Thanks to the advent of social media, it's impossible to be a public figure these days without a litany of criticism. Most elect to keep the hate at bay, muting or blocking those who choose to offer their unsolicited opinions.
Not Caleb Williams.
Since his days as a USC Trojan, the Bears rookie quarterback has found himself the subject of keyboard warriors seeking to fault any little thing he does. From painting his nails to crying in his mother's arms, Williams' willingness be himself has drawn unnecessary negativity as he's found himself in the spotlight.
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Just because he doesn't let the hate get to him doesn't mean he forgets it. In fact, Williams does more than just remember the words of his critics—he stores them for future use.
Here's everything to know about Williams' criticism collection, including why the Bears rookie quarterback keeps tabs on his haters.
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Caleb Williams criticism collection, explained
In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Williams revealed that he actively seeks out criticism of himself and screenshots it for future motivation.
“The other part, and this feeds into knowing myself, is all athletes try to act like they don’t see it. I see it, and I use it,” he said. “I take screenshots of people. People don’t know it. I have notes and things that I screenshot. I save the links, all of that. I use it.”
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It's safe to say his collection is pretty large, considering the vitriol he's already faced because of his extroverted sense of style and outright emotion. With his NFL regular season debut looming and the pressure of being the No. 1 pick on his shoulders, that collection is probably growing.
Thankfully, he's not the first athlete to keep tabs on negativity spewed about himself as fuel. Williams referenced an NBA great while speaking about his propensity to save criticism to keep him going.
“There’s always something,” he said. “LeBron [James] always says, and has said before, he only needs one thing. He walks into the stadium, all he needs is one fan, one thing through the week or before the game. Some of it is motivation and some of it is psyching yourself out. That’s the other part. It’s knowing myself. It’s knowing what I like to know, how I like to do things. I know how hard I work. I know the confidence that I have from my work that I’ve put in for many, many years now.”
Caleb Williams nails, explained
One of the ways Williams is known to express himself is by painting his nails, which he's evidently received plenty of hate for. When discussing the fashion statement with former USC quarterback Matt Leinhart in 2022, Williams said he does it because his mom has painted nails his whole life and it keeps his hands fresh.
Those hands, fingernails painted or not, will be slinging footballs for the Chicago Bears this season regardless of what the critics say, and the 22-year-old has made it perfectly obvious that any criticism will only make him better.
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Caleb Williams crying memes, explained
Another reason Williams found himself the subject of hate is for expressing his emotions in public. During his final season at USC, the quarterback cried in his mother's arms after losing to Washington — a moment that went viral for being both touching as well as a potential red flag.
Williams has been vocal in his support for mental health advocacy and used the moment to emphasize the importance of feeling rather than suppressing emotions. Rest assured, he kept tabs on those who criticized his crying, too.
“I go out every single day, blood, sweat, and tears," Williams told the O.C. Register's Luca Evans. "I give my all on every single play, every chance that I get. I've been an advocate for mental health, show your emotions, and express yourself."