington D.C., and in Los Angeles while he attended USC.
Williams said those causes are important to him “because I think it starts at a young age.” It also was important to him to be at the event in person.
“It’s me trying to help,” Williams said. “Trying to show them the right way or also help them in any way possible that I can use my platform. Being here, being in person, giving time, because in everyday life everybody only has a certain amount of time each day.”
Following a highlights video, Johnson introduced Williams to big cheers from the students sitting in the bleachers wearing their school sports jerseys.
“I’m very excited that you all will get an opportunity to experience someone who truly is demonstrating his love for humanity,” Johnson said. “Before he took a snap, before he called a play, before he scored or passed for a touchdown, he made sure that he showed up on the South Side of Chicago to show that he cares.”
Williams got a laugh out of throwing the Hero Awards footballs into the stands.
“They were juiced,” Williams said of the students. “We had a lot of kids here. Pretty good hands. I had to let it rip because some of them were kind of far, and they were catching them.”
He also did a Q&A session, taking questions from the crowd, including one from a student who declared he was a future No. 1 pick and wanted to know how to address “haters.” Williams said the No. 1 pick was “a good dream, a good goal.” As for the haters?
“Everybody has something to say — good, bad, indifferent,” Williams said. “There’s always going to be somebody. You can’t please everybody. I had to learn that at a young age — that I can’t please everybody. So make sure you have your goals set, and whatever anybody else has to say … go get them. And it doesn’t matter what the haters have to say.”
Poles and Eberflus weren’t on hand to speak to reporters after the event, though they are slated to hold news conferences Friday as the full team reports.